Car fans and non-car fans alike are almost certainly capable of identifying the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. This is without a doubt one of the most notable cars in automotive history, and its value alone tells us this is the case.

But it's not all show and no go, the 300SL is a capable performer on the track and even more surprisingly, a very capable daily driver, although its huge value makes us think there are perhaps some slightly better options out there. Here are 10 reasons why we'd love to get our hands on a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.

10 The Exterior Styling

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

Pure style points alone make the 300SL Gullwing one of the most desirable cars on the planet, few cars have become as ionic based purely on looks alone. Naturally, the Gullwing doors are the centerpiece of the 300SL's design, but elsewhere, the long shapely body makes it appear both elegant and fast, and that's probably the reason why it has inspired so many modern Mercedes supercars like the SLS and the AMG GTR.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

Some standout features include the now iconic side vents seen on a number of other performance Mercedes vehicles, as well as the sloping roofline. Surely impressive many decades ago, but somehow, the 300SL still looks just as exquisite by today's standards.

9 Its Luxury Interior

300SL Gullwing Interior
source: favcars

As a luxury performance car, the interior has to match the exterior and engine in quality and finish, naturally this is the case. Some models, like the one shown here, have a red leather interior, perhaps a little garish by modern standards, it's certainly a clear indication of the era the car came from.

300SL Gullwing Interior
source: favcars

There's no getting away from the high quality of the 300SL's interior, from the start, you're encapsulated in its luxury setting with features such as huge 50s styled dials, thin wooden steering wheel, chrome switches and buttons, and excellent visibility. Few cars past or present can come close to the exceptional level of quality as the 300SL, both inside and out.

8 The Remarkable Value

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

For many car enthusiasts, the 300SL Gullwing is the holy grail of the automotive world, thanks mainly to its impressive value. Due to a number of factors like condition, year, mileage, and so on, it's quite hard to pin down exactly how much a 300SL Gullwing should set you back.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

For those interested, you'll almost certainly need to gather as much cash as possible, 300SL Gullwing models typically cost between the $500,000 and $2,000,000 mark. Part of its charm and aura comes from its insane value, those lucky enough to drive and even own one are truly living the dream. In 2020, a 1954 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing sold for €1,073,750 in Paris, France, the equivalent of $1,173,635 at the time of writing.

Related: 10 Most Beautiful Mercedes-Benz Classics Ever

7 It's Classic GT Racing History

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

The 300SL isn't just expensive because it looks and feels great, in fact, underneath there is a true classic GT performance car. The 300SL can be traced back to one race car in particular, the Mercedes-Benz W194.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

This was important because not only did it serve as the base of the 300SL, it also came with Mercedes largest ever engine at the time, and participated in the first sports car racing series after the second world war in 1952. The 300SL wasn't originally a planned car at the time, but the suggestion for a street legal racecar based on the W194 seemingly made great sense, and thus the 300SL Gullwing was created.

6 The Great Engine And Power

300SL Gullwing Engine
source: favcars

Let's talk about how the 300SL became one of the most competitive sports cars of its day. It's large and powerful M198 3.0-liter straight-six, spoken about earlier, was the powerhouse behind the 300SL Gullwing's exceptional speed.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

This engine produced 240 hp, which is impressive by today's standards, but for the early 1950s, this is a remarkable feat, and allowed for the 300SL Gullwing to achieve a top speed of around 161 mph, once again, something which is directly comparable to some of our modern sports cars.

5 The Low Weight And Exceptional Handling

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

It wasn't just straight line speed that made the 300SL a formidable track weapon, its low weight and great handling also played a huge part. Like many racecars of the same era, the 300SL was developed with a tubular frame, this allowed for improved stability and a lower overall weight.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

Once the frame was assembled, it weighed a total of 181-lbs. The chassis was actually a fairly standard Mercedes W186 chassis, but with some sportier tuning here and there, it also used a four-wheel independent suspension setup, for a more comfortable ride and massively improved overall handling.

Related: Here's Why The R107 Mercedes SL Is An Underrated Classic

4 Its Surprisingly Reliable

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: favcars

History tells us that supercars and sports cars are built for speed and driving feel, with reliability and practically becoming almost non-existent on some cars, the 300SL Gullwing is an exception to this rule. Today, we know Mercedes-Benz cars, and German cars as a whole, are typically fairly reliable, and often serve as great examples of cars which are equal parts practical and fast. But in the early 50s, to have a sports car which was reliable was something very rare indeed.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

The build quality of the engine and the general easy usability makes it a viable option for a number of motorists today, some have even owned the car for decades with little to no issues whatsoever. Not only this, but Mercedes-Benz support is also some of the best in the world, so if something did happen to go wrong, it's fairly likely the team at Mercedes will have your car back to its best in no time.

3 It's Especially Comfortable

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: favcars

As something of a GT car, the 300SL was made to be great to live with and drive every day, and something that was capable on track too.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: favcars

Its roomy cabin and high quality leather seats are something which are unlikely to be rivaled in the modern day. Storage is also fairly usable for a car of its nature, and sits just behind the rear seats due to the unique shape of the vehicle as well as the rear trunk. The innovative design of the suspension also makes driving the 300SL a breeze, especially for long distance cruising. Modern car manufacturers could really learn a lot from looking back at the 300SL.

2 The Gullwing Doors

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: favcars

As the perhaps the most interesting and iconic piece of design on any vehicle ever, the 300SL's Gullwing doors deserve their own special mention. Due to the roofless design of the racecar the 300SL Gullwing was based on, adding a traditional door was impossible.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: wsupercars

Mercedes chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut and his team decided that rather than compromising the frame, the hinge for the door would need to be added somewhere in the middle roof of the car, thus ensuring there was a large enough gap for driver and passenger. This radical design innovation made the 300SL one of the most notable cars in all of automotive history, and has since been copied famously by the DeLorean, and more recently by the Tesla Model X.

Related: 10 Classic Mercedes-Benz Models We'd Buy Instead Of A New One

1 A Genuine Piece Of Motoring History

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: favcars

The magnitude of the Mercedes 300SL in the automotive world is something that is hard to put into words, really the best measure of its notability and status is its immense value. The popularity of the 300SL Gullwing is further enhanced by its US sales, more than 80% of the production models were sold in the US, and incidentally changed the perception of Mercedes cars across the world indefinitely.

1954-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing
source: favcars

One notable owner of the 300SL Gullwing is fashion designer Ralph Lauren, who often displays his cars at high class automotive car shows. One of the biggest testaments to the 300SL Gullwing's design are the number of current Mercedes sports cars which follow very similar design principles as a homage to this legendary sports car.

Sources: Car and Driver, Driving.ca, RM Sotehbys, Road and Track, Core77.com