MERCEDES-BENZ: The Fifties, Volume 1

                           Introduction
 
 
 
 
 
© 2024 Bernd S. Koehling
All Rights Reserved
Excerpts from the book:


Mercedes 300 SL
In order to understand the success of the Gullwing Mercedes, we have to go back in history a little bit, cross the pond and take a closer look at the situation in the US in the mid 1940s.

After WWII European automobile manufacturers, especially the British, were eager to establish a foothold on the large US market. American GI’s had seen and fallen in love with cars such as the famous MG TA and TB, while serving during the war in Great Britain. Now they wanted to drive them back home. And the British, supported by subsidies from their government, were only too willing to help>>>

<<<At Daimler-Benz the race was now on for head of testing department Karl Wilfert and a team in his department around chief stylist Friedrich Geiger to develop a civilian version of the W194>>>

These are some of the topics covered in the book:
* the development and history of the 300SL coupe and roadster version
* chassis number and data card are explained in great detail
* the book talks about two men, who have used the Gullwing in the 1950s as daily driver. One even covered over 400k km in it, all on one engine.
* some 110 mostly recent non-Daimler AG color photos highlight many interesting features, this includes pictures of the suspension.


A separate chapter covers the technical features and production figures. Enjoy!

If you want to read in much more detail about the Mercedes 300 SL Coupe and Roadster and how some of its famous owners have used it, then please go here for the printed book and e-book. If you do not live in the US, please select it from your respective country website of Amazon.
Mercedes 300 SL, fls
Mercedes 300 SL, dashboard
Mercedes 300 SL
Mercedes 300 SL Meeting Video Mercedes 300 SL Video
The following videos are copied from youtube for your viewing pleasure. Some of them contain cars filmed by commercial vendors. I am not associated with them

MERCEDES 300 SL Gullwing

300 SL Mercedes Gullwing W198 I (1954 - 1957)

Superb books and e-books about Mercedes cars of the 1950s

Mercedes 300 SL Goodwood Video Mercedes 300SL Jay Leno Video Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster