The Mercedes-Benz 300SL stands as one of most memorable coupes of the fifties. The gullwing doors not only distinguished it, but they are a clever solution to hide the cars unique space frame chassis. It’s also the most recognizable Mercedes and every seriously collection usually has one. While the Americans were building cars named after birds, Mercedes-Benz were building cars directly inspired by the avian world.
The 300SL was available as both a coupe and a convertible, the latter sans the iconic doors for obvious reasons. Its stylish profile gave it buckets of charisma, helping it to shift in big numbers for what was a specialist car in its day – 1,400 coupes and 1,858 roadsters flew out of showrooms, with the vast majority sold in America.
Photo Credit: RM Sotheby’s
