60 years of SL: Mercedes-Benz 300 SL - A three-fold victory at the “Grand Prix of Bern” 60 years ago

From the outset, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194 series) was conceived exclusively for racing. Its uncompromising form caused a considerable stir at its presentation on 12 March 1952. Ten racing cars of this type were then built for the 1952 racing season. The 300 SL (W 194 series) was successful in all the well-known sports car events in the 1952 season. It bestowed its sportiness on the succeeding vehicles of the SL series – the abbreviation stands for “Super Light”. But it all began in early summer 1952.

As a complement to the Swiss Grand Prix, on 18 May 1952 the Grand Prix of Bern took place at the Bremgarten Ring on the outskirts of the Swiss capital. The competition was specified exclusively for sports cars with a displacement of more than 1.5 litres and thus appeared made to measure for the new Mercedes-Benz racing cars. So the brand presented itself in the Swiss capital city with four 300 SL cars and an illustrious team of drivers. Rudolf Caracciola, Hermann Lang, Karl Kling and young gun Fritz Riess were the pilots of the newcomer that was awaited with great expectation by the public.

The race held quite a few surprises in store for everyone. The first was the best qualifying time of Swiss sports car master Willy Daetwyler at the wheel of a Ferrari 340 America, the most powerful vehicle of all. He stood next to Kling and Lang in the first row. In the second row were Caracciola and, in an Aston Martin DB2, Reginald Parnell.

The second surprise was Daetwyler having to abandon the race right after its start due to a driveshaft malfunction that caused the car to roll languidly to a standstill after just a few metres. After a lightning start Caracciola, on the other hand, took the lead like in the old days; however, in the second lap he already had to yield this position to his old rival Lang. There followed a tension-packed chase by Kling, who managed to catch up with and overtake his teammate Lang after a tough struggle. This duel, spontaneous and in no way staged by the team direction, increased the excitement of the event.

The third surprise was the accident and consequent elimination of Caracciola, who collided head-on with a tree after a brake malfunction. For the old master, this crash meant the end, not only of the race, but of his career as a racing driver as well.

Kling, Lang and Riess finished the race sweeping up the first three places. There are two details worth remembering: Fritz Riess drove car number 0006, which was the first 300 SL with large gullwing doors – the doors of the previous cars did not reach down so far into the vehicle’s flanks. And the cars were all painted different colours chosen by Head Engineer and Member of the Board Fritz Nallinger in order to tell them apart better during the race.

Lang’s car, number 0003, with starting number 20, was painted in Daimler-Benz colour DB 120 (blue), Kling’s, number 0004 with starting number 18, in DB 229 (green), Caracciola’s car, 0005 and starting number 16, in DB 516 (red) while Riess’s vehicle, 0006 and starting number 22, was in the usual silver livery.

The triple victory in Bern was followed by other successes: a double victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a four-fold triumph at the Great Jubilee Prize at Nürburgring and a further double win in the 3rd Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, the last great adventure of the 1952 racing season. Before the Bern race, in early May of the year, the W 194 had reached 2nd and 4th places at the Mille Miglia race; of the five different manufacturers in the first six places, Mercedes-Benz was the only brand to be represented with two of its cars.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

60 years of SL: Paying tribute to SL history during the 2012 Mille Miglia

Mercedes-Benz’s association with the Mille Miglia is an enthralling story, full of great sporting moments. The high points include the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car’s (model series W 194) first entry into the 1000-mile race 60 years ago: in May 1952, Karl Kling scored second and former champion Rudolf Caracciola came fourth. This represented a promising start to Mercedes-Benz’s return to the international motorsport arena.

For this year’s Mille Miglia, Mercedes-Benz Classic is paying homage to that 1952 premiere and other successes achieved by the Stuttgart-based racing department in the legendary road race first held 85 years ago: from 17 to 20 May 2012 an original 300 SL racing sports car will be taking part in the 1000-mile rally from Brescia to Rome and back. These days, the Mille Miglia is an event for vintage vehicles which only those types of classic cars dating from the original road race between 1927 and 1957 may enter. 2012 sees this historic Mille Miglia – one of the most exciting events for classic cars at all – being held for the 30th time.

