Andy Warhol

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé (1954), 1986

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” debuted in New York in 1954, attracting a great deal of attention. The new sports car was both beautiful and innovative. The world’s first series-produced car with a four-stroke motor, it was equipped with a petrol injection system to improve performance and efficiency. With a top speed of 250 km/h, the 300 SL was the fastest series-produced car of its time. Mercedes-Benz gave it the same consistently lightweight construction that had been used for the legendary racing car from the 1952 season on which the series was based. A tubular frame supported the motor, the gears and the axles – leaving no space for conventional doors. The 300 SL’s gullwing doors were a highly distinctive feature, causing it to be popularly known as the “Gullwing” and “Flügeltürer” (lit. “wing door car”). Today, the 300 SL is still a dream car par excellence. In December of 1999, a jury of motoring journalists actually voted it “the sports car of the century”.