M198
I6- 198.980 3.0 L · 2,996 cc
223 PS
164 kW · 220 hp a 5,800 giri/min
279 N·m
206 lb·ft a 4,900 giri/min
- 198.982 3.0 L · 2,996 cc
243 PS
179 kW · 240 hp a 6,100 giri/min
294 N·m
217 lb·ft a 4,800 giri/min
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
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.
Every model.
3 distinct series across 1954–1962 — from the alloy-bodied gullwing coupé to the roadster that replaced it, each identified by its chassis and engine numbers.
| Modello | Model year | Telaio | Motore | Cambio | Totale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 SL Coupé | 1954–1957 | 198.040 | 198.980 | 1,371 | |
| 300 SL Coupé | 1954–1957 | 198.043 | 198.980 | 29 | |
| 300 SL Roadster | 1957–1962 | 198.042 | 198.982 | 1,858 |
* Il dato di produzione pubblicato copre tutte le serie di quel modello; la fonte non lo scompone ulteriormente.
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.
- 1954
- Relocation of the gearshift lever.
- New design for the clutch lever assembly.
- Switch to a DB recirculating ball steering system.
- Transmission gear ratios adjusted and the rear axle ratio standardized to 3.64:1, with other ratios offered as options.
- 1955
- Optional aluminum body shell.
- Substitution of the ATE T-50 brake booster for the older Treadle-Vac unit.
- Elimination of the welting between the eyebrows and the fenders on steel-bodied cars.
- The concave star and barrel on the front grille is replaced with a two-piece flat star.
- 1956
- Replacement of the engine's internal duplex oil pump with an external pressure pump and a single-function suction pump in the oil pan.
- Introduction of a dual point/single coil ignition system, replacing the single point/single coil ignition system.
- 1957
- Production shifted to the roadster.
- 1958
- Introduction of an electromagnetic valve in the mixture controller to prevent overrun.
- The interior is changed with the elimination of the separately hinged cover for the armrests.
- 1960
- Plastic parts introduced in the form of a revised brake fluid container and a new lining for the fuel tank.
- Change to dual floating shoe front brakes.
- 1961
- Dunlop disc brakes on all four wheels introduced beginning with Chassis No. 002780.
- 1962
- Introduction of the aluminum engine block at Chassis No. 003049.
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.