What is the name of the iconic gull-wing door sports car produced by Mercedes-Benz in the 1950s?

The iconic gull-wing-door sports car produced by Mercedes-Benz in the 1950s was the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.

The production coupé, internally designated W198, debuted in 1954 and was based on the successful W194 racing car from 1952. Its upward-opening doors became its signature feature, but they were also an engineering solution: the lightweight tubular space frame created unusually high side sills that left little room for conventional doors.

The 300 SL used a 3.0-liter overhead-cam inline-six and was among the fastest production cars of its era, reaching roughly 260 km/h (162 mph). “SL” derives from the German Super-Leicht, meaning “super-light.”

A common mix-up is the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, introduced in 1955 as a smaller, less expensive roadster. Unlike the 300 SL coupé, the 190 SL did not have gull-wing doors. The 300 SL coupé was replaced by a conventional-door roadster in 1957.