Mercedes-Benz
300 SL Roadster (W 198 II)

Why it matters

The 300 SL Roadster is the open successor to the 300 SL Gullwing coupé, shown at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show. A redesigned tubular frame with lower door sills allowed conventional doors, the rear suspension was revised and the car was more refined than the coupé without losing its performance. The factory archive counts 1,858 roadsters, including those with the hardtop, built from 1957 to 1963.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W 198 II) (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W 198 II) (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: Lothar Spurzem · CC BY-SA 2.0
• Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W 198 II) (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: Ermell · CC BY-SA 4.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The archive records pre-production from February 1957 and standard production from May 1957 to February 1963. RM Sotheby's identifies chassis 7500037 as the first production roadster: it was delivered on 1 March 1957, finished in red with a black interior, and appeared on the Geneva stand. The last Gullwing was completed on 15 May 1957, so a small number of roadsters overlapped with coupé production. A removable hardtop was offered from October 1958, four-wheel disc brakes arrived in March 1961 and a light-alloy engine block in March 1962.

RM Sotheby's says 182 roadsters were built in 1962, and Gooding & Company calls a 1957 car one of fewer than 30 with factory Rudge wheels. In competition a roadster won the 1957 Macau Grand Prix with a new lap record, and a works test-department car took many class wins in hill climbs in the early 1960s. The Gull Wing Group says about 1,850 roadsters were built.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The factory type is 198.042 for both the open roadster and the roadster with hardtop (design name W 198 II). The frame is a tubular space frame, the rear axle a single-joint swing axle with compensating spring, and the engine a 2996 cc direct-injection six rated at 215 hp at 5800 rpm. Drum brakes were fitted until March 1961 and discs afterwards, and a light-alloy engine block replaced the cast-iron block from March 1962. Catalogue chassis numbers follow the patterns 198.042.7500085 (a 1957 car) and 198.042.10.002981 (a 1962 car). RM Sotheby's notes that the earliest production cars have metal door grab handles and a round exhaust tip instead of the later fishtail outlet, and that the Gull Wing Group publishes a Roadster Registry against which cars can be checked.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   300 SL Roadster / W 198 II, 1957 - 1963 Level A Mercedes-Benz Public Archive (Classic M@RS)

   • Units produced : 1858 (roadsters and roadsters with hardtop)
   • Engine type : M 198 I / 198.980; from 03.1962: M 198 III / 198.982 (Specifications)
   • Number of cylinders / arrangement : 6 / in-line; 45° inclination to left; since 03-62 (Specifications)
   • Total displacement : 2996 cc (tax classification: 2975 cc) (Specifications)
   • Bore x Stroke : 85 x 88 mm (Specifications)
   • Compression ratio : 8,55 (Specifications)
   • Valve operation : 1 overhead camshaft (Specifications)
   • Fuel system : direct injection, mechanically controlled; Bosch 6-plunger injection pump (Specifications)
   • Rated output : 215 hp at 5800 rpm (Specifications)
   • Rated torque : 28 mkg at 4600 rpm (Specifications)
   • Gearing : 4-speed manual transmission (Specifications)
   • Gear ratios : I. 3.34; II. 1.97; III. 1.39; IV. 1.0; R. 2.73 (Specifications)
   • Final drive ratio : 3.64 (3.25, 3.42 or 3.89 optional) (Specifications)
   • Driven wheels : rear wheels (Specifications)
   • Frame design : tubular space frame / sheet-steel bodywork (Specifications)
   • Front-wheel suspension : double wishbone (Specifications)
   • Rear-wheel suspension : single-joint swing axle with compensating spring (Specifications)
   • Brake system (foot brake) : hydraulic, with vacuum booster, acting on front- and rear wheels; (Specifications)
   • Steering : recirculating-ball steering (Specifications)
   • Wheelbase : 2400 mm (Specifications)
   • Length : 4570 mm (Specifications)
   • Width : 1790 mm (Specifications)
   • Height : 1300 mm (with cabriolet top closed) (Specifications)
   • Front / rear track : 1398 / 1448 mm (Specifications)
   • Kerb weight : 1330 kg (Specifications)
   • Maximum speed : up to 250 km/h, depending on rear axle ratio (Specifications)
   • Acceleration 0-100 km/h : 10 s (Specifications)
   • Fuel tank: position / capacity : in the rear / 100 l (Specifications)
   • Fuel consumption : 12.5 l (Specifications)

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Mercedes-Benz Classic M@RS archive – 300 SL Roadster Level A

   • 1858 roadsters and roadsters with hardtop

   Accessed 2026-11-12