The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing would be on your wishlist if you’re the type that fancies classic European cars. Michael Kunz, manager of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, brought along two of the oldest 300 SL Gullwings in existence to the latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage.
Codenamed W194, the two Gullwing coupes were manufactured in 1952, but are different from each other. The silver-colored race car with blue accents is the fifth Gullwing to be built, while the full silver-colored car is the 11th Gullwing to be built. It was used as a prototype for planned 1953 racing-season upgrades and as a template for the later SL road car.
Decades after, the SL’s character has changed significantly, drifting away from pure performance and now leaning towards luxury. Jay Leno got behind the wheel and also shared his thoughts on how the Gullwing performs. Watch the full video above.