{"id":75148,"date":"2021-07-16T10:31:06","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T10:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.secret-classics.com\/?p=75148"},"modified":"2021-07-26T10:36:32","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T10:36:32","slug":"mercedes-benz-300-sl-roadster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secret-classics.com\/en\/mercedes-benz-300-sl-roadster\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When the Gullwing became a Roadster, Mercedes-Benz opened up completely new groups of buyers. This happened in 1957, after 1,400 units of the classic 300 SL had been built. This coup\u00e9 received its characteristic gullwing doors due to the relatively high tubular frame on the side. Originally, the Swabian manufacturer had developed this sports car under the internal model code W194 only as a racing car. However, due to various successes in motorsports and the demand of the American importer Max Hoffman for a sports car for the road, it was further developed into the W198. The unusual door construction and the wide, high interior sills as well as the poorly ventilated cabin were too much for some interested customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roadster with soft top and normal doors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mercedes-Benz therefore developed a Roadster variant of the 300 SL under the model code W198 II. For this version, the tubular frame was significantly modified in the areas of the doors and the rear. In this way, both the luggage compartment and the entrance area were enlarged. The doors were conventional now and the car grew by 50 millimeters in length. Behind the passengers was a soft-top compartment with a fixed lid, under which the soft top was concealed. From the fall of 1958, a fixed hardtop was available as an optional extra from the factory and quickly became the best-selling option. In contrast to the 300 SL Coup\u00e9, the Roadster was fitted with vertically aligned headlights, which also housed the turn signals. In addition, a single-joint swing axle with compensating spring was fitted at the rear to significantly improve handling characteristics. For the final three years of production, Mercedes-Benz introduced disc brakes from March 1961 instead of the drum brakes used until then.<\/p>\n\n\n

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