The organisers aim to fill the field with exemplars of authentic cars and as many original vehicles from the era of the Mille Miglia races of speed as possible. In addition to the 300 SL (W 194) racing sports car, therefore, Mercedes-Benz Classic will be represented by a large number of other exclusive vehicles ranging from the SSK racing touring car to the 300 SLR (W 196 S) racer and the standard 300 SL (W 198 I) sports car. The line-up includes the 300 SLR driven by Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1955 Mille Miglia (his starting number then was 658 and he placed second overall) and the 300 SL production car with which John Cooper Fitch won a class victory among the GT sports cars with a displacement above 1300 cc that same year (starting number 417, ranked fifth overall). A Mercedes-Benz 180 D will also be there – a saloon of this model won the diesel class of the 1955 Mille Miglia.

The 2012 Mille Miglia kicks off on 16 May with the technical checks and other items on the agenda in Brescia. There is also a special “Mercedes-Benz Champions at Mille Miglia” exhibition at the Museo Mille Miglia in Brescia. Daimler entered into a strategic partnership with the museum in January 2012 and, among other fascinating topics, the present exhibition covers the 1952 racing debut of the 300 SL prototypes and the legendary victories by Rudolf Caracciola in 1931 in a Mercedes-Benz SSKL and by Stirling Moss in 1955 in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR.

On 17 May, the 376 participating vehicles will be presented to the public in the old town of Brescia before the first car sets off at 6.30 p.m. All cars will then head to Ferrara, the end of the first stage, arriving by late evening and passing Lake Garda via Verona, Vicenza and Padua en route. From Ferrara, the event continues next morning (18 May) to Ravenna, through the Republic of San Marino and then on to Rome. The third and final leg goes from Rome to Viterbo, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Modena, Reggio nell’Emilia and Cremona before the participants arrive back in Brescia on 19 May. The awards ceremony takes place on 20 May. This year, the Mille Miglia’s route crosses the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Umbria, Lazio and Tuscany.

Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the 2012 Mille Miglia

Mercedes-Benz SSK (W 06), 1928–1932
Of the supercharged six-cylinder sports cars in the Mercedes-Benz S-series, the SSK (model series W 06) is the most exclusive and beguiling. The model designation is an abbreviation of “Super-Sport-Kurz” (German for Super-Sport-Short) because it combines a short wheelbase with extreme sportiness. On 29 July 1928, the brand-new SSK was driven straight to victory by factory racing driver Rudolf Caracciola in the Gabelbach race and other races such as the Schauinsland hill climb near Freiburg and at Mont Ventoux. In 1930 and 1931 the SSK helped Caracciola win the European Hillclimbing Championship. With its weight reduced and performance enhanced further, the 1931 version – also known as the SSKL (Super-Sport-Short-Light) – achieved equally spectacular successes. One of the most significant was victory in the legendary 1000-mile Mille Miglia: in April 1931, Rudolf Caracciola in the SSKL became the first non-Italian to win the gruelling road race from Brescia to Rome and back.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194), 1952
Mercedes-Benz returned to international motorsport in 1952 with the 300 SL racing sports car (model series W 194). A lightweight space frame forms the basis of this sports car over which a light alloy body made of aluminium/magnesium sheet metal elegantly curves. Because the space frame sits comparatively high at the sides it was not possible to fit the W 194 with conventional doors, which is how the racing sports car comes to have its distinctive, upwardly opening gullwing doors. This detail became part of the production model 300 SL sports car (W 198 I) in 1954. The W 194 is powered by the 175 hp (129 kW) M 194 six-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 2996 cc. The 300 SL made its racing debut in May 1952 at the Mille Miglia, having been unveiled for the first time that March. Some of the W 194’s greatest successes in the 1952 racing season were a threefold victory in the Prix de Berne race, double victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 3rd Carrera Panamericana and victory in the Nürburgring Anniversary Sports Car Grand Prix.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W 196 S), 1955
Mercedes-Benz won the 1955 World Sportscar Championship with the 300 SLR. This sports car is based on the chassis of the W 196 Formula One racing car but has two seats and a three-litre, eight-cylinder in-line engine made of light alloy in place of the 2.5-litre Formula One engine with its steel cylinders. Delivering 310 hp (221 kW), the 300 SLR is superior to its competitors from 1955, as documented by gaining first and second place in the Mille Miglia, the Eifel race on the Nürburgring, the Swedish Grand Prix and the Targa Florio. The 1955 Mille Miglia was won by Stirling Moss assisted by navigator Denis Jenkinson at an average speed of 157.65 km/h, a record that has never been beaten. Pacenotes proved invaluable in achieving this victory and at the time were a new technique allowing Jenkinson to direct the driver Moss very effectively. Juan Manuel Fangio came second driving solo. In Sweden and the 24 Hours of Le Mans the 300 SLRs were assisted by an “air brake” – a 0.7-square metre hood over the rear axle that could be hinged up when braking to increase braking performance. At Le Mans Mercedes-Benz withdrew the 300 SLRs, which were in the lead, after an accident involving the Belgian Pierre Levegh through no fault of his own.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198 I), 1954–1957
The 300 SL gullwing made its debut in February 1954 at the International Motor Sports Show in New York. This high-performance sports car is based on the legendary racing sports car from the 1952 season. A lightweight, torsionally stiff space frame carries the engine, transmission and axles. As with the racing version, there is no room for conventional doors and so the gullwing doors are a distinctive feature of the 300 SL (model series W 198 I). The gullwing model is also a champion of innovation in other respects: it was the world’s first production passenger car to be powered by a four-stroke engine featuring petrol injection. This boosted efficiency as well as engine output to 215 hp (158 kW), a 20 percent increase on the carburetted competition-only version and permitting a top speed of up to 260 km/h, depending on the transmission ratio installed. This makes the 300 SL the fastest production vehicle of its time and the dream sports car of the 1950s. It was also driven to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia by the team comprising John Fitch and Kurt Gesell, winning the Gran Turismo production class above 1600 cc and coming fifth overall. Also in the Gran Turismo class, the team comprising Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer ranked seventh overall. The 300 SL took part in the 1956 Mille Miglia too: in the big GT class the team of Prince Metternich and Count Einsiedel came in sixth.

