The launch of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL at the 1954 International Motor Sports Show in New York was a milestone in the history of the marque. Originally conceived in 1952 as a means of restoring the company's pre-war reputation as a major force in Grand Prix racing, the luxuriantly graceful 'Gull Wing' coupé transformed the image of Mercedes-Benz, especially in the United States. Production of the Gullwing coupé lasted only until 1957, by which time some 1,400 had been produced - a tiny number for such an influential car. It was replaced by the 300SL Roadster, a convertible version with essentially the same body shape but conventional doors and a hard-top option. Both models had 6-cylinder 3-litre engines and were aimed primarily at the North American market. Daimler-Benz ceased production of the Roadster in 1963.Before we can get to the car we're actually talking about, we need to first discuss the world-beating racecar the 300 SL was based on. And that car is... the 300 SL. There is a difference; the racer was known internally as W194, while the production car's designation was W198. Prior to the war after the war that ended all wars, Mercedes-Benz was an established motorsports marquee. In fact, its track prowess extended back to the 1900s when MB's ultra-low (comparatively) Simplex purpose built-racer dominated the competition for almost a decade, up to triple-batshit Silver Arrow racers of the 30s pumping out nearly 650 supercharged horses, hitting top speeds of 270 mph and battling neck and neck with Auto Unions of the day (including the midengined, 500 horsepower, 6.0-liter V16 monsters). But then Hitler had to go all crazy and the German car industry... well, you know the rest.
