It has been a few years now since I own the 300 SL Gullwing. Time to take a step back and think about my experiences so far.
What has it been like to own a 300SL Gullwing?
First a bit of background.
I don’t really like Mercedes the car brand. I am a Porsche guy. That will never change.
But ever since I can remember there was one Mercedes car I dreamt of owning. It was the legendary 300SL. Not the roadster but the Gullwing. For me it is a piece of art on wheels. It is among the most beautiful cars in the world. I still think that today. Not to mention its importance in automotive history which attracted me.
The 300SL (both Gullwing and roadster) was designed by Uhlenhaut, the genius engineer who masterminded the 300 SLR, a racecar that helped Mercedes win the world championship in 1955.
The 300SL Gullwing was inspired by the 300SLR and racing. You can think of the 300SL Gullwing as a racecar designed for road use. The engineers including Uhlenhaut designed the Gullwing with performance and weight in mind before practicality. After all the SL stands for Sport Leicht (sport and light in German).
Only after designing the space-frame did they realize that there are no place for the doors of the car. At least no place in the normal sense. Thus the famous ‘Gullwing’ type doors were created.
A 1:5 scale of the space frame used in the 300SL Gullwing.
So no doubt the 300SL Gullwing is an engineering marvel. It was the first direct fuel injection car made in production. It is a dream to look at.
But what is it like to own?
It is here where things get quite interesting. After several years of owning, driving and maintaining a 300 Gullwing I have the following observations. Lets start with the driving part – after all that is what this car is meant for. I will then get to the owning part.
- General impression: As much as the 300SL Gullwing was ahead of its time in 1955 – it is very tricky to drive. If I am honest using the word tricky is being very polite and diplomatic. Lets start with the positives: On a straight line – the Gullwing is marvelous. It feels solid. I have driven it on the autobahn at 150km (when I did not know better) and it feels better than many modern cars. On straights the Gullwing is perfect. I give it a 9/10. You better hope they are no cars in front of you or no curves though (more on that below).
- Driving position and driving feeling is awesome: When you climb into a Gullwing you feel like your in a race-car. The driving position is excellent and gears shift super smoothly. In fact the Gullwing is so easy to drive that my dog could shift it if he knew how. It feels very light (that’s because it is) in fact it feels lighter and better do drive than my Aston DB4 which was built 7 years later!
- German quality is noticeable: The Gullwing reacts instantaneous to the steering wheel. The response the driver gets from any change in speed, steering or shifting is immediate and awesome. There is no rattling. The car feels solid, sturdy just perfect. The engine can rev for long periods at over 4’000 (maximum revs are 6’000 rpm). It is noisy inside at 4’000 rpms but it is perfect.
- Braking is a major problem: I believe in originality. Respecting the time period. That is why I have left the drum brakes on my 300SL Gullwing. Many people say the 300SL roadster is a better car to drive also due to the disc brakes. But I don’t believe in changing the brakes. If Stirling Moss won the Mille Miglia driving an average speed of more than 160km/h in one – I sure as hell can drive on the highway and on mountain pass roads at 12o km/h with drum brakes. The problem is: I can’t. The drum brakes are so poor that I don’t dare to drive faster than 100km/h anymore. Not only is there a time-delay when pressing the drum brakes – if you press to hard the whole car starts skidding (if your unlucky it skids sideways – that has happened to me too).
- Taking curves at high speed is not recommended: The 300SL Gullwing is a disaster in curves. Take a curve too fast and your in serious trouble. Yes it is like that with most cars, but the Gullwing is especially vulnerable. I am not sure how the car won the Mille Miglia in 1955 – but then again I am no Stirling Moss. The problem with the Gullwing is that it is such an easy car to drive that you forget that your in a car from 1950’s. It feels light and agile and thus it is always tempting to push the car to limits. If you enter a curve at too high speeds with the Gullwing, the likelihood is high the back swings out to either side. It has happened to me twice already. The Gullwing is NOT an agile car – even though it feels agile.
These are my main impressions on driving a Gullwing from an owners point of view. What is it like owning a Gullwing?
- It looks better than it drives: I have to say – I think the Gullwing is such a dream aesthetically speaking. It is the car I spend the most time admiring of all my cars. It is a piece of art. The front is aggressive and the back with its round behind is such a piece of perfection. I think it is one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Just owning the car for its looks is worth it in my opinion.
- The Gullwing needs to be driven or problems arise: If you don’t have time to drive a Gullwing on a regular basis – you will experience trouble. Gullwings need to be moved often due to way the car is set up (apparently it has to do with the fuel pump). If you have the car sit too long in the garage – it can happen that excess oil spills out from engine. This is a problem I encountered for most of last year basically. This is a common problem to Gullwings if they are not driven on a regular basis (according to HK Engineering – the leading experts of 300SL in the world). I don’t have this problem with the DB4 nor with the 275 GTB/4.
- It gets brutally hot inside a Gullwing: The Gullwing is a perfect spring car and autumn car. Forget driving the car in the summer. The car is brutally hot to begin with, as the exhaust system runs right below the driver and the car has no ‘real windows’ as such. Yes – the windows can be removed and that causes air to flow through the car which helps – but air ventilation is a big problem with the Gullwing.
- Engine can often overheat: The car is quite sensitive to heat. I have often had to wait for the car to cool down on the highway before being able to continue my journey.
Concluding thoughts
I think the Gullwing is a masterpiece in design. It is an absolutely beautiful car. I do think though that it does look better than it drives.
The main problem with the Gullwing is that it is an incredibly easy car to drive. In fact it is too easy. Too fast. And the brakes and poor handling of the car in curves are a big problem for owners who are not experienced. Out of all the three cars I own, the Gullwing is the most tricky of them all to drive. In fairness it is also the oldest car by far that I own. And a 7 year difference in age to the Aston DB4 and a 13 year difference to the 275 GTB/4 was a massive difference in those days. Technology was not as advanced in 1955 as it was in the mid 1960s.
I was expecting to have the least problems with my Gullwing. After all it is German. Supposed to be reliable. But it has turned out to be anything but. It has given me the most headaches. But when the Gullwing works it is extremely rewarding.
Would I buy a Gullwing again if I could turn back time knowing what I know now? Sure I would. Without hesitation. It is so beautiful and so important in car history that I simply cannot imagine having a car collection without one. Just getting in and out of a Gullwing is a pure joy. You know each time your getting into a legend. A piece of automotive history. Perhaps the most important post war German production car ever made.
Having said that, a Gullwing is perfect in a collection. If you have other cars to drive. Would I choose a Gullwing if limited to owning one car only?
Here the answer is less clear.
A few pictures of the 300SL Gullwing below. In terms of aesthetics it is among the most beautiful cars ever made. This is clear.
I cannot find any bad angle on this race inspired car.
The side air vents are a masterpiece alone.
The side of the car is beautiful too. In most cars there is one angle that is less advantageous. Not in a Gullwing. It is a dream from all angles.
And of course the Gullwing doors. Designed that way because there was no possibility for ‘normal’ doors to fit the unique space frame.
The back of the car is equally beautiful as the front. It is a masterpiece of design; perhaps the most important post – war production car ever made.
The problem with Gullwings is that if you don’t drive them, often, you end up visiting the garage frequently.
