Origin in the W194 racing car
The 300 SL traces its origin to an endurance racer, the Mercedes-Benz W194, developed by Daimler-Benz in 1951. It used the 3-liter inline-6 M186 engine, shared by the … See more

In mid-1956, sales had begun to fall, and the board decided to show a convertible version at the Geneva show in March and convert the factory to a roadster version in May 1957 to serve the California market.
The 300 SL Roadster, with conventional doors, was first … See more

Building on the 1954 debut of the 300 SL, a less-expensive, 1.9-liter roadster was introduced the following year as the 190 SL. … See more

The 300 SL has a steel tubular frame chassis, with a steel body combined with an aluminum bonnet, doors, dashboard, and boot lid to further reduce weight. An additional 80 kilograms (176 pounds) could be eliminated with an expensive all-aluminum body, but … See more

Mercedes decided to return to international motorsport at the beginning of the 1950s, and Alfred Neubauer was again entrusted with … See more

Media related to Mercedes-Benz W198 at Wikimedia Commons See more