Mercedes SL from 1963 and 2023: Worlds in between

When I go out, I am surprised when I immediately understand the lifestyles of that period from the design of the cars. State-of-the-art digital technology with a cool new design meets a 1960s shape that expresses solid mechanics and a sense of pure freedom. And Peter Becker (41) of the Mercedes Museum greets me. He is a vintage car enthusiast and drives an SL from 1993. After a short and interesting museum tour, we discuss the daily routine over a cup of coffee: together we start a generational tour of the vineyards around Stuttgart. I’m allowed to drive the old 230 SL, he drives with the new AMG SL.

Pressing the accelerator really hard

Equipped with water, a sun hat, and a radio, I sit in clean red leather armchairs. After three hours of driving in state-of-the-art cars with automatic transmissions and many electronic aids, my head has to turn back to 60 years ago. I guess I need to pay attention to the clutch and gear shifts. And no power steering either. “If you want to take off, you really have to step on the accelerator. Our old man doesn’t take the gas all that spontaneously – so go ahead and overdo it,” Becker explains to me.

So not that careful, I think to myself. But getting started only works the third time. We start after the first introductory tour around the museum. Although I’ve always dreamed of it, I’ve never been behind the wheel of a classic car. Therefore, nervously and cautiously, I got behind the man standing in front of me. When we’re out of town, I hear this over the radio: “You can step on the gas without hesitation. It’s a sports car dear.”

Becker doesn’t have to tell me this a second time. We pass quickly through the winding country roads. I was not disappointed: the rattling and crackling of the built-in wooden elements, the powerful sound of the six-cylinder and the large steering wheel made me briefly smell the 1960s air. I already had a smile on my face in the new AMG SL with ventilated seats and a modern sound system. But now I’m smiling from ear to ear when we arrive at our stop.

In the middle of green vineyards, Peter Becker takes me back to 1963. More precisely, to Switzerland. The Mercedes 230 SL was unveiled for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show as the successor to the famous gull-wing 300 SL. The two-seater convertible with a folding roof thus left its mark: the 300 SL was considered the fastest sports car of its time. This sports car feel would become more family-friendly, and that’s how the W113 series came about – namely the 230 SL (1963 – 1967), 250 SL (1967) and 280 SL (1968 – 1971). By the way, this was also the first series with a torsion zone, which provides protection against accidents. In addition to the convertible, there was also an inward-tilting hardtop that could be ordered. Based on an Asian temple, this shape earned the model the nickname pagoda. At that time, a closed roadster version without a roof but with a permanent rear row of seats could be ordered at an additional cost. This California model was offered by Mercedes as a special edition. A total of 48,912 examples of the W113 series were produced.

60 years of automobile production is eternity

It gives me great feelings to be able to drive such a historic, 60-year-old car. I find it exciting to compare it with the last generation of the same series. Elements on the current SL, such as the louvered radiator grille, are inspired by the 300 SL race cars from early 1952. Other features, such as the angled front or the fabric roof, have been a feature of the entire SL range from the very beginning and are offered as a tribute to the current model as well.

Technically, the two SLs are of course hardly comparable. In automotive engineering, 60 years is an eternity. A few figures, though: The current AMG SL with its 585 hp 4.0-liter eight-cylinder engine accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. The historic 230 SL with its longitudinally mounted and 150 hp 2.3-l six-cylinder engine and the option of a four- or five-speed manual transmission accelerates to 100 km/h in a calmer 11.1 seconds, very fast back then. The 300 SL sports car needed ten seconds for the same discipline.

You have to decide for yourself which you like better – the modern, brutally accelerating bolide or the 60-year-old sports car with vintage charm. When we return to the Mercedes Museum in the evening, I say goodbye with mixed feelings. I could have wandered for hours in the vineyards with the charming old man. On the other hand, it was quite hot in the old car, in the open, without air conditioning. And now I’m happy to be able to embark on the long journey home with the pleasantly cooled SL.