Mercedes-Benz SL Class, Facts and Figures, 1952-2020

• The abbreviation SL was derived from the designation “super light”
• Lightweight roll cage whose elements were subjected only to tension and compression loads
• Aerodynamic aluminium-magnesium body with a height of only 1,225 millimetres
• Flat racing car front instead of the classic, upright Mercedes-Benz radiator grille
• Coupés with gullwing doors hinged to the roof
• M 194 engine based on the M 186, installed at an angle of 50 degrees to the left and with dry sump lubrication
• Removable steering wheel to make it easier to get in and out of the car
• Debut at the Mille Miglia in Italy with 2nd (Karl Kling/Hans Klenk) and 4th (Rudolf Caracciola/Peter Kurrle) places.
• Success in the Bern Grand Prix (triple victory), the 24 hours of Le Mans (one-two victory), the Nürburgring Grand Jubilee Prize (quadruple victory) and the Carrera Panamericana (one-two victory). 

300 SL racing prototype (W 194/11, 1953)

• In-line six-cylinder M 198 engine with direct petrol injection
• Body with magnesium panelling
• Rear single-joint swing axle with low pivot point
• Transaxle gear arrangement
• Development for the 1953 racing season, but not used due to preparations starting in 1954 for the planned Formula One entry 

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

• Lightweight roll cage
• Coupé with gullwing doors hinged to the roof, which was structurally necessary because of the high sills in the roll cage that restricted access
• First petrol injection in a four-stroke engine in a production vehicle
• Twenty-nine 300 SL Coupés were produced with an aluminium body that was 130 kilograms lighter
• One-off for testing purposes with a GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic) body
• Successful in motorsport: Including class victory at the 1955 Mille Miglia (John Cooper Fitch/Kurt Gessl), European Touring Car Championship titles in 1955 (Werner Engel) and 1956 (Walter Schock) as well as class victories in the USA Sports Car Championships in Production Class D in 1955 and 1956 (Paul O’Shea). 

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

• Modern four-cylinder engine with one overhead camshaft
• Modern chassis for improved ride comfort and a high standard of safety
• First open-top standard-production sports car in the SL tradition with a fully retractable folding soft top
• Floor assembly from the planned Mercedes-Benz 180 (W 120) cabriolet
• The successor to the previous Cabriolet A expressed the new product philosophy
• Body design by Walter Häcker inspired by the shape of the 300 SL
• The sport version was built as a small-batch run 

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

• Introduction of Dunlop disc brakes and light-alloy engine block from 1961 onwards
• Seat belts available as optional equipment from 1958 onwards
• Rear wheel suspension with single-joint swing axle
• Available from 1958 as roadster, coupé and coupé with roadster soft top
• Last Mercedes-Benz passenger car model with a separate frame
• Basis for competition car 300 SLS, the winning car of the 1957 US Sports Car Championship in Category D (Paul O’Shea) 

Mercedes-Benz SL of the W 113 model series (1963 to 1971)

• Remarkably easy-to-operate folding soft top
• Initially, there were three versions: 
  • Roadster with a folding top
  • Coupé with a removable roof and roadster top
  • Coupé with a removable roof, but without the roadster top; more space for luggage
  • For all three: A transverse seat in the rear on request
• As of 250 SL (1967) additionally available: Coupé with rear seat bench
• Six-cylinder engine with six-plunger injection pump
• Automatic transmission available for the first time on an SL
• Safety body with rigid occupant compartment and deformable front and rear sections
• Numerous other safety features such as interior designed so as to reduce injury hazards in accidents and an articulated steering column
• Interior designed without hard edges and corners so as to reduce risk of injury in accidents
• Steering gear moved from the crash-prone area at the front of the car to the firewall, articulated steering column to prevent the dreaded lance effect in a crash.
• As of 1967: Telescopic safety steering column and the dashpot in the steering wheel were added
• Disc brakes on the front axle, as of 250 SL (1967) also on the rear axle
• Nickname “Pagoda” was inspired by the inwardly curved (concave) lines of the hardtop
• First Mercedes-Benz passenger car with radial ply tires 

