300 SL Gullwing

The 300 SL began as the W194 racing car that won Le Mans, the Carrera Panamericana, and the Nurburgring in 1952. Mercedes-Benz's US distributor Max Hoffman convinced the company to build a road version. The result was the most technologically advanced production car of the 1950s.

The tubular space frame chassis, derived directly from the race car, sat so high on the sides that conventional doors were impossible. Friedrich Geiger's solution was gullwing doors hinged at the roof centerline, creating the most recognizable silhouette in automotive history.

The M198 engine was the first production car engine with Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection, producing 215 hp from 3.0 liters. In racing trim, the same engine made 300 hp. The fuel injection technology was derived from wartime Daimler-Benz aircraft engines.

Only 1,400 gullwing coupes were built before the open-top roadster replaced it in 1957. Today, the 300 SL Gullwing is worth between $1 million and $2 million depending on condition and history, making it one of the most valuable production cars ever made.