An interesting Mercedes classic car was manufactured in 1954 by the German Mercedes Benz Company and was called Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. This car is a two seats sport car that impressed and still impresses car collectors and car lovers with its gull wing doors. The Mercedes manufactured an open roadster as well, but at a later time. This open roadster became the fastest production car of the time.
This Mercedes classic car was built by Daimler Benz AG and was a fuel-injected road car based on the sports car manufactured by the company in 1952. The road version was proposed by Max Hoffman for the expending postwar American car market. The number “300” that was part of the car’s name referred to the three cylinders of the engine while the “SL” came from the “Sport Leicht” meaning “Sport Light”.
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
The prestige of this Mercedes classic car was related to the fact it was the first four-stroke car with gasoline direct injection and to its amazing gull wing doors. The model equipped with gull wing doors was manufactured from 1955 to 1957 while the roadster model was produced until 1963. The Mercedes 300 SL Roadster changed the company’s reputation. Mercedes was no longer a company that addressed its cars only to business people, but a company focused on high performance sports cars.
The 300 SL Roadster had a steel body and only the rocker panels, the hood, the doors and the trunk lid were manufactured from aluminum that lowered the weight of the car and made it much faster. The engine was a 3.0 liter equipped with a Bosch gasoline direct injection that produced double power than the original carbureted version. The placement of the engine was made under an angle which allowed the engineers to use a lower hood. In addition, the engineers paid special attention to the car’s aerodynamics designing horizontal “eyebrows” placed over the wheel openings in order to reduce drag and improve the speed.
1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
When it comes to technical components this Mercedes classic car was more powerful than a Jaguar or a Ferrari. The 300 SL Roadster could reach a top speed of 140 miles per hour with a compression ratio of 9 to 1. Also, the Mercedes classic car was equipped with an independent suspension while the rear had a swing axle. The Mercedes Roadster had drum brakes, electrical and mechanical systems that helped the car not only to compete with the fastest sports car built in that era, but even to “stop on a dime”.
But a fast sports car such as this Mercedes classic car had to be stylish as well. It is generally believed that this Roadster was especially designed for the American car market. It is known that in the late 1950s, all the American cars were looking more stylish than the European cars. So, the Germans outdone themselves and created this incredible Mercedes 300 SL Roadster hopping that American buyers will be impressed by its brand new look with chopped rooflines and a low-swept hood that gave the car a clear shape and helped it pierce the air during a race.
This Mercedes classic car was a mixture of high quality components: a comfortable interior, a high performance engine and a perfect size. The German perfection machine did it again! The Mercedes 300 SL Roadster was and remains an impressive classic car, a masterpiece that car collectors will always be interested in as long as their finances are proportional with their desires.
Post tags: Tags: 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, Mercedes Classic Car
