55-57 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

 

x2 That is one of the most sought after and expensive M-B cars built. M-B is coming out with a new version for 2011 called the SLS that will have gullwing doors as well.

 

Gullwing my friend.... Wwwwaaayyyy ahead of its time in engineering marvels. In that condition if original is easily a $250,000 - $450,000 car

 

WOW...I wish I had parked our car and waited to meet the owner.
I took this shot on a slow drive by yesterday while touring Beverly hills with my wife in a rental car.

 

Looking at one from that angle, it must be a b*tch to get in and out of those cars.

 

wonder why they just left the door open, maybe it only opens from the inside and he'd look goofy reaching through the window to open the door?

 

A woman was sitting in the passenger seat.
Don't know where the driver was though.

 

Often refered to as the "Widowmaker", cos it used to like to fall off the road at high speed, and the high proportion of male drivers killed in them. It had something to do with the rear end being very twitchy at high speeds.

 

Yes. But the German engineers actually made the steering wheel flip down to "ease entry".

 

Hey, if you're still in town this weekend head down to Orange County for the Cars & Coffee meet - you'll most likely see another one of those, plus several 300SL Roadsters, a gaggle of new and old Ferraris, perhaps the odd Bugatti Veyron, Enzo Ferrari, Gumpert Apollo or God knows what else. Perhaps the oldest Aston Martin in the country - a completely original, unrestored, unmolested 1935 beauty.

Or do your tastes run more along the lines of beautifully restored Ford Lotus Cortinas? You can almost see the ghost of Jim Clark behind the wheel. How about a fully restored Jaguar D-Type that actually competed in the 24 Hours of LeMans back when Jaguar was winning everything in sight? Or do you like custom hot rods? Maybe original Detroit iron with a Hemi under the hood?

Makes no difference - they are ALL there.

 

This post hit me like a ton of bricks.

It never occured to me that there were people too young to recognize a 300 SL Gullwing Coupe.

They came with fitted leather luggage matching the interior and a fitted leather tool kit.

The handling problems were a result of the swing axle rear suspension (also in pre 68 VWs, 60-64 Corvairs and 63-67 Triumph Spitfires). The rear axle was pivoted on universal joints on the sides of the differential and sudden side forces on a poorly adjusted car could lead to the outside axle trying to tuck under the car, raising the rear end and reducing the contact patch on the outside rear tire.

A buddy of mine was thinking of buying one in the mid 70s for $10,000 but gave up when he found that the door wouldn't close with his 6'4" head in the way.

 

I can wait for this to go into production
http://gullwing-america.com/

 

From Wikipedia:

"Today, the 300SL with its unique doors, technological firsts, and low production numbers is considered one of the most collectible Mercedes-Benz models of all time, with prices reaching well past the US$650,000 mark. Sports Car International magazine ranked the 300SL as the number 5 sports car of all time. A pair of 300SLs for sale in 2009 are offered at $1.3M USD from the Foxwood Collection, demonstrating that the price of and demand for this classic remains strong.
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is inspired by these 1950s automobiles.
Mercedes-Benz still supplies parts for every car they built. The factory also provides some of the best restoration services along with a handful of top-knotch independent outfits such as Mercedes-Benz trained 300SL guru Rudiger Koniczek of Rudi & Company in British Columbia, Canada (Since 1971), Paul Russell & Company in Essex, MA, Scott Grundfor in California in the USA & HK Engineering in Germany."

To many, it's the ultimate Mercedes collectible.

 

And I am 47 years old

 

Its a 1954-1957 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, a real classic car ahead of its time......

Dennis

 

And just think: our cars are actually RELATED to that thing!


Honestly, I've had 4 Benzes in the house (1976 450SL, 1985 500SEC convertible conversion, 1986 560SEL, 2002 C230 Coupe) and when I drive the Crossfire it feels like another one...and that's nice.

 

yep....they are beautiful and mad pricey....even a decent replica will run you $150k. Can't wait to see the 2011....MB is finally getting it together again.

 

yeah, i've loved these things since i was 10 (48 now). i thought the delorean was a take-off on this car. and the fitted luggage for our cars...i was expecting leather...like the 300sl. oh well.

anyhoo, i can't wait for the new gullwing MB, either. and i'll bet you can roll the window down...

 

Fantastic styling, the Gullwing I thought was instantly recognizable...much akin to a Sting Ray or a Testarossa...