From Gullwing To AMG Convertible – 70 Years Of Mercedes SL History

For over 70 years and from the Gullwing to the latest AMG convertible Mercedes-Benz gave been making the SL sports car and it has gone through quite a few changes. We’ve got every model listed below.

It all started in 1952 when Mercedes produced the 300 SL racing car which spawned a successor and customer demand. The SL designation meant Super Light as the emphasis back then was racing and performance. Over the years the focus shifted to include passenger comfort as the demands of the buying public shifted.

To celebrate this Mercedes created a special exhibit in the Stuttgart museum, The Fascination of the SL – a Dream Car for 70 Years, which has been extended until 9 October 2022.

Visit The Fascination Of The SL At The Mercedes-Benz Museum On Instagram

You can do the virtual visit on Instagram too if you can’t make it.

1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W 194

The original 300 SL from 1952 was a pure motorsport car, winning four out of the five races that season.

The Bern sports car race with a triple victory and the Nurburgring with a quadruple victory. It did a double at the Le Mans 24 Hours and the III Carrera Panamericana in Mexico with a double. The first attempt at the Mille Miglia saw it place second and fourth.

The roots of the gullwing shape were set with the top hinging doors and the overall proportions, but it was never meant to be for production.

1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL W 194/II

For the following 1953 season, Mercedes built the W 194/11 sports car prototype. It was only used for that season as preparations for the entry into Formula 1 took the development time and budget, but it was a step forward from the earlier W 194. It provided some of the technical basis for the W 196 R and W196 S racing cars of 1954 and 1955.

Importantly the shape was taking a more familiar form with the doors extending downwards and the nose with the flatter grill.

1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé W 198

The public reaction to the W 194/II was to build a production version and Mercedes responded with the W 198 300 SL Coupé, the most iconic SL of all time.

The Gullwing doors being carried over from the W 194 and the basic overall shape, but it was designed to be more accommodating but still a decent racing car too. The first concession towards comfort, but it didn’t detract from the performance. The characterising Gullwing doors being a hangover from the built in roll cage and making it quite unlike anything else.

Still in high demand one of these easily commanded more than one million dollars, after all there were only 1,400 of them built.

1954 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL W121

At the same time the 300 SL was launched Mercedes produced the similar looking 190 SL.

Designed as an elegant open top sports car, it was a much more comfortable option being more passenger focussed. It offered the potential to cruise at high speeds over long distances.

A smaller engine and much cheaper price meant that it sold better too with over 25,000 of them being made. Still expensive to buy now, but much more affordable than a Gullwing

1957 300 SL Roadster W 198

In 1957 Maximillian E. Hoffman deceided to produce the full fat 300 SL Roadster following on from his successful 190. Technically the car was like the Gullwing, but with modifications to the side parts of the roll cage the entry height could be lowered and a conventionally opening door used. This only added another 60 kg to the weight too, rising to 160 kg more.

Mercedes-Benz sold another 458 Roadsters compared to the Gullwing, but they remain rare and very expensive.

1963 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL W 113

Mercedes replaced both the 300 and 190 SL in one model with the introduction of the W 113 ‘Pagoda’ in 1963. First appearing as the six cylinder 230 it had enough sportiness, arguably less than the predecessor, but further comforts. Improvements in safety advances had something to do with this, but the Pagoda remains a highly desirable model.

The optional hardtop had high windows and a concave shape to the roof which was supported by narrow pillars was reminiscent of Asian temple buildings, Pagodas. This gave the attractive W 113 its nickname. earned the W 113 the nickname “Pagoda”.

Other models were available, but a 280 manual is the most desirable if you can get one.

1971 Mercedes-Benz SL R107

The launch of the R 107 was seen as taking the car more towards luxury rather than sportiness. And to an extent this was true, but the R 107 is a capable car still, just a very comfortable one.

For the first time in SL history V8 engines from the S class were used in the 350 and 450 SL models. It took until 1974 to see a straight six with the 280 SL.

The build quality was Mercedes at its best, with the solidity and engineering behind the design meant that crash performance was better than any competitor for many years. They sold well too, and the Americans lapped them up for good reason and helped keep the car in production for a record 18 years.

Read about the 50th anniversary of the R 107 here.

The Mercedes-Benz R 107 SL Is 50 Years Old – The Premiere Of 1971

1989 Mercedes-Benz SL R 129

The R 129 was quite a departure from the R 107 bringing back the sportiness that was seen to be lost. Unveiled at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show the new SL came with some neat technology in the form of an automatic roll bar that raised in 0.3 seconds even with the hardtop closed if it detected a potential rollover situation.

The new SL was an immediate hit with all allocation selling out with delivery periods heading into several years. This car set a new standard in luxury and performance and really was the best combination of both, even with the smaller engines.

If you had the finances the V12 models were particularly special, the 600 SL and SL 600 had 90 kw or 394 hp with the SL 73 AMG had the 7.3 litre V12 and 386 kw or 525 hp.

2001 Mercedes-Benz SL R 230

2001 brought the next step change in SL history with the R 230 with the new Vario steel folding roof, a first for the SL. It allowed owners to have both an open car and a coupé in one.

By now AMG models were gaining a larger share of all Mercedes produced and over a third of all the R 230s had AMG engines. The SL55 AMG being popular but the range topping SL 65 AMG Black Series had 493 kw or 670 hp. The fastest of all of the SLs made to date.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SL R 231

To mark the 60th birthday of the SL in January 2012, the R 231 was introduced at the North America International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Weight reduction was a major focus of this version.

One new innovation was Magic Sky Control, a glass roof with adjustable tint and transparency.

2021 Mercedes-AMG SL R232

Finally in this 70 year series saw the launch of the new Mercedes-AMG R 232 in 2021. The AMG models now being the only ones available.

New features include the AMG Active Ride Control suspension with active roll stabilisation and rear axle steering. Optional ceramic coated brakes as with all high performance cars these days.

The development of the Mercedes-AMG SL took place independently in Affalterbach as a performance luxury model and the two launch models, the AMG 55 and 63, both feature AMG V8 biturbo power.

What will come after this remains to be seen, but it is likely that the next SL will move forwards with new technologies and offer the customer something different. But it may not have a V8 or straight six engine.