Mercedes-Benz 180 D (W 120), 1954–1959
The first diesel-engined version of the Mercedes-Benz 180 (model series W 120) was premiered in January 1954. The Stuttgart-based brand now offered its modern “Ponton” saloon with a compression-ignition assembly outputting 40 hp (29 kW) with a displacement of 1767 cc. From 1953 (preproduction series) to 1959, a total of 114,046 model 180 D saloons were built. With a top speed of up to 110 km/h, this diesel saloon cannot compare with the racing and sports cars that were favourites to win the Mille Miglia overall in 1955. However, the 180 D is a highly contemporary car with a self-supporting body and what is known as a subframe to which the front wheels, located by double wishbones, were attached. The car proved its strength and reliability in the Italian road race: Mercedes-Benz entered several 180 D vehicles, culminating in a threefold win in the diesel class for the cars with starting numbers 04, 09 and 010A.

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

60 years of SL: The design of the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class has always set the highest design standards in all model series. Both outside and in, the vehicles are as if hewn from the same block and most show their credentials as future classics during their own production lifetime. The word “design”, also adopted in German for the creative process from English usage, incorporates the concept of technical design, of engineering in the English sense of the word. What is commonly seen to have a double meaning today has special and far-reaching significance in the case of the SL, since from its inception back in 1952, the history of SL design has been fuelled in particular by the interaction between aesthetic features and the relevant contemporary constructional requirements on the product.

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194) racing sports car, 1952

The demand for two seats and high efficiency through very low wind resistance clearly determined the design of the 300 SL racing sports car (W 194 series). The shape created in the process optimally met the principal demand on body design expressed in the phrase “form follows function”. For example, the fact that the six-cylinder engine was canted 50 degrees to the left was due to the low-slung bonnet and small frontal area.

The special thing about the body of the W 194 is that it took aesthetic factors into account to a high degree – in great contrast to many competitors of the day – even though this was not the main concern in designing it. Several decades later, the W 194 continues to impress the beholder with what many people still regard as beautiful proportions. As was customary in the period in which it was built, this body was developed by coachwork engineers. Designers as we know them today did not yet exist at Mercedes-Benz.

