Mercedes-Benz perpetuates original flair

A story that would immediately become a legend, began 60 years ago. Six years after the war – a time when some of the Daimler-Benz plants were still in ruins – the head of testing, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, was inspired to shed a positive light on the developments taking place at Mercedes-Benz through successes in motorsport.

The means available were limited, and he made a virtue out of necessity by building the first SL from the components available and from a generous portion of pioneering spirit: a racing car which was sent to the international race tracks as early as 1952.

The 300 SL (which had the in-house code W 194) won the legendary 24-hour Le Mans that year with a spectacular one-two victory. This followed on from a one-two-three finish at the Bern Grand Prix, and at the Jubilee Grand Prix for Sports Cars at the Nürburgring, the 300 SL even took the first four places.

This hugely successful racing year was crowned by the newcomer with a triumphant one-two win at the III Carrera Panamericana, a long-distance race over 3 111 kilometres right across Mexico. Soon it was clear to everyone that Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s delighted team had put a unique car on the road.
At the same time the combination of the letters “SL” became a phenomenon.

As an abbreviation of “super” and “light” it had originally merely been intended to differentiate between the 300 and 300 S models, but it soon took on a charismatic shine. The forefather of the race track was followed by the first descendant available for purchase in 1954: the 300 SL series-production sports car (W 198), which achieved equal renown and was known as the “gullwing” model on account of its unusual doors. Ever since, the two letters have stood for unique cars, legendary sports cars.

The irresistible design, the superb engineering and the virtually unlimited motoring pleasure they bring, have bestowed on the Mercedes-Benz SL an aura which has elevated all the models created since 1954 to the status of classic, one after the other. Among automotive enthusiasts they are highly sought-after collectors’ vehicles and pass on their special status from generation to generation. It is no wonder, then, that the 300 SL gullwing model was voted sports car of the century by a jury consisting of motoring journalists in 1999.

To mark its 60th birthday, Mercedes-Benz has completely assembled the 1952 racing car with the vehicle identification number 2 again – true to its original state and in such a way that it is ready to drive. Countless hours of work, a great deal of sweat and know-how have been invested by the specialists at Mercedes-Benz Classic in the car’s restoration.

In so doing they went to enormous lengths to ensure that the vehicle was not over-restored and that instead it would retain its individual patina which made its unique character shine. On the occasion of the unveiling of the new SL, the forefather – bathed in authentic splendour – was also presented to the public and demonstrated the fountainhead of the SL legend.
In this juxtaposition the two SL models from 1952 and 2012 represented the entire spectrum of the SL legend – spanning from its origins right through to the current pinnacle.

But 60 years ago it was not just the SL bloodline that was born. The foundations for the entire Mercedes-Benz sports car family were laid – and today, encompassing the SL, the SLK and the SLS AMG, it is more strongly differentiated than ever before. Even back in the ‘50s, when the successful racing car evolved into a series-production car available for purchase, Mercedes-Benz offered not just the decidedly sporty 300 SL “Gullwing” but a second SL model too: the less powerful yet equally fascinating 190 SL, which, in its capacity as the “little brother” of the gullwing model, opened up the opportunity to experience the SL legend, to a larger circle of customers.

The present-day 190 SL is often regarded as the predecessor of the compact SLK, while the 300 SL gullwing model with its characteristic doors and its outstanding performance potential is widely perceived as the ancestor of the SLS AMG. Both models, the 300 SL and the 190 SL, are, however, first and foremost, precisely what is revealed by the model lettering on the boot lid: the roots of the legendary SL ancestral line, which stands for refined sportiness like no other has done for more than six decades.

The cars in this model series were created with their own unique characteristics because their time had come, because Mercedes-Benz was meeting its customers’ requirements.
This also applies to the subsequent SL generations – each one reflects the spirit of its day and the wishes and desires of  its buyers. The sales success of every single SL generation proves Mercedes-Benz has always built the SL which was best suited to its time – having said that, they generally tended to be somewhat ahead of their time in Stuttgart, setting new trends.

This is why comfort, which, alongside sportiness, can be seen as the inherent discipline of the SL models, became an indispensable part of the SL philosophy very early on.
Further hallmark SL characteristics spanning the generations, include superior performance, technical innovations and, of course, an exciting, often surprising, design which always finds new ways of succinctly expressing the high emotional appeal of the SL models.

“The 300 SL belongs to the genus of cars which challenges its drivers and at the same time gives them enormous driving pleasure,” says Juan Manuel Fangio, five times Formula 1 world champion.