How the long-lasting Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing captured hearts and minds, and influenced auto design perpetually

In keeping with the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Mercedes deliberately revealed the 300 SL Coupe together with the 190 SL Roadster, one other new automobile with conventional front-hinged doorways, within the U.S. as a result of the automaker constructed them particularly for the U.S. market. The design with upward-opening doorways instantly made an impression on automobile lovers, who nicknamed it the “Gullwing.” The French thought it regarded extra like a butterfly and known as it “Papillon.”

From 1954 to 1957, Mercedes-Benz produced 1,400 300 SL Coupes. Regardless of the automobile’s comparatively quick manufacturing run and low variety of models produced, the Gullwing instantly achieved icon standing. Any auto fanatic who noticed one on the street most likely remembers the expertise.

I had a Gullwing sighting in 1991 at Lime Rock Park racetrack in Litchfield, Connecticut. I drove my 1971 VW Karmann Ghia convertible to an occasion for Automotive & Driver journal subscribers to check the brand new, uncommon, short-lived Subaru SVX luxurious efficiency coupe. One other attendee drove his silver Gullwing. I’m certain many of the 50 attendees would have quite ridden within the Mercedes than pushed the Subaru- a sprightly automobile and enjoyable to drive.

Upward-opening doorways on later vehicles had been a design selection, however that wasn’t the case with the 300 SL Coupe. The manufacturing 300 SL’s design was constructed across the 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing automobile’s spaceframe, which had gorgeous victories in main sports activities automobile races, together with the Mille Miglia, Le Man’s 24-hour race, and the Carrera Panamericana. The race automobile’s light-weight spaceframe prolonged comparatively excessive on the edges, which made entrance or rear-hinged doorways unimaginable. Mercedes-Benz describes the gullwing-style doorways as an”engineering necessity.”

Moving into and out of the Gullwing was additionally uncommon. The motive force needed to step over the comparatively excessive aspect of the automobile. The steering wheel had a lever that allowed the motive force to maneuver it out of the way in which briefly for simpler entry. The automobile additionally had detachable home windows as a result of the doorways had no house to decrease them.

The Gullwing’s mild spaceframe dictated the door configuration, however that wasn’t the 300 SL Coupe’s solely sporting ingredient. The sports activities automobile’s six-cylinder motor was the primary on this planet to make use of direct gas injection with a four-stroke engine in a manufacturing automobile. The 300 SL’s engine output is 215 hp, which may drive the automobile to a beforehand unheard-of prime velocity of 155 mph.

At this time, the 300 SL Coupe is probably the most photographed automobile on show, based on the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Many museum guests take images of the automobile from all angles, however few go away the constructing with out taking no less than one {photograph} as a private document of the expertise.

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