M198
I6- 198.980 3.0 L · 2,996 cc
223 PS
164 kW · 220 KM przy 5,800 obr./min
279 N·m
206 lb·ft przy 4,900 obr./min
- 198.982 3.0 L · 2,996 cc
243 PS
179 kW · 240 KM przy 6,100 obr./min
294 N·m
217 lb·ft przy 4,800 obr./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.
| Model | Lata modelowe | Zbudowano | Podwozie | Silnik | Skrzynia biegów | Razem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 SL Coupé | 1954–1957 | 09.1954–05.1957 | 198.040 | 198.980 | 1,371 | |
| 300 SL Coupé | 1954–1957 | 09.1954–05.1957 | 198.043 | 198.980 | 29 | |
| 300 SL Roadster | 1957–1962 | 05.1957–02.1963 | 198.042 | 198.982 | 1,858 |
* Opublikowana liczba produkcji obejmuje każdą serię tego modelu; źródło nie rozbija jej dalej.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 1956
- An external pressure pump replaced the engine’s internal duplex oil pump.
- A dual-point ignition system replaced the single-point arrangement.
- 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.
- 1958
- A removable hardtop with a wraparound rear window became optional in October.
- An electromagnetic mixture-control valve reduced engine overrun.
- 1960
- Dual-floating-shoe front drum brakes replaced the earlier design.
- 1961
- Dunlop disc brakes replaced the four-wheel drums from chassis 002780.
- 1962
- A light-alloy M198 engine block entered production from chassis 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.