Wind tunnel measurements on historic vehicles in January 2012 confirmed the targets of the vehicles’ engineers. The 300 SL racing sports car from the W 194 series and a direct contemporary, a 300 S (W 188), a sporty luxurious touring car, were measured, along with a 300 SL production sports car from the W 198 I series, which evolved from the W 194. The figures shown below were obtained with an airflow speed of 200 km/h to make them comparable with measurements normally made today.

The W 194 attained a drag coefficient of cd = 0.38 – a very good value for those days, as the comparison with the W 188 (cd = 0.48) shows. The body of the W 194 was optimised for low wind resistance, and this shows in the overall design of the exterior, whereas the W 188 was designed in line with criteria more typical of the pre-war period. The production sports car of the W 198 series achieved a cd value of 0.40.

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198 I), 1954 to 1957

Further factors now found consideration in the construction of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198 I), whose frame and chassis engineering derived from the 300 SL racing sports car (W 194). The demands on car bodies were becoming increasingly complex. In addition to purely functional and aerodynamic criteria, a growing importance was attached to aesthetic demands. Together with superior performance, customers of the target group expected elegance, exclusivity, prestige and the appearance of prosperity.

On the basis of the racing sports car, Friedrich Geiger, then head of the styling department, developed a shape which neither Mercedes-Benz nor any other manufacturer had in its programme at the time. With his artistic sense of style, Geiger sculpted a body which, with inimitable elegance, gave visible expression to the abilities of this high-performance sports car through the muscular design of the car’s body. The two powerdomes on the bonnet were invigorating elements. The dome on the right was determined by the position of the intake pipe. For reasons of symmetry the bonnet was given two domes.

Geiger developed an entirely new face for the W 198, one completely different from that of the W 194 racing sports car, and one that, as a second “Mercedes face”, would be typical for decades to come both for the SL and – something nobody expected – for the design of the front ends of Mercedes-Benz buses and commercial vehicles. The characteristic feature is the ensemble positioned in front of the large radiator opening and consisting of a centrally arranged Mercedes star flanked on either side by horizontal chrome inserts as design elements.

Geiger made very clever use of “eyebrows” fitted over the wheel arches to “stretch” the curvaceous body.

The gullwing doors did not give easy access, but they certainly helped give the car its air of exclusivity and are the hallmark of the Coupé to this day. Geiger adopted them from the W 194. Only the bumpers, required by registration regulations, diminished the harmonious overall impression of the silhouette. Bruno Sacco, the later head of design, once said in an interview he felt it was a strategic mistake in the 1950s to replace the gullwing Coupé with the Roadster. The high regard shown today for the Gullwing, the 300 SL (W 198 I), proves Sacco right. For good reason it was voted sports car of the century in 1999. It established the legend of the SL and has retained its fascination as a design icon over the decades. Admittedly though, its successor, the Roadster, remains the super sports car with greater everyday practicality.

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W 198 II), 1957 to 1963

Just a few months after the presentation of the production Gullwing in February 1954, Friedrich Geiger made preliminary sketches for the open-top 300 SL, urgently requested by US importer Max Hoffman. In 1957, the 300 SL Roadster (W 198 II) was finally able to fulfil the wishes of the rich and beautiful for unhindered enjoyment of the sun and fresh air. The chief design feature was the lamp unit recessed in the front wing, with indicators, main headlamp and fog lamp combined under one lens. Compared with the Gullwing and its circular headlamps, these lamp units give the car a more powerful look. Geiger obtained the longitudinal dynamics in the side view by using swage lines that ran the length of the doors. He did not change the basic body shape. Available later, a removable hardtop with a panoramic rear window extending far around the sides particularly enhanced the balance of the design. When the roadster soft-top was folded down, it was stored under a cover smoothly integrated into the body lines. From the side the car looked all of a piece. Owing to its simple handling, Geiger’s soft-top construction was described at the time as the fastest manually operated soft-top in the world.

The 300 SL Roadster successfully met the aspiration of Mercedes-Benz to return to building absolutely world-class, sporty roadsters after the Second World War.

