Mercedes 300SL Gullwing: A Timeless Supercar
Imagine, waking up on a beautiful summer morning, in the sleepy little beach town called La Jolla and knowing today you were picking up your new car. Take a stroll down Girard Ave, stopping in at the Girard Gourmet for a fresh pastry and juice. Then heading down to the local Mercedes-Benz dealer Heinz Gietz Autohaus and seeing your car in the showroom for the first time, the brilliant silver paint, sophisticated red leather, ivory steering wheel and shift knob. Sitting down with salesman and writing the check for the $11,000 plus the whopping 3% sales tax with your keys in hand you close the 300SL’s Gullwing door and fire it up for the first time. Next you stop down a couple blocks, to the Unical 76 fuel station and fill up the nearly 35gallon fuel tank, at 30cents a gallon, finally you are ready to hit the road. Up Coast Blvd, past the childrens’ pool, stopping off at 939 and checking in on Cove beach and see who’s swimming with the sharks across to the Shores beach.
How could one complain about driving such an amazing piece of machinery, well compared to the current ‘Gullwing’, the SLS, your list could get pretty long. It has no A/C, no navigation, no twin liquid disc clutch automatic transmission, no air or fluid assisted suspension…but who cares when you drive a car with so much character and elegance, who knew what kind of charisma the car would have earned after nearly 60 years on the road. One forgets this was a true racecar with headlamps and leather seats. Hearing the 212hp direct injected straight six accelerate the steel space frame up to a cruising speed of 100mph, for a 1955 new car owner, must have been complete bliss. At the time the 300SL was the fastest production car in the world. A car based on a racecar that dominated almost every race it entered including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Carrera Panamericana.
Here in 2010 behind the wheel of the legend, a 1955 300SL Coupe in brilliant silver with red leather interior. The ivory steering wheel is quite large and thin in diameter compared to modern cars, although the steering is precise. The cabin is quite tight as the door stills are very wide, but the seats are comfortable. On a warm summer’s day the cockpit is very warm as there is no a/c and the windows do not roll down, small triangle vent windows are the only source of cool air from outside. Around town we actually drive with the gullwing doors open to keep from baking in the hot sun. As we accelerate up a winding hill out of town, the power from the fuel injected straight six is very impressive for a stock car from 1955. At 2350lbs and pushing 212hp the 300SL is still quick even by today’s standards. The view out of the windshield is beautiful with the long curvaceous hood stretched out in front devouring the road turn after turn. I could drive this car all day.
Back down by the beach pulling up in front of a resort, I swing the door open and before making the rather athletic exit over the door still a crowd of people is waiting to ask questions and shoot photos with their phones surround the car. Clearly the unique doors and stunning lines are a truly timeless design that still amazes people young and old. As the car is one of only 1400 ever made I must return it to owners collection. Another perfect drive of a stunningly beautiful classic car I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the modern version, the SLS, to see if Mercedes has been able to recreate the iconic feel of the 300SL Gullwing.
Auto Eclectic Magazine - | Classic, Features
Tagged | 300sl, auto, auto automotive, auto eclectic, autoblog, automotive, cars, gullwing, magazine, mercedes
