The Luxury Mercedes 300 SL Roadster celebrates its “60thBirthday”
Mercedes Benz was the first
The designers of this luxury Mercedes Benz 300 SL first came with the idea of creating a production passenger vehicle with mechanical direct fuel injection. They followed their initial idea to a winning end and then implemented it. Injection increased performance ensured more reliable fuel delivery and reduced fuel consumption, which was particularly evident in the racing car.
The introduction of the car – as a graceful luxury vehicle
In 1957 the car was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in its full beauty. This took place when the legendary two-seater 300 SL Gullwing, which was widely regarded as revolutionary by the general public, had already been “reigning” for three years and it should also be added that it was the fastest car of its time. Its main distinguishing feature is its door, which is reminiscent of the open wings of the seagull, which are hung on the roof and open upwards. The roadster was primarily designed as an object of style and not as a racing car. The Roadster, like the Mercedes Gullwing type, represented roughly the same technology, but its body was altered to incorporate a common door.
What’s under the hood?
The carburettor engine had cca. 130 kW (177 hp) of power, but with injection a performance level of 158 kW (215 hp) at 5800 rpm was achieved. Later, the power was increased to 165 kW (225 hp). The torque peaked at 274 Nm at 4600 rpm. There was a four-speed mechanical gear with a rear-wheel drive. The top speed of the roadster itself was 210 to 240 km per hour. This represents quite a luxurious speed even in today’s circumstances.
Just for your interest: how much do these cars cost?
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster from 1960 was sold for USD 1,210,000. The Weissgrau Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster from 1959 was monetised for USD 1,100,000 and for the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster from 1958 EUR 952,000 was collected.
