The 1950’s was a wash full of new and revolutionizing technology. Down in Stuttgart, Germany, this was no different, where they introduced Bosch-developed fuel injection with the 300SL model.
We know now that fuel injection started replacing the old carburetors from the 1980s onwards, but the M198 inline-six in the 300SL showed that this was indeed the technology of the future. Thanks to this new development back in the 50s, the 300SL road car was capable of doing 260 km/h (162 mph) which made it the fastest production car of it’s day. It just goes to show what kind of a difference fuel injection made on automobiles.
Fetching just $7300 (R91 000) brand new in 1957, today they go for a whopping $1-2 Million (R12 570 000-R25 140 000). These prices may be a bit hefty considering the W198 engine’s age. In short, they may not be reliable even though you’re paying those kinds of prices, and because this car dates back 6 decades ago, spare parts may be hard to come by.
Now, however, Mercdes-Benz are able to provide spare, original factory parts to you if you need.
In March 2018, they started by getting in touch with the original supplier of the checkered upholstery to produce new fabric. Although, they aren’t stopping there.
You’re able to buy “Key body parts” for the W198, and “are again available in factory quality.” If you’re looking for such parts, expect the pricing status to be as colossal as the 300SL is itself. Here are some panels that you can buy directly from the factory:
- Front panelling left (A198 620 03 09 40) – 11,900 Euros (R178 500)
- Front panelling right (A198 620 04 09 40) – 11,900 Euros (R178 500)
- Rear panelling left (A198 640 01 09 40) – 14,875 Euros (R223 125)
- Rear panelling right (A198 640 02 09 40) – 14,875 Euros (R223 125)
- Rear-end centre section (A198 647 00 09 40) – 2,975 Euros (R44 625)
- Rear-end floor (A198 640 00 61 40) – 8,925 Euros (R133 875)
Care to guess how much it would cost to order all those body panels in Rands? Well it’s a whopping R981 750…
These parts are produced by a certified supplier and worked into their final shape using wooden mallets.
You can order them at just about every Mercedes-Benz sales partner.