Coupé Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Papillon Flügeltürer Gu

Standort: England in (PLZ )
all-synchromesh manual gearbox transmitted power to the hypoid bevel rear axle. Suspension was independent all round: by wishbones and coil springs at the front
location: 1
interior type: leather
number of doors: 2
Farbe: silber
One of only 59 delivered new to the UK
Matching chassis
engine and registration numbers
Ordered new with the desirable Rudge knock-off wheels option
Restored by Daimler-Benz between 1989 and 1992
Known ownership history and Scott Collection since 2011
Recently recommissioned by Jim Stokes Workshops Ltd
"When it was first announced by Mercedes-Benz
the production 300 SL Coupé was a startling car built to the German concern's customarily startling standards
but above all what left the general public most open-mouthed about the new car was its upward-opening Gullwing doors...!"
Motors
1963
Post-war
Mercedes-Benz had returned to competition in 1952
fielding its new 300 SL (W194) sports cars configured in both open roadster and closed 'gullwing' form the latter proving the more successful. In that year's Mille Miglia
a pair of gullwings finished a creditable 2nd and 4th overall and this promising start was followed up by victory in the gruelling Carrera Panamericana. For the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in June
a trio of gullwings were entered with a first and second overall sealing the car's world-beating credentials
Launched in 1954
the production 300 SL retained the spaceframe chassis (the feature that necessitated the gullwing door design) and lightweight aluminium-alloy bodywork of the W194 racer while its mechanical underpinnings
like the latter's
owed much to the contemporary Mercedes-Benz 300 luxury saloon. A 2,996cc overhead-camshaft inline six
the 300 SL's engine was canted at 45 degrees to achieve a low bonnet line and developed to produce 215bhp (DIN) at 5,800rpm using Bosch mechanical fuel injection. A four-speed
with swing axles and coil springs at the rear
A production 300 SL (W198) was tested by Road & Track magazine in 1955
accelerating from 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 140mph. Half expecting the long-awaited 300 SL to provide an anti-climax
R&T were delighted to find the new car
'far beyond our wildest expectations. In fact
we can state unequivocally that in our opinion the 300 SL coupé is the ultimate in an all-round sportscar. It combines more desirable features in one streamlined package than we ever imagined or hoped would be possible. Performance? It accelerates from a dead start to 100mph in just over 17 seconds. Dual purpose? A production model 300 SL can make a very acceptable showing in any type of sportscar competition. Yet the car is extremely tractable and easy to drive in traffic. Comfort? The fully enclosed 300 SL is the most comfortable (and safe) high-speed 'cross-country' car built today.' High praise indeed and
as accolades go
it could not have been any better
A 300 SL roadster featuring conventional doors followed and was first exhibited at the Geneva Salon in May 1957. Its racing parentage notwithstanding
the 300 SL remains a thoroughly practical car
as civilised in city traffic as it is exhilarating on the autostrada. By the time 300 SL Coupé production ceased in 1957
some 1,400 examples had found customers
This magnificent Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is one of only 59 delivered to the UK where they were eagerly snapped up by a veritable 'who's who' of the country's motoring elite such as Rob Walker (F1 team owner)
David Brown (Aston Martin proprietor)
Earl Howe (BRDC president)
King Hussein of Jordan (studying in Britain at the time)
R S Wilkins (financier and Brooklands racing driver)
Harry Hyams (property magnate) and Daniel de Ferranti (entrepreneur and amateur racer)
Chassis '00152' was ordered by a Mr V D Yates and supplied in April 1955 with the registration '2 DMY'. It is not known how long Mr Yates kept his 300 SL but the car remained in England until the late 1980s when it was acquired by the next owner
a German do