Silent Survivor
by Gary Anderson

Had the 300SL Coupe introduced to North America at the New York International Auto Show in February 1954, later nicknamed the Gullwing, been a thoroughbred race horse, the stud book entry might read “Out of the W194 race car by the W186 300 limousine. Breeder Rudi Uhlenhaut of Mercedes-Benz for the stables of Max Hoffman.”

In car terms, that’s how it happened. Uhlenhaut created the W194 race car in 1952 to compete in high-publicity road races like the Panamericana and Mille Miglia by installing the drive train and suspension of the big W186 300 luxury limousine in a lightweight, fully-stressed tube frame, and then wrapping it in a sleek aluminum body designed by Paul Braq. Following a series of impressive victories, American exotic car dealer Max Hoffman was inspired to order 1,000 road-going versions from Daimler-Benz AG that he could sell to his high-living clientele in New York and Beverly Hills.

With that pur-sang breeding, the production 300SL Gullwing was born, to become as recognizable an image of Mercedes-Benz as the three-pointed star. Approved for production in mid-1953, the first W196 unit came off the line at Sindelfingen in January 1954, was shown in New York the following month, and production began in August.

However, conversion from competitive long-distance race car to comfortable conveyance for the carriage trade took a little doing. On the one hand, changes to the doors, grille, and tail to make the car more passenger-friendly actually improved the styling. On the other hand, the addition of comfortable seats, leather upholstery, and interior details not only added weight but, of course, also increased the costs. That didn’t discourage the clientele, and the Gullwing was successful from its first introduction. Mercedes-Benz became the first example of a large production car company building an unabashedly expensive high-performance supercar as a part of its production line-up.

The gullwing doors had originally been an expedient solution to the problem of getting a racing driver into and out of a car that had been styled for the maxium aerodynamic advantage of a coupe, but had high, thick sills necessitated by using tube-frame side members instead of solid frame rails for longitudinal stiffness. Recognizing both the difficulty of re-engineering the body in any significant manner, and noting the attention that the original top-mounted doors had garnered when the cars were first raced, Hoffman, Bracq, and the engineers agreed that the car had to retain the eponymous doors. But as a result, any number of stylish ladies had to learn how to gracefully extract themselves from the cars under the bright canopy lights of a fashionable restaurant.

The other drawback of the gullwing doors was the obvious impossibility of including wind-up windows. Instead, glass windows in detachable chrome frames could be removed and stowed in pockets behind the seats.

Not only did the styling put Mercedes-Benz in a class by itself, the engine was unlike anything in other production cars, even those of a sporting nature. To accommodate the low, sleek lines, the engine was canted at a 45-degree angle to the left. To make the engine as short as possible, the production car used a “dry-sump” oiling system with oil pumped from a separate tank rather than  being held in a sump beneath the engine.

Because the carburetors used on the race cars would be difficult to tune with the intake system under the exhaust headers, the engineers installed mechanical fuel injection technology originally developed by Bosch for high-altitude Daimler aircraft engines during World War II. The 300SL was the first production automobile to use a fuel injection system. The result was a car that could pull easily from 15 mph in top gear, but with 240 (SAE) horsepower at 6,200 rpm, and the lightweight (2,885 lbs) wind-cheating body, a top speed in excess of 150 mph was readily achievable.

However, the tricky rear suspension that had been carried over from the 300 for use in the race cars, with its chassis-mounted differential and swing axles, was prone to power oversteer. When the new radial-ply tires from Michelin, with their notorious tendency to stick solidly and then break away abruptly, were fitted, the factory put a sticker on the speedometer dial reading “Do not exceed 120 mph.”

Though the 300SLs were built on a production line in Sindelfingen, assembly was carried out almost entirely by hand, with the only automated system being used to lower the steel body onto the tube frame chassis during final assembly.

The Gullwing Coupe was in production for a surprisingly short three years, during which only 1,400 examples were built. In 1957, the Coupe was replaced by the Roadster version, with improved rear suspension, lower and narrower side sections, and a remounted spare wheel that offered an actual trunk with luggage space. On the Roadsters, the side frames were revised and standard doors fitted. When 300SL production ended in 1963, 1,858 Roadsters had been built.

The Gullwing shown here is an excellent example of the breed, purchased new in California in 1955 by Ernie Spitzer and owned by him until he recently sold it to only its second owner, Steve Blankenbeckler of Bristol, Virginia. Spitzer established the Gull Wing Group as a mutual support society to keep the cars running as they had been designed, and he did just that for more than 50 years, keeping his car as original as possible.

