Turning 50

A racing friend of mine was recently la­menting the fact that he was turning 50 this year. “I think you’re lucky?” I said. “Do you realize how many timeless classics were created the year you were born?”

The truth is, 1954 was one of the most amazing watershed years in automotive and motorsport design history. Among the many milestones reached that year, 1954 saw the introduction of a sleek futuristic road car from Mercedes Benz known as the 300 SL “Gullwing.” Designed originally by Rudolf Uhlenhaut as a competition car (known as the W 194), the Gullwing was put into production only due to the insistence of American importer Max Hoffman, who felt that he needed a “highline” sports car to sell to well-heeled American customers.