The Design of the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing From the Sixties by Jan Keteleer

About "The Design of the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing From the Sixties"

by Jan Keteleer

About the artwork

The design of the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing from 1964 is artwork at its best. This type of design, a simple one line that made every element unique and gave the sleek body a futuristic feel was the talk of the town at the time. And it's the look of the car that really captures the imagination - the curves, the lines, the proportions. If you look long enough, you can find a Gullwing in the parts bin for your 911, and if you're lucky enough, someone will also have restored one to the original Gullwing design.

The smooth round curves of the body are truly breathtaking. I can only imagine the Gullwing would look good on a Ferrari! The low sloping rear section catches the light well and complements the roundness of the body quite well too. The car doesn't look much like a modern day MGB either; the body lays flat and the sides and roof are fairly low, with the boot set higher than the nose. The interior is roomy and comfortable, with plenty of storage space available.

Of course, the heart of any Gullwing styled car will be the engine, and the designers did a great job creating the high-tech components that allow the Gullwing to churn out 120HP. The power is sent to the tailpipes via the HID kit, and the exhaust has to be lightweight to extract the power from the air that the car is spitting out. The interior is plush and comfortable, and this is the reason why the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing from the Sixties is such a timeless, elegant vehicle.