The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W 121 I), 1955 to 1963

The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W 121 I) was not the favourite of its initiator, Max Hoffman. But Hoffman quickly recognised that the 190 SL was the most important vehicle for him in the North American market. Following its successful unveiling at the show in New York, both the engineering of the vehicle and its styling were subjected to extensive revision.

Under the direction of Walter Häcker, the body was redesigned prior to production readiness. The front end got a trapezoidal radiator opening which imitated the 300 SL design; in contrast to the vehicle shown in New York, the upper edge protruded beyond the lower edge and, in addition, was slightly wedge-shaped. The bonnet was dominated by a centrally positioned powerdome, which created room for the vertically installed four-cylinder engine underneath. The front view of the 190 SL was strongly reminiscent of the 300 SL – a feature that has won the vehicle many friends through today. Optically, as with the 300 SL, the sides were stretched by “eyebrows” positioned over both wheel arches. The omission of the distinct suggestion of rear wings – in its original form these made the car appear unnecessarily stocky – lent the body additional elegance. Visually, the rear wings, or the merest hint of these in the production version, appeared to lengthen the body and give it a certain lightness when viewed from the side.

The changes made by Häcker proved a resounding success. With an unusual display of euphoria, the Swiss “Automobil Revue” passed judgment on the design of the 190 SL in November 1956: “With its elegant design, the 190 SL generally is considered to be the finest creation from the house Daimler-Benz.” In “Motor Revue”, No. 16, 1955, Heinz-Ulrich Wieselmann observed: “Because of its really handsome exterior, everywhere the 190 SL appears it draws attention. With the top folded down it is downright beautiful.”

In 1959, when the hardtop of the 190 SL was given a rear window that curved around the sides exactly like that of the 300 SL Roadster, the 190 SL then truly looked like the little brother of the high-performance roadster. Although this was just a case of appearance, it did nothing to harm the vehicle’s reputation.

The Mercedes-Benz SL of the W 113 series, 1963 to 1971

The creation of the W 113 series under Friedrich Geiger marked a paradigm change in SL design; not because of the Pagoda roof, but in spite of it. The break with curves and arches symbolising organic forms such as muscle strands meant SL design for the W 113 model series called for a new perspective. The designers of those years were called upon to create more useful space, while retaining the basic area of the predecessor, the W 121 I. The result was a body with characteristic smooth surfaces, which refrained from extensive use of trim elements. Only the flared wheel arches and tyres that completely filled them conveyed a sense of power and dynamism. In the area of the rear wings, a delicate, barely perceptible shoulder echoed the tailfin era that was coming to an end. The angular end of the rear wing, in conjunction with the boot lid that followed it in silhouette, resulted in useful load compartment capacity. Owing to the low waistline and large glazed surfaces, even with the top closed the car gave the impression of lightness and airiness, making one forget the feeling of confinement which many convertibles and sports cars give their occupants.
A fillet running from the headlamp unit through to the rear end, in combination with sills drawn inwards at the bottom and two rubber-capped chrome strips in the lower area of the doors, gives the compact two-seater a stretched appearance. This avoids the impression of tedious two-dimensionality in the side view.

The front end is dominated by a radiator opening which is wider than in the previous model and integrates the Mercedes star and the two flanking chrome inserts. The now almost rectangular headlamp units form the outer boundary. This is the first car in the SL design story that displays a vertical homogeneity of traditionally evolved style elements. But there were also critics for whom the even wider face of the W 113 model series, though effective, was at the same time a formal exaggeration. The chrome frame on the arch bordering the top of the grille was made thicker and prominently emphasised the expressive power of the face of the SL in the W 113 series.

The curvature of the bonnet with its striking powerdome contrasted with the otherwise level surface structure of the body and resulted from the installation of a vertical in-line six-cylinder engine.

