Best of Breed

When Max Hoffman, U.S. distributor for Mercedes-Benz, convinced Daimler-Benz in 1953 to put a customer version of the 300SL racecar into production, the combination of the distinctive gullwing doors and the comfort of a closed cabin led the product planners to decide that the first version to be introduced would be the Gullwing Coupe.

Nevertheless, very soon after design work began on the coupes, designers and engineers began work on a roadster version with the goal of correcting the shortcomings of the coupe that were the result of rushing the car to market.  Of particular concern was the difficulty in entering and exiting the vehicle due to the high sills and gullwing doors, the lack of roll-down windows because of frame design, unpredictable rear-end behavior- especially with the radial-ply tires – and lack of luggage space in the trunk.

Hoffman also felt that U.S. demand, especially on the West Coast, would be much stronger for a roadster that offered the pleasures of top-down motoring.  Hoffman’s appraisal proved prescient: After good sales of 867 units in 1955, the first full year on the market, Gullwing sales dropped to only 311 in the following year.

The stressed tube-frame chassis was the obvious starting point in correcting the Gullwing’s deficiencies.  Torsional rigidity between the front and rear had to be maintained while lowering the center connections below the doors.  Diagonal struts were added to brace the lowered side sections, which permitted lower sills and larger doors that could include roll-up windows.  With the loss of the rigidity provided by the coupe body, the roadster also needed many of the mainframe tubes to be increased in both diameter and wall thickness.  The rear section was also modified to move the spare tire under the trunk floor and the fuel tank was made smaller, freeing up space for luggage in the trunk. 

Oversteer in the Gullwing, that could come on with little warning and become uncontrollable if the rear tires lost their grip, was largely caused by the swing-axle rear suspension adopted from the 300 limousine and stiffened to provide responsive handling.  To counter this, the Roadster chassis was modified to install the single-pivot swing-axle rear suspension from the 220a sedans, but with a coil spring mounted above the differential and linked to the axles by vertical struts.  If a rear wheel hit a bump while cornering, this additional spring would be compressed, stiffening that rear corner and preventing potential snap oversteer behavior. 

A major benefit of the new suspension was that softer springs could be used on the roadster to provide a more comfortable ride than those that had been required on the coupe.  A roadster version of the 300SL with the new chassis was first spotted in summer 1956 on the test track in Stuttgart by the German magazine Auto, Motor und Sport, hinting at the possibility of a new 300SL model.

In the new car, engine compression on U.S. – market models was, on special request, increased from 8.55:1 to 9.5:1 because of the ready availability of 100-octane gasoline.  This change provided an additional 25 horsepower, useful to offset the 250 pounds of increased weight with the beefed-up frame tubing, added suspension pieces, folding top apparatus and wind-up window mechanisms.  Further weight reduction was available since the car could be ordered “bumperless”. 

In addition, the Roadsters had the special sports camshaft that had been optional on the Coupes.  Cars shipped to the United States would be supplied with the lower 3.89:1 rear axle as standard.  This provided additional acceleration but at the cost of reducing top speed to 137mph – both changes appropriate to U.S. traffic conditions and speed limits.

The lower top speed was probably a good thing anyhow; with the drum brakes, braking performance hadn’t improved, even with the addition of a bigger servo.

The introduction of the roadster version of the 300SL as the successor to the Gullwing was made official at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1957.  On the stand, the car displayed the same distinctive grille, eyebrows over the wheel wells, and complex side vents in the front fenders of the Gullwing.  However, from the front, the appearance had been significantly updated with single-unit headlamp clusters that incorporated turn signals, parking lights, and fog lights.

In addition, with a folding top replacing of the coupe top, the car displayed an attractive wraparound windscreen and long graceful rear deck accentuated by a neatly designed top mechanism allowing the cloth top to fold completely under a sleek metal tonneau cover behind the driver and passenger.  With the folding top and roll-up windows, purists might argue that the car should have been called a cabriolet, but “Roadster” was what it said on the placards.

On the interior, there were a number of design changes.  Most obvious was that the handbrake, mounted on the Coupe between the seat and the doorsill, was moved to a more usual position next to the transmission tunnel.  Switches were recessed in the dashboard in a nod to safety.  The steering wheel no longer had the folding mechanism that had been necessary on the coupe for entry and exit and was more like the sedans, including the presence of a horn ring.

On the dashboard, minor gauges were changed to a ribbon style and moved to a position between the two main dials, a design that would be carried through the remainder of the lineup in the 1960s.  The roadster was much more civilized and comfortable than the coupe, though arguably at the sacrifice of the coupe’s perceived aggressive behavior.

With the introduction of the Roadster, Mercedes-Benz ended production of the Gullwing as well as the 300Sc coupe, roadster and cabriolet, perhaps because it was felt that the Roadster would be a sufficient showroom draw.

Sales in the first year of production were a satisfactory 554 units, the highest sales year, through still lower than the peak year for the coupe.  Sales during the next five years would be at a lower but steady rate of approximately 250 per year, although the roadster still provided the showroom attraction that had been intended with the design.

Very soon after production began, the factory offered a very attractive removable hard top as an option.  While it could be ordered in 1957, delivery could not be had until mid-1958.  In such cases the hardtop had to be dealer installed.  Also of note, Dunlop disc brakes at the front and rear replaced the Alfin drum brake system in March 1961, well after our example was produced.  From March 1962, a light-alloy engine block replaced the engine block carried over from the Gullwings.  Front end handling was improved by removing 45 lbs on the front end. 

However, by 1962, with Jaguar introducing its new E-Type roadster in the United States, Mercedes-Benz product planners decided that the 300SL had served its purpose.  Production of the roadster, along with its sibling, the 190SL, was discontinued in early 1963.  In total, 1858 Roadsters had been produced.  To replace both models, Mercedes-Benz introduced the 230SL, splitting the difference on performance and cost.

With the rarity, elegance and performance of the roadster, it has been an iconic collector’s car from the very end of production.  In the 1900’s the typical iron block roadster was selling for less than the coupe in comparable condition.  However, in the 21st century the gap has been closing.  Specifically, the 27 authentic rudge wheel roadsters and the 210 alloy block roadsters generally exceed the value of a comparable coupe.  In fact, all 300SL roadsters in top condition 1 currently exceed the million-dollar mark routinely in the marketplace.