300SL Gullwing & Roadster 1954-1962

HISTORY of the 300SL

On the race track, the 300SL is a symbol of invincibility. This was it's intended function after all, to revive Daimler Benz competition in racing. On the road, the 300SL is one of the most desirable automobiles ever built. Because it was built for racing, the bodyshell was designed for aerodynamic efficiency. As a result, it had flattened flanks, little imagination was applied to the front end, and there was a lack of trim. Mercedes Benz did not originally want to build the road going ver- sion of their famous racecar. A New Yorker named Max Hoff- man put in an order for 1000 vehicles and the road going ver- sion of the 300SL was born. These first cars had a US sticker price of $6820.00 rising to a final $8902.00 by the end of the pro- duction run. The road going version of the racecar was restyled. Proven on the racetrack, the 300SL engine was extremely reliable. The engine, slanted to the left (see photo) was neccessary to accomodate the low hood line. Oher changes and refinements included a steel bodyshell with aluminum hood, trunklid, lower rocker panels and doors to save weight. Chromed bumpers were added. The slatted vents on the front fenders were there to allow excess heat from the engine, but also added to the overall styling of the car. As do the "eyebrow" moldings over the wheel well arches. The standard interior consisted of checked cloth fabric similar to that which was used on the racing version. Leather of course was an option, as were fitted leather suitcases. All of the gullwing coupes were built as left hand drive cars. During the run of the gullwing coupe, 29 all aluminum bodied 300SL's were built for special delivery to racing customers. They had the plaid seats, plexiglass windows, Rudge wheels and an "NSL" engine. The photo at right shows Rudolph Ulenhaut's space- frame chassis of the 300SL coupe. The redesigned SL roadster was not only func- tional, but breathtakingly beautiful. Production of the 300SL coupe began to wane as news of the roadster began to spread. The roadster was a road-going version that was a revised car that fully addressed all the bugs of the coupe. The roadster was heavier and slower, but the styling was much more civilized.The car had overall the same appearance except for being a convertible and the doors were front hinged. The front fenders on the roadster have larger cut-outs to accomo- date revised headlights with integral foglights, therefore front fenders on the coupe and roadster cannot be interchanged. There are quite alot of features on the roadster version, which were missing from the gullwing. The fuel tank filler flap was moved to the outside of the left rear fender. Standard features were a Talbot racing mirror, perforated and fluted leather uphol- stery, padded binnacle and top dash panel, improved heater controls, more luggage space was achieved by cutting fuel tank capacity back to 31.7 gallons, a larger tail light cluster with integral reverse lights, combination guage between the tachometer and speedometer, handbrake lever moved from the left to the right of the driver, longer windshield wipers on reinforced arms, foglamps, reinforced bumpers, glovebox, swing axle rear suspension, softtop or as an extra cost option a hardtop. If you are interested in buying one of these great cars, it is a must that you get a professional to inspect it for you, after all, you are getting ready to spend six figures on an automobile. It is equally important to buy the best car you can afford in today’s market. It is less expensive to buy a 300 SL Roadster or Gullwing in great shape than it is to buy a ragged one and restore it. Restoration on these cars runs well into the six figures. If you buy a nice one you can enjoy it next week! Production Numbers: Production Numbers of the 300SL gullwing coupe from August 1954 to May 1957 1954 146 units 1955 867 units 1956 311 units 1957 76 units Total: 1400 units Production Numbers of the 300SL Roadster from February/May 1957 to February 1963 1957 554 units 1958 324 units 1959 211 units 1960 249 units 1961 250 units 1962 244 units 1963 26 units Total: 1858 units Buying A 300SL Know what you're buying and what to look for and know what to avoid. When these cars are well maintained and properly taken care of, they increase in value. PLEASE READ THIS FIRST! A car's value is determined by condition. Standard condition guidelines are as follows: Excellent- As close to perfect original or a very well restored vehicle. Generally a body-off restoration, but a well done body-on restoration that has been fully detailed may qualify. The vehicle is stunning to look at. Everything works as new, all equipment is original, NOS or excellent quality reproductions. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT # 1 CARS ARE VERY RARE, AND ARE ORIGINAL RIGHT DOWN TO THE HOSE CLAMPS. DO NOT ASSUME THAT JUST BECAUSE A CAR HAS A #1 ASKING PRICE, THAT IT IS IN # 1 CONDITION. MOST CARS FOR SALE OUT THERE ARE LOW # 2 TO HIGH # 3 CARS. Very Good- An extremely presentable vehicle showing minimal wear, or a well restored vehicle. Runs and drives smooth and tight. Needs no mechanical or cosmetic work. All areas have been detailed. Beautiful to look at but clearly not a # 1 vehicle. Good- Presentable inside and out with some signs of wear. Not detailed but clean. Body should be straight and solid with no rust- through anywhere. Shiny, attractive paint but may have evidence of minor fading or checking or other imperfections. Runs and drives well but may need some minor mechanical or cosmetic work. But it is useable and enjoyable as is. Fair- Runs and drives ok but needs work throughout the vehicle. Body shows signs of wear or previous restoration work. Any rust should be minimal and not in any structural areas. Cosmetics, body and mechanicals all need work to some degree. Poor- In need of complete restoration, but is complete and not a rust bucket beyond repair. May or may not run but is not roadworthy. These values are from Collector Car Market Review and are based on actual sales of vehicles, not on asking prices of vehicles. Asking prices, and sales prices are very different. Currently: (these are approximate values based on actual sales of vehicles.) Prices last updated Sept 2019 Keep in mind that due to the high cost of restoration, mint examples of these cars can and have sold for more than the prices quoted here. Condition of a car CANNOT be determined by its location. Don't be fooled by a car's current geographical location. Just because a car is in California today, does not mean that is where it started life. Where to find the engine number and chassis number. The chassis plate is attached to the engine firewall, another plate and stamping is found on the left side front chassis leg close to the tubular transverse member. (see photo right). The engine number can be found stamped into the right hand side of the cylinder block, and repeated on the alloy plate attached below (see photo below). Chassis number prefixs are: 300SL (racing version) 194010 300SL (production Coupe) 198040 300SL (aluminum Coupe) 198043 300SL (roadster) 198042 Engine number prefix is M198 (for all) The 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster are a very low production automobile. Rarity is one of the main ingredients which makes a car collectible. These fine automobiles have been collectible for a long time. Since most auto enthusiasts take better care of their investments, most of the gullwings and roadsters are in pretty good shape. There are some gullwing and roadsters around which were haphazardly refurbished by some unscrupulous individuals in the late 1980's to cash in on that crazy market. We strongly suggest you get a qualified third party to inspect the 300SL of your dreams. Below is a diagram for places to check for rust and previous rust repairs. Please keep in mind that these cars were driven hard when they were young. Let's face it, you buy a sports car to drive it, therefore some of these cars have been crashed, repaired, crashed again, and repaired again. So check the car for accident damage as well. Check the hood fit, headlight fit, door fit, trunklid fit. Check the car on a lift and inspect the tubular chassis for repairs. Park the car on a level spot, step away from the automobile and just look at the car from all angles. Check the inner wheel aprons front and rear. Check for corrosion around the headlight buckets, wheel arches, trunk floor, the areas behind the rear wheels and the rear roof pillars. (see photo below)