1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
Fitted with four-wheel disc brakes and an aluminum engine block, the final 300 SL Roadsters represent the most mechanically refined version of Stuttgart’s legendary sports car.
Only about 210 examples received the alloy engine block and factory four-wheel disc brake combination during the final phase of production before the model concluded its run in 1963.
Mercedes-Benz unveiled the 300 SL Roadster at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show as a more civilized successor to the famous Gullwing coupe. A redesigned tubular space frame lowered the door sills considerably, eliminating the awkward entry that characterized its predecessor.
The convertible top also helped address the coupe’s notoriously hot cabin. Underneath, a revised rear suspension with a lower single-pivot swing axle reduced the oversteer tendencies that had challenged Gullwing drivers.
The 3.0-liter (2,996 cc) overhead-cam inline-six with Bosch mechanical fuel injection was rated at approximately 240 horsepower (SAE gross). Beginning in 1962, the roadster adopted an aluminum engine block in place of the earlier cast-iron unit, reducing weight.
Power was fed through a four-speed manual gearbox. European-delivery examples carried aerodynamic single-piece headlamps in place of the sealed-beam units specified for the American market.
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