Looking Back on 60 Years of the 1957 Mercedes-Benz SL 300 Roadster

The inspiration for the 2018 Mercedes-AMG® Roadster

America’s appetite for open-top sports cars goes back many years, and Mercedes-Benz has been an integral part of that history. The new 2018 Mercedes-AMG® Roadster is continuing the tradition that began in the 1950s with the debut of the original SL 300 Roadster, which remains one of the most valuable and sought-after Mercedes-Benz classics ever made.

It all started with the “gull-wing” SL 300 Coupe, which was derived from the successful SL 300 racing car. Demand for an open-top version, particularly from the United States, led to the creation of the Mercedes-Benz SL 300 Roadster, introduced in 1957 at the Geneva Motor Show.

“Where the engine and driving characteristics are concerned the SL 300 Roadster is a masterstroke,” wrote Automotive publication Motor Revue upon the new model's release. General interest publications like the weekly newspaper Die Zeit praised the open-top version of the “gull-wing” coupe as having “no end of noteworthy improvements.”

New for 2018

The same can be said for the new 2018 Mercedes-Benz-AMG® GT. The dramatic lines of the exterior continue inside with a wide dashboard, high beltline and dynamically rising center console. Exclusive Nappa leather with a diamond waterfall stitch pattern is available for the first time. The fabric roof opens and closes in 11 seconds. 0 - 60 happens in just 3.9 seconds, with a top speed of 188 mph.

The legacy of the SL 30 Roadster lives on in the 2018 Mercedes-AMG® GT Roadster, which will arrive at Mercedes-Benz of Silver Spring this fall. Contact us today for more information on the latest in the automaker’s decades-long tradition of sports car excellence. 

Image Credit: Mercedes-Benz