The Edition 50 is the most Exclusive New SL Money Can Buy
At around this time fifty years ago Mercedes-Benz introduced a revolutionary new vehicle that shocked the world, and in so doing changed the way that we envision sports cars.
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| It may not have gullwing doors, but the latest generation SL is a remarkable feat of engineering technology nevertheless. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.) |
Across the Atlantic, and far away from its home of Stuttgart, Germany, the three-pointed star brand unveiled the first 300 SL at the New York Motor Show back in late 1954. No other Mercedes-Benz, or for that matter, no other car ever featured mechanical fuel injection, or a tubular space frame chassis, making the 300 SL vastly ahead of its time, while its unique roof-hinged 'gullwing' doors gave it the futuristic look and the body rigidity needed for its ultimate purpose, to win Le Mans.
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| The tiny Edition 50 badge is very discreet. Keep your eyes peeled for details like tinted taillights and SLR-like turbine wheels. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.) |
Fast forward five decades to 2004, and although the vehicle that bears the SL nameplate doesn't feature gullwing doors anymore, or a racing car chassis, it embodies the spirit that the original had more precisely than any SL since. Today's Mercedes-Benz sports car is one of the finest grand touring vehicles on the market, featuring a unique electric folding hardtop, sublime performance and the refinement and luxury the brand's customers would expect from a full-size, executive class sports car. Honoring the past fifty years of Mercedes-Benz sports cars, and new for 2005 is the exclusive SL 'Edition 50'.