Mercedes-Benz SL from the R 107 model series (1971 to 1989)

• Further developed safety body
• Frame/Floor system with different sheet thicknesses and resulting carefully defined crumple behaviour
• Roll-over protection: High-strength A-pillars and windscreen frame with bonded-in glass
• Tank in impact-protected area above rear axle
• Special air ducting on the doors ensures low soiling of the side windows and exterior mirrors
• Dirt-resistant broad-band rear lights
• First SL generation with a V8 engine (350 SL and 450 SL, 1971)
• Contactless transistorised ignition, Bosch K-Jetronic, hydraulic valve play compensation (1975)
• First SL with catalytic converter (1985)
• Evocative model designation 300 SL was revived (1985)
• Constructive basis for the SLC luxury class coupés of the C 107 model series
• Following the great rally successes of the SLC Coupés, a 235 kW/320 hp rally car based on the 500 SL was built for the 1981 season, but was not used. 

Mercedes-Benz SL from the R 129 model series (1989 to 2001)

• Fully automatic roll-over bar even with the hardtop in place (deployment time: 0.3 seconds)
• Highly stable integral seats with complete belt system and electrically powered adjustment functions
• Drag coefficient of 0.32 (with hardtop)
• Automatic electric-hydraulics for the folding soft top
• World premiere of the draught stop
• Adaptive Damping System ADS (optional)
• High torsional stiffness due to elaborate body construction
• First twelve-cylinder engine in an SL (1992)
• The SL 60 AMG (280 kW/381 hp) was the first AMG model in the SL tradition (1993)
• Electronic Stability Program ESP® (1995)
• Newly developed five-speed automatic with torque converter lockup clutch in the SL 500 and SL 600 (1995)
• Brake Assist BAS (1996)
• Cruise control down to 30 km/h (1996)
• Top-of-the-range SL 73 AMG 7.3-litre engine (386 kW/525 hp, 1999) 

Mercedes-Benz SL from model series R 230 (2001 to 2012)

• Folding Vario roof with sophisticated articulation mechanism and a deployment time of only 16 seconds
• Design details reminiscent of the 300 SL of the 1950s
• Full functionality of the sensor-controlled roll-over bar even with the folding Vario roof closed
• Chassis with Active Body Control ABC
• New head-thorax airbags in the doors
• Drag coefficient of 0.29 (vehicle closed)
• Use of lightweight components for best fuel economy
• SL 65 AMG with V12 biturbo engine (450 kW/612 hp) was the world’s most powerful series production roadster (2004)
• New front design as part of the facelift (2008)
• SL 63 AMG modified for the racetrack as the official Formula One Safety Car (2008 and 2009)

Mercedes-Benz SL from the R 231 model series (2012 to 2020)

• Body and other components made almost entirely of aluminium: While offering greater inside space, the car was up to 140 kilograms lighter than the predecessor model series
• Boot lid as a composite construction made of steel and plastic
• Improved side impact protection through solid external side members
• Body-in-white construction up to 110 kilograms lighter than predecessor, at the same time with 20 per cent higher torsional stiffness
• Engines up to 29 per cent more economical
• Folding Vario roof made of double-skin roof elements with magnesium frame and plastic panelling
• Available with optional glass roof and MAGIC SKY CONTROL – with adjustable tint and transparency
• Drag coefficient of 0.27 (vehicle closed)
• HANDS-FREE ACCESS: Hands-free and contactless opening of the boot lid via foot movement in front of a sensor in the bumper
• Electromechanical direct steering with speed-dependent steering power assistance and transmission ratio which was variable by adjusting the steering wheel angle
• Folding Vario roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL (optional equipment): Glass roof with switch-controlled tint and transparency settings
• MAGIC VISION CONTROL: Adaptive windscreen washer system with direct washing function through the wiper blades
• Sun-reflective leather for the seats
• Sound system with front bass system
• SL 65 AMG: (V12 engine with 463 kW (630 hp) and 1,000 newton metres