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Explore GizmagMercedes-Benz restores oldest SL to mark 60th anniversary
The SL 550 (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The 300 SL undergoing restoration (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The restored 300 SL is the oldest surviving example of the SL class (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The 300 SL chassis was built of tubular steel for high strength and low weight (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The restoration of the 300 SL body shell took six months (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL class
The Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL class
The 2013 SL class features full Internet connectivity
The 1952 300 SL returned to its original condition
The Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL class
The Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL class
The Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL class
Mercedes-Benz unveils the restored 300 SL (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The restored 300 SL (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)
The Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL class
The Mercedes-Benz 2013 SL class
The restored 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
The 2013 comes in two models: The SL 500 and the SL 350
The new SL class uses aluminum wherever possible for weight savings
The engine of the 300 SL was originally developed for the 300S class
The 2013 SL class features a retractable hard top with a glass panel that changes from dark to transparent at the touch of a button
As part of the 60th anniversary, Mercedes-Benz is issuing a limited "Edition 1" of the 2013 SL
The restoration of the 300 SL took ten months
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194 series) with chassis number 2
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194 series) with chassis number 2
New meets old - the Mercedes-Benz SL
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL undergoing restoration
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL undergoing restoration
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL undergoing restoration
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL of 1954 - the first production SL with its distinctive gull-wing doors
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1952
Article Summary
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz SL and to celebrate the occasion, Mercedes has completely restored the oldest surviving example to its original condition. Introduced to the press on 12 March 1952 on the autobahn between Stuttgart and Heilbronn, the prototype 300 SL (Super Lightweight) was powered by a 3-liter, six-cylinder in-line engine canted at 50 degrees with an overhead camshaft, three Solex twin carburetors and dry sump lubrication, which put out 170 bhp for a maximum speed of 143 mph (230 kph). Not bad for 1952.
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