1957 Mercedes Benz Roadster with Hardtop
The concept of open two-seater and easily operated, weatherproof top was so successful that even the 300 SL was modified correspondingly. In the spring of 1957, the legendary Gullwing was replaced by a roadster version that from then on permitted open-top motoring even in this class of high-performance sports cars.
With this roadster, Mercedes-Benz offered its customers a car for comfortable and fast traveling – or a luxurious cabriolet. Purists and coupe owners, however, referred to the new model as "living room on wheels". An extra weight of 100 kilograms did not exactly benefit performance but at an unchanged output of 215 hp, the roaster still had plenty of muscle.
1957 Mercedes Benz Roadster
The tubular grid-type frame was retained as the backbone for the roadster as well, though significantly modified in the areas of the doors and rear end. In this way, the engineers created space for an – albeit small – trunk and for "proper" doors which made getting in and out clearly more convenient. A new rear axle – a single-joint swing axle with balancing spring – was incorporated, improving both handling and ride. In 1961, the turbo-cooled duplex drum brakes were replaced by modern disc brakes.