The Engineering Secret of the 300 SL Gullwing
In short: How a lightweight tubular spaceframe from a 1952 racing car left no room for ordinary doors, and gave the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL its roof-hinged gullwings.
A 1:48 short film in the series “How It Worked”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: Vintage Cars of Europe (vintagecarsofeurope.com), “The Mercedes 300SL Chronology”; Project Benz (projectbenz.com), “Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W198) specs, variants and builds”; Fast Lane Only, “300 SL Tube Frame: Why the Gullwing Doors Open Up”; 500SEC.com (Mercedes 500SEC.com), ““60 years of the SL”: double victory at the 3rd Carrera Panamericana in the 300 SL racing sports car - Mercedes 500SEC.com”; sportlichleicht.com, “Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadster (W198)”; Classic Auto History (classicautohistory.net), “Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing: iconic engineering and design”; ClassicCarsVS (classicvs.com), “1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W198 II) Specs, History & Value | ClassicCarsVS”; mbmanuals.com (a commercial seller of Mercedes-Benz service-manual PDFs; not an official Mercedes-Benz source, and low reliability), “Mercedes Benz M198 Petrol Engine Service Manuals .pdf”; Sports Car Digest, “Carrera Panamericana Winner - Mercedes-Benz W194 Photo Gallery”; Encyclopaedia Britannica, “24 Hours of Le Mans | Endurance Race, Automotive History, French Circuit | Britannica”; Experience Le Mans (experiencelemans.com), “1952 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors”.
Sources used in this film
- Vintage Cars of Europe (vintagecarsofeurope.com) — The Mercedes 300SL Chronology · View →
- Project Benz (projectbenz.com) — Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W198) specs, variants and builds · View →
- Fast Lane Only — 300 SL Tube Frame: Why the Gullwing Doors Open Up · View →
- 500SEC.com (Mercedes 500SEC.com) — “60 years of the SL”: double victory at the 3rd Carrera Panamericana in the 300 SL racing sports car - Mercedes 500SEC.com · View →
- sportlichleicht.com — Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadster (W198) · View →
- Classic Auto History (classicautohistory.net) — Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing: iconic engineering and design · View →
- ClassicCarsVS (classicvs.com) — 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W198 II) Specs, History & Value | ClassicCarsVS · View →
- mbmanuals.com (a commercial seller of Mercedes-Benz service-manual PDFs; not an official Mercedes-Benz source, and low reliability) — Mercedes Benz M198 Petrol Engine Service Manuals .pdf · View →
- Sports Car Digest — Carrera Panamericana Winner - Mercedes-Benz W194 Photo Gallery · View →
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — 24 Hours of Le Mans | Endurance Race, Automotive History, French Circuit | Britannica · View →
- Experience Le Mans (experiencelemans.com) — 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Vintage Cars of Europe (vintagecarsofeurope.com): The Mercedes 300SL Chronology
- Also: Project Benz (projectbenz.com): Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W198) specs, variants and builds
- Also: Fast Lane Only: 300 SL Tube Frame: Why the Gullwing Doors Open Up
- Also: 500SEC.com (Mercedes 500SEC.com): “60 years of the SL”: double victory at the 3rd Carrera Panamericana in the 300 SL racing sports car - Mercedes 500SEC.com
- Also: sportlichleicht.com: Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadster (W198)
- Also: Classic Auto History (classicautohistory.net): Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing: iconic engineering and design
- Also: ClassicCarsVS (classicvs.com): 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W198 II) Specs, History & Value | ClassicCarsVS
- Also: mbmanuals.com (a commercial seller of Mercedes-Benz service-manual PDFs; not an official Mercedes-Benz source, and low r: Mercedes Benz M198 Petrol Engine Service Manuals .pdf
- Also: Sports Car Digest: Carrera Panamericana Winner - Mercedes-Benz W194 Photo Gallery
- Also: Encyclopaedia Britannica: 24 Hours of Le Mans | Endurance Race, Automotive History, French Circuit | Britannica
- Also: Experience Le Mans (experiencelemans.com): 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors
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