 and the Party is in Adelaide |
and the Party is in Adelaide |
 Mercedes-Benz 300SL |
|
17th November, 2004
Spectators
at the event will see the largest collection of classic Mercedes roadsters ever
assembled in Mercedes
entrants in this year’s event have brought their cars from all over “Today the
‘Gullwing’ continues to be one of the world’s most desirable sports cars,” said
Horst von Sanden, Managing Director of the Mercedes Car Group,
Australia/Pacific. “It’s
fantastic to see so many classic Mercedes roadsters out of the garage and
driving on some wonderful South Australian roads for all spectators to see,”
said von Sanden. The
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” turns 50 Eternal
youth is a miracle bestowed on only a small number of cars, and the
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL coupe is one of this elite group. The Stuttgart-based
brand unveiled its new sports car in February 1954 at the International Motor
Sports Show in “Gullwing”
doors provided that essential touch of inspiration, opening up towards the sky
to reveal a tightly sculptured interior. The history of the 300 SL is
inextricably linked with the life of an influential admirer. It was American
importer Maximilian E. Hoffman who urged Mercedes-Benz to build a road car in
the image of its racing coupe, the start of production in 1954 providing a
sweet fruit for his endeavours. The assembly lines may have waved goodbye to
the last of the only 1,400 units of the 300 SL coupe ever made in 1957, but the
spirit of this extraordinary car most certainly lives on. From
the race-track to the road The
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was conceived initially as a purpose-built racing sports
car (W 194). In 1952, the coupe notched up an impressive record of success in
the year’s major races. At the Grand Prix in Although
there were initially no plans to send the 300 SL into series production, the
Daimler-Benz Board had been left with the words of Maximilian (“Maxi”) Hoffman
ringing in their ears. The official importer of Mercedes-Benz cars into The two
models were due to celebrate their premieres less than six months after the
Board had granted the project their approval. The occasion was the
International Motor Sports Show taking place in The
body The body
of the 300 SL was developed with the primary aim of cutting aerodynamic drag to
a minimum. The result was a streamlined form with few adornments, a car which
adhered faithfully to its design brief and which has retained its freshness and
allure to the present day. Wonderfully proportioned and extremely dynamic, it
was as if the 300 SL – surging forward on its wheels – had been cut from a
single mould. The new
sports car was a real crowd-puller, thanks in no small measure to its
wonderfully charismatic “gullwing” doors. Rather than serving merely as a stylistic
gimmick, they represented the central element of the 300 SL design, the
ultimate example of necessity as the mother of invention. The car’s aluminium
skin was stretched over a tubular frame, which – in the interest of stability –
rose much further than usual up the sides of the vehicle, making it impossible
to fit conventional doors. The response of the engineers was to devise an
upwards-opening door concept. The elegance of the car’s side view remained
undisturbed by a door handle, with a discreet pull-out bar disengaging the
lock. The door then opened upwards with the help of a telescopic spring. The
tubular frame for the 300 SL, designed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, reduced weight to a
minimum but provided maximum strength. A series of extremely thin tubes were
welded together into triangles to produce a frame which boasted impressive
torsional stiffness and was only subjected to compression and tensile forces.
