1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing: Germany’s Classic Race Car

Dec 7, 2022 2 min read
1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing: Germany’s Classic Race Car

A perfect example of what makes vintage cars great.


The Mercedes 300 SL has been one of the most prominent sports cars and racing history ever since its introduction in the 1950s. Right out of the gate, it helped build the Mercedes brand into one that cared about performance and style cementing it as one of the greats in the minds of enthusiasts everywhere. Of those vehicles, there is one particular subgenre of 300 SL‘s that are extremely prominent within car culture. You might know it as the Gullwing.

One of the main parts of a really good race car is always going to be what’s under the hood. Whether you’re doing autocross, road racing, or even drag racing, the engine plays a major factor. That’s exactly why these cars came out of the factory with a 3 L in-line six which had a few benefits over the competition. First of all, they were pretty powerful for the time and proved very useful and long endurance races. On top of that, the car itself was pretty small and the engine wasn’t too terribly heavy.

All of these things made it a fierce competitor on the race track and guaranteed Mercedes a spot on the list of the worlds greatest racing brands. Plus, the car features a four-speed manual transmission which has proven itself time and time again to be the best platform for anyone who loves the experience of driving. Adding to the sense of exclusivity you get when driving this car are little features like the correct tool kit, Becker Mexico radio, and custom-made fitted luggage. With all of this considered, it’s easy to see why this 1955 Mercedes 300 SL gullwing is a stunning example of one of history‘s greatest German cars. The only question now is, who will be the next to get behind the wheel?

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