Mercedes-Benz SL: R230 series 2001 to 2011

Introduction & Acknowledgements

Introduction

The Mercedes-Benz SL has captured the hearts of motoring connoisseurs ever since the first road cars were launched in 1954. Over the years, as one generation followed another, the emphasis moved towards luxury sports tourer rather than pure sports car, and, although the model still had queues lining up at dealerships to secure one, with the R230 SL – the subject of this book – an attempt was made to put a harder edge on the machine.

Introduced at the 2001 Frankfurt Show, the new SL was far more sporting in its looks and dynamics, whilst a whole host of luxury items ensured that Benz held on to those customers who treasured image over driving sensations. By the time a 2006 face-lift had taken place, the car had taken on an even more sporting bent, while another set of changes applied two years later gave the R230 a new look and performance levels that were perfectly in keeping with a company doing well in the F1 arena. When production ended in 2011, almost 170,000 cars had been built – a figure that was over three times higher than the production numbers obtained by the Pagoda roof SLs, and, despite a different era, not far behind those posted by the R107 and R129 models that followed the W113.

Acknowledgements

As always, because of the use of contemporary photography as a matter of policy, these books could not possibly be done without a great deal of help from the factory. As with my earlier SL books, I would particularly like to record my sincere appreciation for the services of Gerhard Heidbrink at Daimler AG in Stuttgart – a more helpful chap would be hard to find, and this book simply wouldn’t have been possible without his unstinting co-operation and the kindness of those who work with him.

I should also like to thank Nils Beckmann and Joerg Rupp in Stuttgart for managing to drag me into the 21st century on the parts book front; Kenichi Kobayashi at Miki Press; the extensive research facilities at the Japan Motor Industry Federation (JMIF) in Tokyo; Rob Halloway at Mercedes-Benz UK, and Robert Moran and Christian Bokich of Mercedes-Benz USA. There have been many, many others, but to list them all would take another book!

This title has been written to allow people to buy it separately, or as part of a set with the sister books already published by Veloce on the W113, R/C107 and R129 models. Virtually all of the photography is unique to each volume, so there is something new for everyone. For past owners, present owners, those thinking of ownership, or simply followers of Mercedes-Benz lore, I really hope that you will enjoy this book ...

Brian Long

Chiba City, Japan

1

The Three-Pointed Star

There can be few trademarks so readily recognisable in all corners of the globe as the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star. The three arms signify the land, sea and air, and the Stuttgart company the star has come to represent has indeed conquered each in its own inimitable way over the years. The story behind the star, though, is a long and complicated one, so this chapter will briefly outline the brand’s history to set the scene before the arrival of the first SL models.

The story begins with two men – Gottlieb Daimler, and Carl Benz – both pioneers in the motor industry. Amazingly, given the pre-eminence of the pair in a fledgling trade, not to mention their closeness geographically, the two never actually met, but the coming together of their names is the important thing here.

In 1882, Gottlieb Daimler established a small workshop at the back of his villa in Cannstatt, on the outskirts of Stuttgart, about 12 miles (20km) west of his birthplace, with Wilhelm Maybach working alongside him. A number of single-cylinder, air-cooled petrol engines were duly developed, and used to power the world’s first motorcycle in 1885, along with a four-wheeled horseless carriage, which made its initial runs during the autumn of 1886. Within a short space of time, the engines were finding various applications on land, on water, and even in the air. By 1890, the products emanating from the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft had caught the imagination of the engineering world.

Meanwhile, about 55 miles (90km) north in Mannheim, Carl Benz was busy working on his two-stroke petrol engines, as patents covering four-stroke power-units had already been filed by the Deutz concern, the company Daimler worked for. Eventually, Benz also opted for Otto-cycle engines, putting a single-cylinder unit in a purpose-built frame to produce the world’s first petrol-driven car, patented in January 1886. By 1890, Benz & Co was Germany’s second largest engine manufacturer, and as the century drew to a close, one of the world’s most prolific automobile makers, with almost 600 cars built in 1899 alone.

The world’s first four-wheeled motor vehicle – the Daimler Motor Carriage, completed in August 1886.

