#0935 'Grandezza'

Mercedes 300 SL, Champs Elysee, Arc de Triomphe, Paris

German Patent No. 844544 was granted by Hanns Trippels in 1952, and patented the idea of ​​an upward-opening, and therefore space-saving, wing door on vehicles. Mercedes-Benz used this technology in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL gullwing, colloquially named after the shape of the door. Unique at the time - it was a clever door solution for the 300 SL, which, with its strong tubular frame, did not allow conventional door openings. The side skirts, which are very high for the driver and front passenger, have to be overcome in a sporty and articulated manner - a tribute to the outstanding rigidity of the basic frame, which was carried over into the series from the experience gained with the construction of the 300 SLR racing car.