Gull-Winging its way into hearts across the world! The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is a piece of automobile legend, the famed German maker's super sports car with gull wings that once were seen, were never forgotten. It was a 1954 release, and drew largely upon a successful racing prototype from 2 years earlier, inheriting the inner mechanics of a race car and THAT sublime silhouette. What could the world do but embrace such a thing of beauty? In fact, the gull wings were not only an aesthetic masterstroke, they were born of necessity: the 300 SL's state-of-the-art tubular space frame made the use of "regular" side-opening doors somewhat impractical. The body had in fact received a few minor tweaks from the original prototype, resulting in a more elegant road-going sports car-esque appearance. Power was provided by an inline-6 engine that featured direct injection technology (a world first) that generated 215hp and a considerable amount of speed. Naturally, fans across the world clamored (and still do) to get their hands on the 300 SL.
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL joins the 1/24 Sports Car Series as it is considered an all-time classic in the automotive world. The real car began life as a prototype for the German motor giant’s works racing team, taking part in international races, and in 1954 a production version debuted at the International Motor Show in New York. Despite nominal road car status the 300SL was still a very racy vehicle and proved popular, particularly in the United States. It possessed a 3-liter engine (hence the 300 in its name), and a highly lightweight body (SL stands for Sport Leicht, lit. “light sports”) with striking gull wing doors. 1,400 cars were produced by the end of its production run in May 1957. The Tamiya model kit captures the real life subject down to the working Gull-Wing doors and complex tubular space frame.
