Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster – New York Auto Show

Artist: Charles Avalon

The lights will inspire you: The Mercedes-Benz 300SL was the first iteration of the SL-Class grand tourer convertibles and fastest production car of its day. Designed for the American market, the 300 SL Coupé, known as ‘Gull Wing’ for its distinctive top-hinged doors, was available from March 1955 to 1957, and the roadster from 1957 to 1963. More than 80% of the vehicle’s total production of approximately 1,400 coupés and 1,858 roadsters were sold in the US, making the Gullwing the first Mercedes-Benz which sold in considerable numbers outside its home market. The 300SL is credited for changing the company’s image in America from a manufacturer of solid, but staid, automobiles to that of a producer of sporting cars.