Spitzer’s careful stewardship of the car explains why it looks almost exactly as the first unit did in New York in 1954, but proudly carries the patina of five decades of enthusiastic use. When we compare the styling and quality to the 2012 Mercedes-Benz models, we can see that, like a champion race horse, the Gullwing’s breeding was the foundation of a blood line that survives to the present day.

Caption:  The 1955 300SL Gullwing originally purchased by Ernie Spitzer displays all of the details of the production cars. As with most of the Gullwings, the car is painted silver-grey, a shade shared with the works racing cars. The racing body, largely featureless in an effort to improve aerodynamics, was modified to include large side vents that exhausted heat from the engine compartment. Strakes above the front and rear fender openings made the car look as if it were going fast even when standing still. Spitzer’s car is fitted with the optional Rudge centerlock knock-off wheels, though the stock wheels with hub caps were similar to those on the 300s.

Finding My Gullwing
by Steve Blankenbeckler

I will never forget the first Gullwing car I ever purchased. I was only seven. Good behavior at the dentist that afternoon had earned me a trip to the local Woolworths. As we walked down the toy aisle, a shiny silver car on the front of a model kit caught my eye immediately, and I needed it. I may have been young, but I knew that car was the one for me.

I didn’t see a Gullwing in person until 1980. I was sitting at a traffic light in my small hometown in Virginia when an elderly man and his wife pulled up beside me. He was driving a silver green Gullwing with New York tags. When the light turned green, he pulled away, and I was left mesmerized. My little model was great as a kid, but now I wanted the real thing. Even though I was only 18, I immediately went and bought a copy of the Hemmings Motor News. The price of $56,000 confirmed what I already knew; my dream would have to wait.

My entire adulthood I kept an eye on Gullwings, watching them climb until 2003. It was then that I purchased my first “real” one, a 1955 DB190 that was a well-maintained original. I hired Paul Russell & Co. to do a cosmetic restoration. It was beautiful, and I planned on keeping it forever. By 2008, my car had almost doubled in price. I let my head rule over my heart and decided to sell. As I watched the transporter drive away with my dream car, I was sick.

I started looking for another Gullwing immediately. Unfortunately, my last car was so nice that nothing else even came close. Alex Finnigin, from Paul Russell & Co., and I made several trips and “kissed a lot of toads.” Alex finally found a car in Washington that Scott Grundfor had restored, so I called Scott to ask him a few questions. I explained to him how nice my previous car was and that I was having a difficult time replacing it. He said he knew a guy that might be ready to sell his car. In fact, it was Ernie Spitzer, the founder of the Gull Wing Group, so he knew the car was a fantastic one-owner original.

Scott took pictures of the car and sent them to me. As soon as I received them, I knew this was one special car, and I had to have it. I sent the pictures to Alex and Paul, just to double check, and they immediately urged me to buy it. So, I hopped on a plane to California, where the car had spent its whole life, to meet Ernie and his baby. He trusted me enough to let me have it, so I bought it on the spot.

The car had been pampered and maintained by Ernie for every one of its 33,000 original miles. Plus, he had enough spare parts in their original packaging to fill the back of a small U-Haul. I decided to drive the U-Haul the entire 2,700 miles back to my home in Virginia. As I drove home with my parts in tow and my car following shortly, I knew I was a lucky guy.

I take the car out for a nice long drive every month on a beautiful day. It performs flawlessly every time, just like in 1955. The feeling I get behind the wheel of that Gullwing is hard to describe; it’s almost like being invincible.And that’s probably not far from the truth. These cars are so well engineered, they’re practically bulletproof.

I’ve become good friends with Ernie and Scott; I couldn’t help but be friends with the guys who had made this incredible car possible. And I still go to auctions with Alex and his gang. Every time a Gullwing goes across the block, we compare it against Ernie’s and just smile. It has to be one of the very best cars out there. They say the third time’s a charm, and that’s certainly held true for me. My third Gullwing was the car of my dreams, and it’s definitely a keeper.

Captions: The front view displays the grille styling that would carry forward to the present day. The slanted engine, with the dominating exhaust headers, is an impressive sight.  Patina and careful maintenance are equally striking. Entry into the car is challenging, especially in a skirt, though the hinged steering wheel made it easier. In true sports-car style, the binnacle is dominated by a large tachometer and speedometer. 
 
