. However, Hoffman convinced the luxury automaker it would be a grand idea to woo American buyers with a New York debut.
They concurred, and suddenly, Mercedes-Benz had a hit on its hands. The 300 SL bowed as a coupe with a 3.0-liter overhead cam inline-6 engine. Yet, the 300 SL wasn’t only a sports car to change perceptions, it was a technological marvel.The engine ditched carburetors in favor of a Bosch-developed direct-fuel injection system. Recall, fuel injection was rare at the time and higher pressure direct injection wouldn’t become the standard for decades to come.
These advances, combined with radical “gullwing” doors and curvaceous body lines, helped turn the page for Mercedes-Benz. The company not only made stately luxury vehicles, but it was also capable of producing incredible performance machines. A total of 1,400 300 SL coupes were built from 1954 to 1957, and 29 of them were lightweight models with all-aluminum bodies that helped shave 187 lb. The 300 SL coupe gave rise to the 300 SL roadster in 1957, which remained in production in its first generation until 1963. Its successor still exists today and is now in itsLike so many areas of the auto industry, some of the best things came from motorsport.
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