SL's on the wing
300SL Roadster by Siku
300SL Gullwing by Siku
(currently available)
300SL Gullwing by Corgi
300SL Gullwing by Siku
300SL Gullwing by Tomica
300SL Gullwing by Zylmex
300SL Gullwing
by Speed Wheels (Yat Ming?)
300SL Gullwing (generic)
Today, automakers like to boast of how each new production model has been somehow derived from race car technology when, in fact, they have little in common with competition cars other than sometimes sharing the same model name. This, however, was not always the case. Fifty years ago, road cars often were quite closely related to those seen at the track and, in particular, the Gullwing "Sport Licht" Benzes were little other than Mercedes race cars with fitted luggage and slightly more comfortable interiors for touring.
Daimler-Benz had championed its aerodynamic, gullwinged bullets for two race seasons before responding to the motoring public's overwhelmingly enthusiastic requests for a road-going 300SL. In the transition from the race course to the roadway, little of the car's original character was lost and perhaps the biggest difference was never noticed by most people: the road-going cars were, overall, less streamlined due to the fitting of bumpers, a conventional grille and a few popular 1950's Mercedes styling cues such as "eyebrows" gently arching over the wheel cutouts. Not that this mattered at all: with the correct combination of the appropriate camshaft grind and proper rear axle ratio, these Bosch fuel-injected rockets could easily reach 160 miles-per-hour.
The single overhead cam, three liter straight six used to power the SL proved, once again, that intelligent design could triumph over the old motto of "there's no substitution for cubic inches." So good (and strong) was the basic design of the Mercedes straight six engines that various forms and displacements would remain in production for decades and even Nissan offered a copy of the legendary Benz straight six in its classic 240Z. Often viewed as a pure novelty and ever since as a prerequisite of super car design, the trademark upward swinging doors were mandated by the car's rigid tubular chassis with its very tall side members which cocooned the cockpit. The design made for an extremely lightweight yet strong chassis/body combination; however, the door design necessitated that the side windows be fixed (there simply was no reception area in the doors for them to be wound down into) and a rather large quarter light was fitted to draw fresh air into the interior. Hence was born another super car tradition: compromise.
After three years of production, the Benz engineers decided to kill off the Gullwing and alter the original design to give the world a car that was thought to be more pragmatic: the elegant 300SL Roadster. Admittedly, the Roadster was more practical: the folding roof and wind-down windows finally addressed the ventilation problems that had plagued the Gullwing and the conventional (and lower slung) doors offered significantly improved egress and entry and eliminated the need to literally climb hurdles to get into the car. Yet this was all in vain: the Roadster has never been and probably never will be as highly regarded as the Gullwing due to its greater weight, lower top speed and reduced structural rigidity. It's truly a pity since the Roadster was a wonderful car in its own right and even offered several modern safety features not found on the Gullwings such as improved headlamps and four-wheel disc brakes near the end of its production life.
To prove the disrespect often bestowed upon the roadster, only one small scale model of the 300SL Roadster has ever appeared. Siku of Germany produced a painfully accurate model of this car with a unique twist: it had its optional hardtop installed. A true hardtop rendition of this car is rare in any scale (and quite a few Roadsters have been produced in 1:43 scale with their soft tops both up and down) which makes this charming model all the more novel. Always offered in correct, tasteful period colors, this model is sure to be a standout in any collection of miniatures.
While most of us will never have the privilege of even driving (much less owning) a 300SL Gullwing, a number of exceptionally well designed and accurately scaled miniatures have appeared on the toy shop shelves over the years. Once more, Siku has seen fit to cast a high quality model of the Gullwing that is typical of the brand with its sharply cast features, opening doors and near perfect-to-scale accuracy. In fact, the only real faults with Siku's Gullwing are the wheels which formerly were white spoked and now look like the alloy rims employed by mid-1980s E-Class sedans. While neither is overly accurate, both wheel types somehow still manage to look suitable on this model.
From the realm of under-rated diecast models comes one of the best ever Zylmex Pacesetters. Zylmex's Gullwing is of such a high level of design and quality that most collectors incorrectly think that it had to have been produced by someone else. Completely unexpected features on this model include two opening doors and an extremely accurate body shape. Of course, it goes without saying that they could have chosen no more deserving a car to do such outstanding work with. Japan's Tomica also gave the world another wonderful Gullwing model that also incorporated opening doors into its design. Invariably painted silver, this miniature showed Tomica's diecasting skills at their best. Unfortunately, the wheels typically fitted to this model were just a fraction too large in diameter, making this model of this very low profile car appear as if it was standing on the tips of its toes.
Surprisingly, there is even a good quality albeit very cheap model of the Gullwing available in the "Speed Wheels" series sold at Walgreen's Drug Stores. Although this miniature has all the hallmarks of a Tomica copy, close inspection reveals it to be a unique casting in its own right. The wheels are nearly the right diameter (though nothing worth bragging about) and the casting itself is both clean and sharp right down to the obligatory three-pointed star in the grille. Of course, most of these models wear tacky, multi-colored graphics on their roofs, hoods and trunklids and the doors are cast shut. Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile addition to any collection of Gullwings, particularly at its very modest 59 cent selling price.
Recently, the aforementioned Speed Wheels casting has been "complimented" by another. For some reason, Walgreens sells two different lines of Speed Wheels 1:64 scale diecast models: the better quality models are packaged in a plastic blister which is glued onto a card whereas the cheaper models are sold in little plastic bags. The "plastic bag" models are crude and cheap (39 cents a piece) though ardent car fanatics can pick out many favorites lurking among these generic little castings. One such car is the Mercedes Gullwing. While it is hardly a great model, it is unmistakably an SL and it has even appeared in several color and wheel variations. Later models are better since the wheels used by them are of a slightly larger diameter than the model pictured here which has the older, smaller wheel style.
Finally, Corgi Juniors also produced a Gullwing for a few years during the 1980s. Once more, it is a great model of this wonderful car: both doors open and the wheels are finally just about the correct size. Although not as nicely done as the Siku or Tomica, this is one particular Corgi worth seeking out for a collection of SLs, sports cars, or Mercedes.
Sometimes, automotive perfection is achieved; the Mercedes-Benz 300SL was one such example. In honor of this great car, diecast manufacturers the world over have repeatedly delivered some of their best work. Even brands of models not known for producing particularly good or accurate miniatures have somehow mustered the required resources to bring beautiful models to light. Although there is not a wide selection of 300SL diecasts in 1:64 scale, it is truly a pleasure to see that almost everyone of them would make any collector (as well as the car's creators) proud. Below is a listing of 300SL models in approximately 1:64 scale.
Corgi Juniors 181 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Siku 1073 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Siku V221 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
Speed Wheels Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (detailed casting)
Speed Wheels Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (less detailed casting)
Tomica F19 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Zylmex P370 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing