Description
The most striking aspect of the Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing, at first glance at least, is its appearance. The flowing lines are hard to fault and are timeless to the point that the car is constantly mistaken by the layman for a much newer model. The doors are of course the striking feature, and with both open, the designation becomes clear. The shape is both elegant and functional. The few fittings are built in typical Daimler-Benz fashion, both in design and execution. The bumps in the bonnet, the anodised aluminium beltlines (along with most of the trim), the upward-opening doors – they are all there for a reason, whether it is to expose the engine, cover a seam in the body panels or provide access to a complicated chassis. In modern terminology, the Mercedes Benz 300SL is a fully integrated design, a claim that few cars of the time could make. Although the 300SLs were built on a production line in Sindelfingen, assembly was carried out almost entirely by hand, with the only automated system used to lower the steel body onto the tubular frame chassis during final assembly. Curious about all Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwings at Metropole? Check out all 300SL Mercedes from Metropole!
