Dancing with the Star: Driving Jay Leno's 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

Motor Trend

4 days ago

[This story first appeared in the Fall 2011 issue of MotorTrend Classic] Everyone has his own particular 'barn find' fantasy of opening the door to an automotive vault (garage/barn/tomb) and finding his dream machine quietly lying in wait. And of course in this fantasy world, the owner no longer wants it and is willing to practically give it away. For some, that dream car is a Ferrari of one stripe or another. For others, maybe a Bugatti, Packard, or Duesenberg.
Jay Leno's 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, is a former race car turned cherished driver rather than a pristine showpiece. Leno appreciates its historic and mechanical significance, enjoying its analog experience and robust performance without plans for full restoration.
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This story is about another iconic, automotive high watermark: a Mercedes-Benz 300SL coupe, aka the mighty Gullwing. And only a guy like Jay Leno, one of the world's most engaging and best-known motorhead collector/enthusiasts, could find it, buy it, give it a gentle clean up and sensitive mechanical recommissioning, then take it out any time he likes and drive the wheels off of it.
'I found this car locked up in Anaheim,' Leno says. 'It was raced extensively in the '60s, and the guy damaged the engine. He claimed to have sent the engine to Mercedes to be rebuilt and, well, you know how that goes. We opened up the engine that came with the car and saw evidence of fresh parts and assembly lube, so we hoped for the best. On the dyno, it ran great and made good horsepower, and so far so good.
'The car had a wonderful Southern California hot-rod appeal. It was painted this candy red by hot-rod and show-car legend Junior Conway and has a custom leather interior by the late Tony Nancy, another local hot-rod, show-car, race-car icon, plus it has a rollbar of unknown origin. We of course kept all that and cleaned the car up visually and mechanically. It's a joy to drive and runs great. It's fun to take to car shows because I don't worry much about it. People always have lots to say about all the missing hunks of paint, but if their kid bumps up against it, he's certainly not going to hurt it.'
Imagine that—a beater Gullwing. Or, more accurately, a driver Gullwing.
Leno worked at a Mercedes-Benz dealer when he was a kid, and adds, 'You can't imagine the impact this car had at the time. Just look at the specs: born of a race car, overhead-cam engine, mechanical fuel injection, independent suspension, those outrageous doors. It was every bit as exotic in its day as any Ferrari, Lamborghini, or McLaren road car is now. It's really the first postwar exotic car, if you don't count the earliest Ferraris, which had more cylinders, but weren't any more technically advanced than the 300SL was. And the quality—other cars just weren't built like this back then. Everything is well engineered and beautifully made.
'And, fortunately, you can buy nearly every part on it. Stuff's expensive, but they have it through the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center. Buy a new fender for this car, and it fits with very little work. Buy a replacement panel for an old Maserati, and then the body shop has to get to work trimming and hand-fettling it so it'll come close to fitting. That's the difference with a classic Mercedes.'
Jay offers me the pilot's seat. I flip down the steering wheel, then Twister my large frame inside. I sit relatively tall, with short legs, and the Gullwing proves a made-to-measure fit for me. I just have to remember to duck a bit when closing that special door.
'Know how to cold start one of these?' he asks. Of course not—unfortunately, I don't own one. It's simple: First you activate the fuel enrichment via a knob on the dash; ditto the auxiliary fuel pump. A twist of the key, and it fires right off and thrums with purpose. The exhaust system consists of a well-worn muffler and a large thin-wall single tube exiting the driver-side rear of the car. It rasps and bellows in relatively polished, old race car tones. We idle for a minute to warm the fluids, engage first gear, and pull away with no drama whatsoever. This engine feels torque-rich (it's got to be more than 203 pound-feet), and the fuel injection meters in the fuel with relative precision, so it's crisp. After a half mile or so, Jay clicks off the enrichment and aux pump. The engine clears its throat and feels ready for action.
I drive conservatively as there's not much temp on the gauges yet, but after a while, Jay points to the far side of the tach and says to give it some revs. Sure, boss, if I must.
We find a relatively traffic-free, country-type road not far from Leno's Burbank, California, Big Dog Garage and give the Gullwing some stick. No wonder this car took the world—and most racetracks—by storm in its day. This thing is fast by any standard, even now, although it wouldn't take on a new ZR-1 or its spiritual successor, the SLS AMG 63. No matter. Go deep with the throttle in lower gears and the exhaust system snorts and bellows, the rear end squats a few degrees, and this baby really goes. Most cars of the day didn't stand a chance against it.
