THE GULLWING DOORS OF THE 300 SL
1954 · Mercedes-Benz · 5 min
The world's fastest production car of 1954 was born from a racing car — and a set of very famous doors.
THE RACE
The 300 SL began as a competition car, the W194, which won Le Mans and the Carrera Panamericana in 1952.
THE DOORS
The gullwing doors were not a style choice but an engineering necessity: the tubular spaceframe rose too high at the sills to fit conventional doors.
On sale from 1954, the 300 SL became the first production car with four-wheel independent suspension and, more famously, fuel injection.
Timeline
- 1952 — THE RACE: W194 wins Le Mans.
- 1954 — THE MACHINE: Production 300 SL launches.
- 1963 — THE LEGEND: Production ends; icon status secured.