A special feature of the W 113 series, and one that is often overestimated in terms of its significance for design, was the concave hardtop, spontaneously dubbed “il pagoda” by the Italians – an expression which over the decades has become established as a synonym for the entire model series. The starting point for this hardtop shape came from the idea of safety pioneer Béla Barényi to create additional carrying space on the roof of a passenger car. To this end Barényi conducted extensive tests on saloons of various model series. But to put this idea into practice for the first time in a sports car, of all things, did not meet with unanimous approval. The head of development, Hans Scherenberg, regarded the Pagoda roof as a signature of the vehicle – it served no functional purpose as far as driving was concerned. And his successor, Werner Breitschwerdt, pointed out another aspect, rooted in the personality of Karl Wilfert, head of body development in Sindelfingen: “Imagine a modern sculpture – people stand around and argue about it until they are blue in the face. That was to Wilfert’s taste. The fact that one had to discuss it – that appealed to Wilfert.” And Bruno Sacco, successor to Geiger (a collaborator of Barényi’s for many years) as head of design, also went on record on the topic of the Pagoda roof: “Realising this Pagoda roof in a sports car was the most off-beat thing one could do.” The editor in chief of “auto motor und sport”, Reinhard Seiffert, voiced this opinion in the issue 21 of 1963 in his test report on the 230 SL: “The purpose can only be to achieve a stylish effect. Wilfert argues that it permits high side windows and thus comfortable access, but that would also have been the case had the roof bulged upwards rather than downwards. On the other hand, the cd value (Daimler-Benz keeps very quiet about that) certainly would have been better.”

The design was developed under the direction of Friedrich Geiger and followed the functional trend of passenger cars of the period like the luxury saloons of the W 108/W 109 series or the “Stroke Eight” model series W 114/W 115. The hardtop design was realised by Paul Bracq. Today the “Pagoda” is still seen as a harmonious design – as Friedrich Geiger’s original and lifelong aspiration, it is an achievement confirmed both by Werner Breitschwerdt and his successor Bruno Sacco.

The design of the hardtop with concave roofline also demonstrated the increasing influence of design elements on contemporary marketing considerations. But in this respect, the Pagoda roof itself proved more or less inconsequential, since when the fabric top was in use, all arguments for and against the Pagoda roof were rendered superfluous.

The Mercedes-Benz SL of the R 107 series, 1971 to 1989

The design of the R 107 series SL was influenced by an abundance of internal and external requirements. Internal requirements included the call for more powerful V8 engines and the planned installation of rotary piston engines. Sufficient installation space had to be provided especially to fit rotary piston engines with their high centre output shaft. A further point to take into account were the stiffer demands on crash behaviour, which meant the installed position of the fuel tank was moved from underneath the boot to an impact-protected area above the rear axle. These measures had a significant impact on the proportions of the overall package.

A noticeable difference from the predecessor was the strong emphasis on horizontal design elements. In keeping with the brand philosophy of vertical homogeneity, the front end again showed a classic SL face. But its expanse was distinctly reduced through the use of horizontal headlamp elements. Owing to the less strongly arched lines, the upper edge of the chrome-plated grille frame appeared much tauter than in the previous model series W 113. The glass of the indicators bordering the headlamp units flowed over into the lines of the car’s side, satisfying legal requirements specifying that turn indicators also had to be visible from the side. All in all, the waistline was higher than in the previous model. The larger side surfaces that resulted were relieved by placing increased emphasis on horizontal elements. These included rub strips connecting the ends of the front and rear bumpers, which were drawn round into the lines of the side, as well as wave-like shapes in the wings and doors underneath the rubber strips and a swage line connecting the tips of the front and rear turn indicators.

A special feature that really should have earned the R 107 the honorary title “Pagoda” was the homogeneity in design of the hardtop and boot lid, both of which curved slightly inwards. Compared with the previous model, the rear end appeared much fuller in its design. Relocation of the fuel tank and the enlarged boot capacity engendered changed rear proportions. The dominant horizontal design element at the rear were two large rectangular taillights with their ribbed surfaces. The horizontal element was further emphasised by the continuous bumper, the boot lid handle and the chrome strip that completes the boot lid.

The rear quarter window of the hardtop did not follow the window-level upper edge of the body but was drawn slightly upwards to hide the soft-top compartment cover, which lay flat but in a raised position.

The design of the R 107 was only marginally changed during the 18 years in which it was built. The changes concerned mainly the post-1985 front-end design. Owing to the use of more powerful engines with higher cooling air requirements, spoilers were fitted there to improve the cooling air supply.

Also starting in 1985, only aluminium wheels with a diameter of 15 inches and a smoother design were used after the facelift. These enabled fitting larger brakes.