The first ‘photographic’ evidence of an automobile journey on the road, published by Illustrierte Zeitung in Germany in September 1888. The vehicle is a Benz Patent Model 3.

Founding fathers of the brand

Gottlieb Daimler

Daimler was born in Schorndorf in March 1834, and after serving an apprenticeship as a gunsmith, promptly moved into the field of engineering, gaining experience in France and Britain before returning to his homeland.

He was appointed Technical Manager of the Deutz Gas Engine Works (founded by Nikolaus August Otto, credited as the father of the four-stroke, or Otto-cycle engine) in 1872, with Wilhelm Maybach as his right-hand man. However, Daimler’s overwhelming interest in faster-running, more powerful petrol engines created a rift in the Cologne-based firm, and ultimately a decision was made to form an independent company dealing with this new technology.

After building a second car in 1889, this time powered by a water-cooled V-twin, it was obvious that Daimler and Maybach were on the right track. The Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG) was registered in November 1890 to manufacture and market these two-cylinder units, which were a revelation at the time. As such, Daimler was successful in selling patents to many concerns. One of the first to sign up was Panhard & Levassor in France, which duly provided engines for a number of makers, and became a highly successful car manufacturer in its own right.

Gottlieb Daimler and his second wife, Lina, pictured in 1893.

Daimler and Maybach remained close friends even after the latter was forced to leave the Cannstatt company due to a clash of policy with its new investors. Meanwhile, Daimler’s health was failing. Internal conflict with members of the Board probably didn’t help, and he ultimately resigned from the company he’d founded at one point in 1894.

Daimler and Maybach joined forces again, this time with Daimler’s son, Paul, and between them they designed a four-cylinder engine equipped with Maybach’s innovative spray-nozzle carburettor. Known as the Phönix, it signified the rebirth of a fine team in both name and nature, and, following some political manoeuvring from Frederick Simms in England, the pair was asked to return to the DMG on new, far more favourable terms.

Gottlieb Daimler died in March 1900, although Maybach continued his work before ultimately making aero-engines for the famous Zeppelin airships. After the Great War, Maybach built a series of luxury cars until the Second World War put an end to production. Recently, the name was revived as a Mercedes-Benz flagship saloon.

Carl Benz

The son of a train driver, Carl Benz was born in November 1844. After moving around a number of concerns, some involved in the building of iron structures, such as bridges, Benz finally established his own engineering shop in Mannheim in 1871. This was not profitable, and Benz turned his attention to two-stroke engines in 1877, with the first unit running successfully two years later.

By 1882, the Benz engine had attracted investors, and Gasmotorenfabrik Mannheim was established, although Benz left the company soon after when the shareholders tried to influence designs. Notwithstanding, in October 1883, Benz & Co Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik, Mannheim was formed with the help of two local businessmen, and, by 1886 the world’s first, purpose-built vehicle to be powered by a petrol engine – the three-wheeled Benz Patent Motorwagon – had made its debut.

Carl Benz in his younger days.

Four-wheeled cars were produced in 1891, and Benz continued to innovate, designing steering systems and developing the horizontally-opposed (boxer) engine amongst other things. The commercial success of the company can be gauged by the fact that Benz & Cie AG was registered in May 1899. However, by early 1903, Benz became disillusioned with the people running the firm and resigned, although he did retain a position on the Supervisory Board until his death.

Meanwhile, Benz formed a new company with his son Eugen in 1906, called C Benz Söhne, which turned to car production after a spell in the field of gas engines. This business, based in Ladenburg, to the east of Mannheim, was duly handed over to Eugen and his younger brother Richard in 1912. This particular firm officially stopped building cars in 1923.

Incidentally, for many years it was assumed and accepted that Benz’s forename was Karl, in the German tradition, but the correct spelling is in fact Carl. He died in April 1929, but at least he was able to witness motoring evolve from a sport for the well-heeled into an essential part of daily life.

A healthy rivalry

At the end of the day, Daimler and Benz were rival inventors, while the companies bearing their names fought in the showrooms and on the race tracks of Europe. The battle for the hearts of the rich and famous, and the silverware that comes with victory in competition, was never as fierce as it was in the years leading up to the First World War.

