Car restoration corner: The early history of the Mercedes Gullwing
Image source: express.co.uk According to car restorer and automobile enthusiast Eugene Bernshtam, in 1956, Mercedes-Benz found itself with a very interesting dilemma; it wanted to introduce a new model that would revolutionize the industry, but it also needed that car to be a smashing success for its name and good reputation to continue. The last thing anyone at Mercedes wanted was for its new line of cars – this one being an awesomely designed, powerfully engineered, and technologically advanced car – to be viewed as a failure. That year, Mercedes-Benz experimented with new ideas on the racetrack; it developed a high-performance version of its 300 SL that featured an innovative gullwing door design that opened vertically upwards. Image source: express.co.uk The public was enthralled with this new idea, as it helped to show how Mercedes-Benz was a daring and innovative company that never settled for average. The company wanted its cars to be unique and spectacular in all areas.