Mercedes-Benz produced 1,400 examples of the 300 SL Gullwing coupe, whose internal code was W198.
The Gullwing was the closed-coupe version of the 300 SL, built from 1954 through 1957. Its dramatic upward-opening doors were necessary partly because the car used a lightweight tubular space frame with high side members, leaving no room for conventional doors. The structure helped keep weight down and gave the car exceptional rigidity.
Production totals are often confused because the W198 designation also covers the later 300 SL Roadster. Mercedes-Benz built 1,400 Gullwing coupes, followed by 1,858 open roadsters from 1957 to 1963. Therefore, the full 300 SL road-car total is 3,258 if both body styles are counted, but the Gullwing answer is specifically 1,400.
The 300 SL began as a successful racing design related to the W194 competition car and was adapted for road use after importer Max Hoffman encouraged Mercedes-Benz to build a production sports car. Its direct fuel-injected straight-six made it one of the fastest road cars of its era.