The reactions of the press to the new SL were critical. Belgian journalist Paul Frère had this to say in “Motor Revue” in 1971: “In the C 111 Daimler-Benz showed what it is capable of offering. After this, I would have expected more in many areas. In purely visual terms, the car is reminiscent of its predecessor.” And Reinhard Seifert observed in his test report on the 350 SL in “auto motor und sport”, No. 20, 1971: “Once cannot talk of progress in body styling in this case. The 350 SL can hardly be described as more beautiful than the more smoothly and cleanly designed 280 SL. The pronounced arch of the bonnet is irritating even from inside the car. Since the waistline is very high and rises towards the rear, visibility can be described as satisfactory at best. The interior seems more confined and darker than one is to expect from modern sports cars.”

Despite all the criticism, the R 107 series was to have the longest production run – 18 years – of any passenger car series in company history, the G-Class excepted.

The Mercedes-Benz SL of the R 129 series, 1989 to 2001

When the R 107 SL series was replaced by the R 129 series after a production span of 18 years, a murmur passed through the world of admirers of beautiful automobiles. An SL of such simplicity, with clean, elegant lines, created a new point of reference in the Mercedes-Benz SL story.
SL design attained a new formal quality not only under the direction of Bruno Sacco, but through his active involvement. Under Sacco’s patronage, an SL was created in which body design combined utmost simplicity of expression with smoothly flowing lines to compose a work of great formal harmony. Powerfully swept curves in the style of muscle cars were not to be found in the R 129.

Sacco’s statement that the R 129 series impressed through simplicity of expression is confirmed by inspection of the car. The most sparing use of chrome trim and the omission of chrome inserts on the radiator grille next to the star make the star the sole focus in a face with a straightforward brand message bare of provocative dominance. The elimination of superfluous decorative elements underscored the impression of elegance owed to the unsurpassed simplicity of the body’s lines. A body as a work of art – only rarely was design accorded such recognition. The body’s design met with great approval across the board.

The Swiss journal “Automobil Revue” made interesting observations in its first test report on the R 129 in issue 41 of 1989, quoting the voice of the people: “It was a star at the Geneva Motor Show this spring, and it is most definitely a star in normal road traffic. Wherever one goes in the car, it is the object of unqualified admiration. Whether younger or older, female or male – with very few exceptions everyone feels the new showpiece from Stuttgart is brilliantly and impeccably bodied.”
In 1990, Mercedes-Benz received the Car Design Award for the R 129. The jury, comprised of two US journalists and one each from Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Britain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Switzerland, as well as a representative of the city of Turin and one from the Piedmont region/Italy, voted the R 129 its first choice by a large margin, giving as its reason: “In the Mercedes-Benz 300-500 SL the ensemble of safety innovations, exemplary ergonomic solutions, and stringent adherence to the traditional design culture of the manufacturer’s brand is convincing. The new SL embodies the most valuable elements of state-of-the-art industrial design, without compromising the flair that distinguishes every sports convertible.”

The Mercedes-Benz SL of the R 230 series, 2001 to 2011

The R 230 series introduced in 2001, in its first version, built until 2008, impressed through the resurgent emotionality of organically influenced arched surfaces. The rediscovered and re-implemented curves were intended to give visual form to the impression of power and dynamism that found its counterpart in models with more powerful engines.

The front design was dominated by twin headlamps, which merged into one another in a horizontal eight; their layout continued three-dimensionally towards the rear, ending in the wing and bonnet. In the upper part of the radiator opening, the centrally arranged Mercedes star held the eye, but the star’s central function was partly relativised by glossy horizontal louvres. The increased space requirements at the rear on account of the folding steel roof, used for the first time in an SL, and increased boot capacity – the accommodation of two golf bags was one development target – resulted in a longer wheelbase. The optical heaviness of the larger mass was skilfully covered up by the curves and arches of the rear end.

In the 2008 facelift, the front end was thoroughly reworked. With the centrally arranged Mercedes star again flanked by two chrome-plated horizontal louvres, as in the early days of the SL, and with the two powerdomes on the bonnet, it definitely conjured up memories of the original SL of 1954, whose dominant appearance symbolised unreserved power and superiority.

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.