1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ Coupe

Mercedes-BenzOff Display

Nov 18

Written By Andrew Summers

Quick Specs

3.0-liter inline-6.
215 hp.
155 mph.
1,400 (total 300 SLs)

Daring to Dream

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was based on the successful 300 “Sports Leicht” (Sports Lightweight) race car that won the 1952 Carrera Panamericana and was introduced at the 1954 International Motor Sports Show in New York. It was the first sports car produced by Mercedes-Benz following the Second World War. Originally designed for road racing, it was also the world’s first four-stroke production passenger car to be equipped with direct fuel injection and the fastest series-produced car of its time. Its rigid tube-frame substructure made it both lightweight and allowed for much higher speeds than traditional body-on-chassis construction. It, however, also meant that little space remained in the design for conventional doors. Consequently, the car was styled with roof-hinged doors, which opened upwards resembling the wings of a bird in flight—hence the car’s unofficial nickname, “gullwing.” With its dramatic styling and high performance, 300 SL coupe quickly became an automotive icon, and was voted "Sports Car of the Century'' in 1999.

Courtesy of Ady Gil

This vehicle featured in ‘The Vault’.

1957 Mercedez-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ Coupe Gallery

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