If there's a car that sets cold hearts aflutter, that screams `ICON' at ear-splitting decibels , it is the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. It's a sports machine like no other ... apart, of course, from the new Mercedes AMG 300SLS Gullwing we recently reviewed. It is a brave manufacturer that seeks to re-create in 21st century terms perhaps the most iconic sports car in history. We think they have done it ... bloody well.
Our featured car is not the famed 1950s Gullwing. Some could, and have, argued it is better. It has, however, been consigned to the bridesmaid role, overshadowed by the feature by which the 300SL is best known: those Gullwing doors. Our featured car is a convertible, a roadster: a 300SL with it's wings clipped.
This beautiful example of a 300SL roadster was sold originally in the US and later comprehensively restored by the Fox Collection in Melbourne, owned by Australian transport magnate and ex-St Kilda footballer, Lindsay Fox. It is now owned by Adelaide Mercedes-Benz dealer principal, Ray Eastwood and is valued at around $650,000.
The most significant reference in the previous paragraph is that of the United States. There is one man who is given full credit for the road-going production of the 300SL, an American, Max Hoffman. To get to Hoffman's role in the 300SL it is necessary to turn to clock back to pre WW2. Prior to hostilities Mercedes Benz was a firm believer in racing its cars. There were a few reasons for this which are still valid today: If you are successful on the track it enhances sales, it creates a sporty image for the brand and lastly, racing cars are the pioneers of automobile technology and engineering.
After WW2 it made sense for Mercedes to get back to business including production of racing cars. By 1951 it was almost ready and the form of racing that interested the company was endurance racing - and one race in particular, the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. By 1952 a prototype was ready and that car was the 300SL.
It was powered by a variant of the 3.0 litre straight-six engine developed for the new 300S sedan, coupe and convertible. But, it was the tubular chassis that was to have an impact that resulted in the doors that make this car an icon. For added strength the tubular chassis had smaller tubing running high along the car's sides. The result was conventional doors would simply not work. The solution was doors that hinged from the central area of the roof and extended skywards. This did not make the 300SL easy to get into, or, out of. It was still a challenge for a flexible driver. Once opened, the doors gave the 300SL an appearance that had never been equalled by any car - apart from the new AMG 300SLS. It was a sensation.
Where the 300SL differed from any other car of this era was the design was part of the future, a not a development of cars of the past. Examples of cars that looked terrific post WW2, but where still linked to the pre-war era were the XK 120, 140 and 150 cars from Jaguar. Magnificent as they were, and are, their designs were still anchored in the 1930s. The car that came after these, the XKE - or E-Type - broke that mould, and like the 300SL was a car of the future. The first E-Type was produced in 1961, well after the 300SL finished up on the race tracks of Europe.
May 1952 saw the 300SL race car debut in the Mille Miglia, a 1600 km open road race that saw the cars go from one end of Italy to the other. It was a `shake-down' event for three 300SL cars, but let's face it Mercedes would have loved to have won. It wasn't to be and that race was won by a Ferrari 250S. A month later two 300SLs took out first and second places at Le Mans. A 300SL then tamed the Nurburgring again taking top spot on the podium and then took it's talents to Mexico's Carrera Panamericana road race, again first to greet the chequered flag. Mercedes goal was for the 300SL to re-establish its credentials in the post-war period. It exceeded that wish. By rights the 300SL should have been consigned to the Mercedes museum to be admired as the car that revived the company's image after the war.
This is where Sam Hoffman, US importer of Mercedes cars, enters the picture. Hoffman believed there was a market in the US for a road-going version of the 300SL race car. So confident was he that he could sell the car, he placed an order for 1000 road-going 300SLs. That Gullwing, alongside the smaller 190SL roadster , had its public debut at the 1954 New York Motor Show.
Unlike the 300SL race car the road version had been prettied up to give it more appeal. Chrome trim had been added to the body, there were now cooling vents, an aggressive tri-star in the centre of the grille and the now trademark `eyebrows' over each wheel well. The tubular sides were lowered to allow the doors to sit lower and allow easier access to the seats. Small wing windows were added for improved ventilation.
This road-going version inherited most of the tubular space frame, the independent suspension, and massive drum brakes. The engine was still based on the race car's 3.0 litre straight six, and was still inclined at 45 degrees to allow for the swooping bonnet line. The major change here was the engine had a petrol direct injection system replacing the carburettors on the race car. This necessitated some major changes. The injectors were placed in the upper section of the cylinder wall where the spark plugs would usually be found in a 300SL and the plugs were re-located to the side of the cylinder head. The engine could rev out to 6600 rpm and developed 215 HP at 5800 rpm. This was a serious piece of kit.
In three years just 1400 Gullwing 300SL road cars were built and sold. The time had come for Mercedes to move on. The 300SL Gullwing was still not for everyone. It was not the easiest car to get in and out of, the cabin got seriously hot - there was no air-conditioning - and luggage space was at a premium. A roadster beckoned: the 300SL that is our featured car. It was built using the same frame, drivetrain and basic body shape as the Gullwing.
Once again the sides proved an issue with engineers again revising the tubular strengthening to allow conventional doors to be fitted and the centre tunnel was strengthened. The rear suspension - notorious for inducing oversteer in the Gullwings - was tamed and a wider track with wider tyres were also included. Under the bonnet the roadster got a racier camshaft and higher compression, bumped up to 9.5:1 and allowing for 200 kg of extra weight, the roadster had a similar performance to the Gullwing.
In 1961 a new EK Holden cost $2212 while the 300SL roadster was more than five times this amount. Sales were conservative. The roadster came with a soft retracting roof as well as a bolt on hardtop. More than 1850 roadsters were built. With history on our side it is interesting to look back at the two road-going 300SLs. The Gullwing is the icon. Not only the racing pedigree helped achieved this, but those doors in both the racing and road-going versions, cement this car at the pointy end of the pyramid in automobile history.
Then there's the roadster. There's no doubt it would be a lot easier to live with than the Gullwing on one point alone: getting in and out of the car. Beauty is subjective, but the roadster, in my humble opinion, is a better looking car than the Gullwing. The Gullwing is at its best when it is stationary, with the doors raised, looking more like an eagle ready to pounce than a seagull hovering over a half-eaten sandwich. History judges the roadster in another important way. This roadster set the path for all future Mercedes SL drop tops, including those we see today.
If I should I win first prize in a $20 million Lotto which one would I choose?: Keeping with bird theme I'd go with the pidgeon pair. One of each. |
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