 
Ernie Spitzer’s Gullwing
by Richard Simonds

Ernie Spitzer purchased this 300SL Gullwing Coupe in 1955 from the dealer in San Francisco. The Gullwing replaced an aluminum-bodied Porsche that Ernie had been racing after he was discharged from the U.S. Army in 1952. With advice from Otto Hofmann, a lead technician with the Mercedes-Benz Sales Organization (affiliated with the Studebaker-Packard Company) and a workshop manual he had purchased for the 300SL, Ernie did most of his own maintenance on the car.

After several years of frustration attempting to get technical information and maintenance support from dealerships and independent shops, Ernie decided to establish a club for other owners like himself. He contacted the California DMV to get the names and addresses of registered owners of 300SLs (those were the days when the DMV would provide such information if asked). In June 1961, 18 owners (all men, of course) met in Daly City, California, and formed the Gull Wing Group. Several logos were proposed, and one was finally approved by Daimler-Benz AG.

In the earliest years, Ernie was president, club technical advisor, and activities chair, and filled a number of other roles. Many functions and tours were held in the San Francisco Bay Area. Within a few years the Gull Wing Group, Inc. had grown to 50 by including the Southern California owners. They then held meetings at various places along the Central Coast of California. Some of the early members were qualified mechanics. Ernie and the mechanics would make technical presentations – some of the presentations were videotaped, even in the early 1960s – so that all members could have access to technical information to maintain and preserve their 300SL Coupes. They also created “The Star Letter,” a one-page mimeographed newsletter filled with technical tips. Ernie’s college degree was in lithography, so he was quite familiar with setting up and running machines such as the Gestetner Mimeograph.

Within a few more years, chapters were formed across the country and the Gull Wing Group International reached a membership of well over 600 where it remains today. In 1963 they held their first convention in Reno, Nevada. Ernie remembers that the hotel charge was $13.75 and the banquet fee was $10, but members still complained about the high costs. Of course, in the 1960s, Motel 6 was $6 per night.

Because Ernie was born in Austria and was fluent in German, he corresponded with Rudolph Uhlenhaut in Germany, attempting to get factory parts at a good price for the 300SLs. The aluminum water pipes were particularly prone to failure because of electrolysis. When DBAG would not provide a discount to the club for parts, Ernie and the GWGI board decided to find original equipment manufacturers in Germany and fabricated their own parts for 300SLs. To this day they have a page in The 300 Star Letter for parts. They replaced the aluminum water pipes with stainless steel ones. They made stainless steel exhaust tips so that the heat would not discolor the left rear bumper and over-rider. More recently they have added floor pans (due to the tin worm, a.k.a. rust) in that vital part of the vehicle. For Ernie, the key was to keep it as original as possible and everything he and the club did over the years was in pursuit of that goal.

Ernie kept meticulous records on his 300SL. In the 55 years he owned it, he drove it 33,000 miles and invested $34,000 in maintenance and repairs to keep it as original as possible. Except for the exhaust tips, water pipes, and a wide-angle rearview mirror, his Gullwing was much as it had been when it left the factory in 1955. Ernie installed the wide-angle rearview mirror to avoid drilling holes in the fenders for outside mirrors because his car was delivered without mirrors on the fenders.

Ernie noted that over the past 50 years, as has been the case with other car clubs, including MBCA, the Gull Wing Group has changed from a predominantly technical focus to a great emphasis on social activities.

In 2010 Ernie sold his beloved 300SL Coupe to Steve Blankenbeckler who provided the pictures for this feature. Ernie explains that age and other priorities made it time to let another passionate enthusiast be the steward of the car. As the photographs show, Ernie’s passion has been well placed with Steve. It’s often noted that “we never really ever own these classic cars, we just get to be their caretakers for a while.” For this Gullwing, the torch has been passed.

Captions: Because the trunk was largely filled with the spare tire, fitted luggage was a necessity as well as being appropriate to arrival at fashionable hotels. The comprehensive white-on-black gauges were appropriate to the racing heritage. A full tool kit was included. Because spark plugs would foul at sustained low speeds, a separate set and replacement tools were essential. Opposite page: Proud owners Ernie Spitzer and Steve Blankenbeckler strike similar poses. In July 2011, the Gull Wing Group  International founded by Spitzer re-enacted its first gathering, in 1956, at the Golden Gate Bridge.
 
955 W198 300SL
ENGINE: M198.980 Inline 6-cylinder slanted 45 degrees to left, 2,996cc, Bosch fuel-injected
POWER: 240 sae hp @ 6,100 rpm
TORQUE: 217 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 4-speed manual
WEIGHT: 2,885 lbs.
WHEELBASE: 94.5 in.
LENGTH: 178 in.
0-60 mph: 7.2 sec.
Top Speed: 152 mph
 
Photography by Paul and Elise Robinette