The view through the curved windshield is breathtaking­—the prowed fenders and hood look classic and terrific. You know you're at the wheel of something special. The view out back is good, too, thanks to lots of glass area. I'm keenly aware of every car around me, and how close it is to our position. I'm worried for the welfare of Big Red's fabulous fenders, even if its owner isn't overly concerned.
The Gullwing is a wonderfully analog car. There's no computerized inter-ference. You know the throttle pedal is connected to the intake system and the engine, and that the four-speed manual transmission's shifter is moving actual mechanical gears in the transmission, which sits just below it. There's no asking some computer for permission to drive fast. The brake pedal actuates the brakes. This is not only a car, it's a machine. And a refined, sporty one.
The SL has a wonderfully supple ride quality—never mushy, always in control, with no danger to your dental work on less than butter-smooth roads. One contributing factor is the relatively high-profile rubber, from when tires were more than glorified O-rings wrapped around an oversized wheel.
Leno points out this example's factory steel wheels and hubcaps, which look absolutely right on this car. 'A lot of Gullwings were factory-fitted with Rudge knockoff wheels, and many have since been retrofitted with them. The knockoff aspect is cool, but did you know they're actually heavier than these?' Jay knows his stuff, and appreciates the steelies-and-caps' lower unsprung weight, if less racy look.
The suspension is nicely calibrated for controlled compliance rather than hair-trigger responses. Because of the SL's prodigious power, it's not only easy to make speed in this car, but also to carry it. The steering is linear and true, with meaty weighting, no kickback on rough stuff, and meaningful feedback from the road surface. There's a bit of body roll, but once the car takes its set, it tracks true and consistent. There are plenty of brakes, even though they're drums.
(I need to go to Florida in a few weeks—wonder if Jay would let me take the Gullwing? This is a superlative machine for covering big miles when you have lots of time, and especially when you don't.)
'I wasn't really lusting after a Gullwing,' says America's most popular late-night talk-show host, 'because the car always looked heavy to me. I didn't realize how quick they are until I drove one.' Unlike some high-strung exotics, the SL proves a vice-free, yet thrilling drive. It's precise yet forgiving, and completely and properly Germanic.
'That's one of the things I love most about old cars: The driving experience among them is so different,' Leno explains. 'Drive a new BMW or Audi or whatever big luxury sedan, and if you couldn't tell the difference visually or by the badges, you may or may not know which was which. They're all pretty quick, quiet, smooth, comfortable. They all have the same gadgets on them now, and the differences in driving experience has been largely homogenized out of them. You want to try something really unique, drive a steam car or a turbine—that's different!'
With a 300SL Gullwing, every drive is an occasion. And let's not forget, its beauty inspires a shortness of breath in most serious car fools, including your author.
Will Jay ever 'restore' and repaint and replate this car back to pristine original or concours levels of finish? Who knows? He says it's not part of any current plan; too many other projects in the shop at the moment.
We bet it'll stay just as it is. Because Jay Leno likes it that way. And so do we. Ask The Man Who Owns One
Jay Leno, big-game car and motorcycle collector; host of 'The Tonight Show' on NBC.
Why I Like It: 'It really is the first postwar exotic road car. Look at the specs and the quality. There was nothing else like it back in the day.'
Why It's Collectible: Same stuff Jay said just above. An all-time high automotive watermark, a landmark design, born of racing, yet elegant and functional as a road car. Alloy-bodied versions and those with racing provenance or mega-celebrity ownership are worth even more, and trade hands privately, quietly, and expensively.
Restoring/Maintaining: Bring money. Everything is available.
Beware: According to Michael Kunz of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, Gullwings are tough and relatively vice-free cars. Watch for a lack of or improper maintenance records, hobbyist repairs, improper shade-tree improvements, frame damage, body/door fit (accident damage), fuel in oil (need for injection-pump rebuild), rear axle leaks. Make sure the engine is a proper injected 300SL and not a later junkyard replacement out of a mid-'60s Mercedes sedan, installed as a cheap quick fix for a blown factory 200SL engine.
Expect To Pay: Concours ready: $685,000; solid driver: $500,000; tired runner: $375,000
Join The Club: Gull Wing Group International; gullwinggroup.org. Also check out the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center
Our Take
Then: 'Docile enough for daily driving, yet possessing phenomenal power and roadability, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL may have what it takes to create a new concept in motoring the world over.' —Gunther Molter, MotorTrend, April 1954
Now: Few postwar cars in the world are more desirable, and a good one will score you a front-row invite to nearly any car show or serious concours. An all-time blue-chip collectible classic that'll happily keep up with modern roads and traffic.
Our thanks to Jay Leno. Tour his garage, car, motorcycle, and automobilia collection, and lots of other fun stuff, at Jaylenosgarage.com.