Created to spearhead Mercedes-Benz’s return to competition in the post-war era, the 300 SL’s progenitor – designated ‘W194’ in factory parlance – debuted in the 1952 Mille Miglia, finishing 2nd and 4th overall.

Wins in the Carrera Pan-Americana and at Le Mans followed, and the 300 SL family was on its way to becoming part of motor sporting legend, the first racers were open-topped but before the ‘52 season’s end the distinctive gull-wing doored Coupé had appeared.

Unusually high sills were a feature of the multi-tubular spaceframe chassis, and while access was not a problem of the open car, the adoption of coupé bodywork required innovative thinking – hence the gull-wing doors.

At the Geneva Motor Show of March 1957, Daimler-Benz unveiled a successor to its popular 300 SL coupé that showcased a host of technical developments engineered since the “Gullwing” entered production in August 1954.

Most obviously, the new roadster differed from its predecessor with an open-top configuratio...