At Daimler, rapid expansion led to the purchase of a large site in Untertürkheim on the eastern edge of Stuttgart in August 1900, which would duly become the spiritual home of Mercedes-Benz.

The Mercedes moniker was first adopted by Emil Jellinek, an Austrian who, among other things, sold Daimlers to wealthy clients in the south of France. Jellinek was a clever businessman, and he proposed a number of changes that he knew would appeal to his customers and to his own sporting nature, such as a lower body and longer wheelbase in order to cope with the greater power outputs he outlined.

The celebrated Mercédès 35hp model of 1901.

A Mercédès 24/40hp Phaeton, of the type built between 1905 and 1909. By this time, Daimler in Coventry, England, had long since found its own direction in terms of design and manufacturing, but William Steinway of piano fame built this Mercédès model under licence in America, catalogued as a 45hp model in the US.

Jellinek promised to take a large number of these vehicles (at least by the standards of the day) in return for distribution rights in France, Belgium, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and America, but also requested that they carry the ‘Mercédès’ badge – the name of his daughter, and the pseudonym he used during his various racing exploits.

A deal was struck, and Wilhelm Maybach (1846-1929) set about designing the first Mercédès in conjunction with Paul Daimler. The end result, a racing car which appeared at the end of 1900, provided the foundation stone for the modern automobile, with a low, pressed steel chassis frame playing host to a 5.9-litre, 35hp engine cooled by a honeycomb radiator, and a gate for the gearchange.

The Mercédès was raced with a great deal of success, and many variations were produced for regular use, from an 8/11hp version all the way up to a 9.2-litre 60hp model. The Mercédès set the standard for the day in the high-class car market, and was built under licence – or often simply copied – by numerous manufacturers.

Six-cylinder engines followed in 1906, and there was a limited run of Knight sleeve-valve models just before the First World War. A few years after the conflict, when technology, metallurgy and production techniques made great strides, the first supercharged Mercédès made its debut, and in April 1923, Ferdinand Porsche was drafted from Austro-Daimler to become Chief Engineer, bringing overhead camshafts and front-wheel brakes to the marque in a series of exceptionally elegant supercharged models.

Mercédès advertising from before the Great War. It should be noted that both the Mercédès and Benz marques were very active in motorsport at this time, not only in Europe, but America, too.

Meanwhile, Benz & Cie also made giant steps forward at the turn of the century, albeit against the wishes of Carl Benz, modernizing the range with conventional two- and four-cylinder cars designed by a Frenchman, Marius Barbarou. Internal conflict ultimately led to Benz giving up his post as Chief Engineer, although he remained on the Board until his death, and also formed another company with his sons to allow himself more freedom on design policy. The latter business was short-lived, however, building cars from 1906 to 1923.

Benz & Cie continued to follow a safe path with its vehicles thereafter, with Hans Nibel in charge of design from 1910. However, Nibel’s love of racing spawned a number of interesting competition cars (he had even been involved with the machine that formed the basis for the streamlined Blitzen Benz record breaker), and the Benz marque duly found favour with a wealthy clientele. One of the most ardent supporters of the brand was Prince Henry of Prussia – the brother of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Benz introduced its first six-cylinder engine in 1914, and stuck almost exclusively to straight-sixes following the conflict. By this time, the company had produced some magnificent aero-engines, including a supercharged V12, and was also a leading light in the field of diesel technology.

In the background, however, the wheels of finance were turning, and, for a number of reasons, a huge amount of shares in both firms came to be held by the Deutsche Bank. An agreement of mutual interest was signed on 1 May 1924, with a syndicate being formed in order to save production costs in an era of high inflation, and then, on 28 June 1926, a full merger took place giving birth to Daimler-Benz AG.

The 12/14hp Benz Parsifal from 1903. This popular shaft-driven series made its debut at the Paris Salon in December 1902.

Benz 8/20hp Landaulet of 1914 vintage.

Stylish artwork featured on the cover of the 1924 Benz brochure.

