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Mercedes-Benz Will Gladly Sell You New Body Panels For The 300 SL Gullwing

Back in the 1950s, the automotive industry was going through a lot of changes. Disc brakes found application in the 1952 Le Mans-winning Jaguar C-Type, the patent for cruise contrl was filed in 1950 by master sergeant Frank J. Riley, and the 1959 Volvo 122 shipped as standard with three-point seat belts. Over at Mercedes-Benz, the 300 SL (W198) started production in 1954 with Bosch-developed fuel injection.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing new body panels 34 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
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Even though fuel injection started replacing carburetors from the 1980s onward, the M198 inline-six in the 300 SL proved that this is the technology of the future. Because of fuel injection and the motorsport know-how from the W194 racing car, the 300 SL was the fastest production car of its day (260 km/h; 162 miles per hour).

Just around 1,400 examples of the fixed-head coupe were manufactured, gaining the nickname Gullwing thanks to the car’s distinctive doors. These babies fetch something in the ballpark of $1.5 million in this day and age, being revered by enthusiasts and collectors alike. Owning one, however, could prove a bit of an adventure due to the W198’s age.

Being a low-production model that Mercedes-Benz stopped making six decades ago, spare parts are hard to come by. The three-pointed star started making amends for this issue in March 2018, getting in touch with the original supplier of the checkered upholstery to produce new fabric. But Mercedes-Benz won’t be stopping here, oh no!

“Key body parts” f
or the W198 “are again available in factory quality." The pricing, as expected, is on par with the halo status of the 300 SL Gullwing. Here’s how the cookie crumbles, including value-added tax:

  • Front panelling left (A198 620 03 09 40) - 11,900 euros
  • Front panelling right (A198 620 04 09 40) - 11,900 euros
  • Rear panelling left (A198 640 01 09 40) - 14,875 euros
  • Rear panelling right (A198 640 02 09 40) - 14,875 euros
  • Rear-end center section (A198 647 00 09 40) - 2,975 euros
  • Rear-end floor (A198 640 00 61 40) - 8,925 euros

Care to guess how much it would cost to order all of those body panels? €65,450, the sort of money the German automaker charges on the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4Matic. Produced by a certified supplier and worked into their final shape by hand using wooden mallets, these parts are available at just about every Mercedes-Benz sales partner.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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