Mercedes-Benz 300 SL history: the Gullwing coupe and the roadster

300 SL (Gullwing and Roadster) history

The road car grew out of the 1952 W 194 racing 300 SL, whose "SL" stood for super light. US importer Max Hoffman pushed for a production version, and the 300 SL coupe and 190 SL prototype premiered at the New York show in February 1954.

The high sills of the lightweight tubular frame made conventional doors impractical, hence the roof-hinged doors that earned the nicknames "Gullwing" and "Papillon". The straight-six with mechanical direct petrol injection produced up to 215 hp — the first petrol injection in a four-stroke production car.

North America was the 300 SL's main market: in 1954 and 1955, 850 of the 996 coupes built went to the US, and by 1963 more than half of all 300 SLs had been delivered to North America.[1],[2]

Years and production numbers

Engine and drivetrain facts

• Engine: 2,996 cc overhead-camshaft straight-six with mechanical direct injection, 215 hp (DIN) / 240 hp (SAE), four-speed manual.
• The aluminum-bodied coupes were 130 kg lighter than the steel cars.
• The roadster was the last Mercedes-Benz passenger car with a separate frame and introduced a revised rear swing axle with a compensating spring.

Sources:[1],[3]

What changed, year by year

1. 1952W 194 race car wins Le Mans and the Carrera Panamericana (1-2 finishes).
2. 1954Production coupe debuts in New York; deliveries from 1954.
3. 1957Roadster replaces the coupe (from March 1957).
4. 1958Roadster also offered as a coupe and as a coupe with roadster soft top.
5. 1961Disc brakes and light-alloy engine block.
6. 1963Final roadster built 8 February 1963; the W 113 "Pagoda" takes over.

Sources:[1]

What to check before you buy one

• Verify chassis, engine and body numbers against factory records — auction catalogs list all three, and matching numbers drive value.
• Ask whether the car has period-incorrect upgrades (disc-brake conversions, modern cooling, electronic ignition); RM Sotheby's has documented such changes on otherwise original cars.
• Have a 300 SL specialist inspect the tubular frame for corrosion and accident repair.
• Alloy-bodied Gullwings (29 built) need especially rigorous documentation.

300 SL (Gullwing and Roadster) prices and values today

Use public results only. RM Sotheby's sold a 1957 300 SL Roadster, matching numbers in its original black with tan, for €823,200 in Paris in 2014.[3]

How to verify the factory options of any 300 SL (Gullwing and Roadster)

The 300 SL predates 17-character VINs (introduced for model year 1981), so a VIN-based build report does not apply. Original factory records for classics come from Mercedes-Benz Classic.[5]

Mercedes-Benz recorded each car's original equipment on a factory data card, and Mercedes-Benz Classic holds those records for classic cars. Owners in the US and Canada can request a copy through the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, California; check the current process and fee with the Classic Center directly.[4]

Looking at a later, VIN-era Mercedes? Our SL history by generation covers the R 107 through today's SL, and the Mercedes-Benz data card by VIN works for model year 1981 onward.