A new star is born

Although the company was known as Daimler-Benz, the cars were marketed using the Mercedes-Benz name, with Mercedes officially losing the accents along the way. Only two Benz models made it into the Mercedes-Benz passenger car programme, and both were gone by 1927.

There were straight-eights from October 1928, and the marque went into the mid-1930s with some magnificent creations, with the SS and SSK giving way to the 500K and 540K. By this time, the company was producing a range of vehicles that went from modest 1.3-litre saloons, with an NA four at the rear, all the way up to 7.7-litre supercharged eights with their glamorous coachbuilt bodies.

Meanwhile, 1934 had witnessed the debut of the first of the Silver Arrows – the W25 Grand Prix car. This was followed by a string of successful models that put Germany at the forefront of the motorsport scene until the outbreak of the Second World War. Record breakers were also built, based on the GP cars, and brought the new Autobahn network into use in a rather unexpected fashion – the straight, level roads being perfect for the challenge to find the fastest man on Earth.

A Frankfurt dealer pictured in 1927, shortly after the merger of two of the greatest names in the German car industry, if not the world.

The supercharged six-cylinder SS (27/140/200hp) chassis fitted with a magnificent sport touring body by Erdmann & Rossi of Berlin.

An atmospheric shot showing W125 racing cars being shipped to compete in the 1937 Tripoli Grand Prix. The W125 was one of the cars that helped create the Silver Arrows legend.

Then, of course, 1939 brought with it conflict, first in Europe, and then on a global scale. Virtually all the historic Untertürkheim factory was destroyed during an Allied bombing run in September 1944, so it was difficult for Daimler-Benz to bounce back once the hostilities ended in 1945.

Like so many manufacturers, Daimler-Benz warmed over some of its prewar designs as part of the rebuilding process, releasing its first postwar car (ignoring utilitarian versions and commercial vehicles) in July 1947 – the 1.7-litre 170V four-door sedan. Two new 170-series variants joined it in May 1949, and production continued until 1955, by which time the 180 had been introduced as a stablemate.

1951 saw the revival of six-cylinder engines with the launch of the 2.2-litre 220 series (W187) and the three-litre 300 (W186 II) models in April that year. The sporting two-door 300S made its debut at the 1951 Paris Salon, and shortly after a deal was signed with Max Hoffman, securing a good sales outlet in America. Hoffman also handled Porsche imports for the US, incidentally.

Many companies talk of pedigree. However, few can match the bloodlines behind the Mercedes-Benz brand ...

The prewar 170V Cabriolet B. This extensive range of four-cylinder models, with various body options, was revived after the conflict.

The sprawling Daimler-Benz Untertürkheim works pictured in 1949.

2

The SL – Born On The Track

The Mercedes-Benz racing team had attained legendary status in the 1930s, with its silver cars hitting the headlines in virtually every country they appeared in. But the war had broken up the èquipe, and it wasn’t until March 1952 that Mercedes returned to the racing world with a purpose-built factory-backed car. This development marked the birth of the SL ...

With the cessation of hostilities and a gradual return to normality in the industrial nations of the world, Alfred Neubauer wanted to return to Grand Prix racing as quickly as possible with new versions of the prewar W165 voiturettes, but almost as soon as the production order was granted, it was withdrawn again. A meeting of the hierarchy in Stuttgart concluded that if Neubauer wanted to go racing in 1952, it would have to be with sports cars representing the marque, and any plans to enter a GP machine should be delayed until 1954, when a new formula was set to be introduced.

With classic events like Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio revived, sports car racing was extremely popular following the war, as it was a perfect way of promoting a brand in a manner that allowed enthusiasts to readily relate a victorious machine to a showroom model they could buy, or at least dream about. The need for Europe to export led to an explosion of LWS models, with England leading the way, supplying an American market that was taking as many cars as the ships crossing the Atlantic could carry.

An interesting picture of a W194 300SL (or 300SS as it was nearly called) on display at Neu-Ulm, with the shut line on the gullwing doors finishing on the top of the vehicle’s waistline, as was the norm on early cars. The number plate is a mismatch for a Mille Miglia machine, though.

Sports car racing also appealed to those looking after company finances, as road vehicle technology could be developed and