In the standard SL the frame tipped the scales at only 82 kilograms, whilst the
complete car in ready-to-drive condition and including the spare wheel, tools
and fuel weighed in at 1,295 kilograms. The body
of the 300 SL was constructed largely out of high-grade sheet steel, although aluminium
was used for the engine hood, trunk lid and the skin panels for the door sills
and doors. For a relatively small extra charge, customers could choose to have
the whole body made from light alloy, which cut 80 kilograms off the car’s
total weight. However, only 29 SL customers took up this option and today their
cars are highly sought-after rarities. The
technology The
technical make-up of the 300 SL owes much to the Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186 II)
sedan, the vehicle of choice for many statesmen and industrialists and also
known as the “Adenauer Mercedes”. The six-cylinder engine featured a number of
modifications, one of which saw the carburettor replaced by a direct injection
system – a technical advance which was years ahead of its time. This new
technology boosted output to 158 kW (215 hp) and the car’s maximum speed up as
far as 260 km/h, depending on the rear axle ratio. Customers could order their
SL with a choice of five different ratios. The standard 1:3.64 variant was set
up primarily to deliver rapid acceleration and capable of 235 km/h. The 1:3.89
and 1:4.11 ratios were good for even faster acceleration, whilst the 1:3.42
option offered a higher top speed. This figure rose still further – to 260 km/h
– when the ratio was set to 1:3.25. However, this “resulted in greatly reduced
acceleration, making the car less enjoyable to drive in downtown city traffic,”
as the sales information pointed out. The 300 SL hit 100 km/h in just 10
seconds, with car testers at the time measuring fuel consumption at an average
of 15 litres per 100 km. A 100-liter fuel tank was positioned at the rear of
the car and could be enlarged to 130 litres at an extra charge. The engine
had to be tilted 45 degrees to the left in order to squeeze under the hood of
what was an extremely flat car, thus reducing the amount of space in the passenger-side
footwell. The SL’s centre of gravity was almost exactly in the middle of the
car, laying the perfect foundation for fast and precise cornering. The chassis
was essentially the same as the 300a sedans, but with sportier tuning, and the
drum brakes were adapted in response to the increased performance of the
muscle-bound sports car. Only later, in the 1961 roadster variant, were these
replaced by disc brakes all round. The
interior The
interior of the 300 SL was more solid than spectacular. The standard fabric
seat upholstery was available in a choice of three checked patterns, but most
customers opted for leather instead. The body paintwork came in silver metallic
as standard, although red, dark blue or black also proved popular. A shortage
of space made getting into the 300 SL something of a challenge – this was,
after all, a sports car. Fortunately, the steering wheel could be folded down,
allowing the driver to twist his or her legs in the direction of the pedals.
Once seated, the driver enjoyed an ergonomically impressively refined cockpit
design. The steering wheel was just at the right distance for the arms to
reach, and the driver’s feet moved intuitively onto the pedals: the 300 SL was
very much a driver’s car. In addition, the instrument panel was extremely tidy
and clearly laid-out, with the rev counter and speedometer in the centre of the
driver’s field of vision, as you would expect. The
handling characteristics Out on the
road, you quickly realized why the 300 SL had been christened with those
particular letters – the car was certainly Sporty and Light. With an engine
delivering 215 hp and a total weight of only around 1,300 kilograms,
acceleration was suitably impressive – especially with the right choice of rear
axle ratio. Exceptional torque ensured good pulling power at any speed. The
steering was direct and the suspension made sure that the car hugged the road
nicely. There’s no doubt that the 300 SL was a sports car of the finest
pedigree. That said, it was far from impractical, as many owners were quick to
appreciate. For them, this was a high-speed touring car which offered precise
driving characteristics but which avoided sapping the energy of the driver
unduly. The trunk was sufficiently large, complemented as it was by the extra
room behind the seats for additional baggage. Plus, customers could order a
made-to-measure luggage set designed to make the most of the space available. How the
press saw the 300 SL The press
at the time were falling over themselves to lavish praise on the 300 SL.
“Autosport” reported: “The exterior form of the 300 SL is quite wonderful and
its performance almost unbelievable. The construction of the car and its
production quality are first class and the whole concept represents an
uncompromising realization of all the new ideas.” After its initial test, “Road
& Track” wrote: “We are looking at a car where a comfortable interior is
complemented by remarkably impressive handling characteristics, quite
incredible roadholding, light and precise steering, and performance levels
which are up there with – and even an improvement on – the best cars the
automotive industry has to offer. There is only one thing left to say: the
sports car of the future has become a reality.” And “auto, motor und sport”
noted: “The Mercedes 300 SL is the most refined and at the same time the most
inspirational sports car of our era – an automotive dream.” Maxi
Hoffman keeps up the pressure The first
units of the 300 SL were sold in Technical
data for the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, W 198 I, 1954 – 1957 Engine Power
transmission Rear-wheel drive Chassis |