Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadster · 1st generation SL

W198

The gullwing that started it all.

Production
1954–1963
Built
3,258
Body
Coupé & roadster
Top power
243 PS
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadster (W198)

Unveiled at the 1954 New York Auto Show, the 300 SL coupé arrived with doors that opened toward the sky — a solution born from a tubular spaceframe chassis that left no room for conventional hinges.

Beneath the gullwing bodywork sat a fuel-injected inline-six derived from Mercedes-Benz's racing program, propelling the 300 SL to speeds few production cars of the 1950s could approach.

In 1957 the gullwing gave way to an open roadster, built alongside it in far greater numbers. By the time production ended in 1963, Mercedes-Benz had built 3,258 examples of the 300 SL — a car that remains the benchmark for 1950s performance and design.

W198 interior
A cockpit built for speed: full instrumentation and a thin-rimmed steering wheel angled toward the driver.

Every model.

4 distinct series across US model years 1955–1963 — from the alloy-bodied gullwing coupé to the roadster that replaced it, each identified by its chassis and engine numbers.

MalliMallivuodetValmistettuAlustaMoottoriVaihteistoYhteensä
300 SL Coupé1955–195709.1954–05.1957198.040198.9801,371
300 SL Coupé1955–195709.1954–05.1957198.043198.98029
300 SL Roadster1957–196205.1957–02.1962198.042198.9801,858
300 SL Roadster1962–196303.1962–02.1963198.042198.982sisältyy yllä olevaan

* Julkaistu tuotantoluku kattaa kyseisen mallin kaikki sarjat; lähde ei erittele sitä tarkemmin.

W198 side profile
The 300 SL's low, purposeful profile, unchanged in essence from coupé to roadster.

Year by year.

From its 1954 debut to the roadster's final year, these are the mechanical and cosmetic changes that shaped the 300 SL.

  1. 1954
    • The 300 SL Coupé entered production with roof-hinged doors dictated by its tall tubular spaceframe.
    • Bosch direct petrol injection made the M198 the first fuel-injected four-stroke engine in a production passenger car.
    • A 3.64:1 rear axle became standard while alternative ratios remained optional.
  2. 1955
    • A light-alloy body became available for competition-oriented customers.
    • An ATE T-50 brake booster replaced the Treadle-Vac unit.
    • Steel-bodied cars lost the welting between the wheel-arch eyebrows and fenders.
    • A two-piece flat grille star replaced the earlier concave star.
  3. 1956
    • An external pressure pump replaced the engine’s internal duplex oil pump.
    • A dual-point ignition system replaced the single-point arrangement.
  4. 1957
    • The Roadster replaced the Gullwing Coupé.
    • A revised spaceframe permitted conventional side-hinged doors.
    • A low-pivot swing axle improved handling and ride behavior.
  5. 1958
    • A removable hardtop with a wraparound rear window became optional in October.
    • An electromagnetic mixture-control valve reduced engine overrun.
  6. 1960
    • Dual-floating-shoe front drum brakes replaced the earlier design.
  7. 1961
    • Dunlop disc brakes replaced the four-wheel drums from chassis 002780.
  8. 1962
    • A light-alloy M198 engine block entered production from chassis 003049.
W198 rear three-quarter view
The roadster's tapered tail, introduced in 1957 as production shifted away from the gullwing coupé.

A racing engine for the road.

One fuel-injected inline-six powered the 300 SL throughout its run, growing from 223 PS in the gullwing coupé to 243 PS in the later roadster.

M198

I6
  • 198.980 3.0 L · 2,996 cc

    223 PS

    164 kW · 220 hv / 5,800 r/min

    279 N·m

    206 lb·ft / 4,900 r/min

  • 198.982 3.0 L · 2,996 cc

    243 PS

    179 kW · 240 hv / 6,100 r/min

    294 N·m

    217 lb·ft / 4,800 r/min