The new Mercedes-Benz SLK: Passion meets efficiency - Daimler

After a development period of just five months, on 6 February 1954 the 190 SLcelebrated its world premiere in New York, alongside the legendary 300 SL"gullwing".Page 51Unlike the 300 SL, the 190 SL was not designed as a thoroughbred sports carbut rather as a sporty, elegant two-seater touring and utility vehicle. Its chassiswas the shortened frame floor assembly from the 180, combined with thesingle-joint swing axle with lowered centre of rotation, as used in the 220. Thefront-wheel suspension, including subframe design, came from the 180 / 180 Dmodels. The 190 SL was driven by a newly developed four-cylinder engine witha displacement of 1.9 litres, overhead camshaft and output of 105 hp.Depending on conditions it could therefore reach a speed significantlyexceeding 170 km/h, and accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 14 seconds.Series production started in May 1955. The 190 SL was available as a roadsterwith soft top as well as a coupé with removable hard top, with or without a softtop as an option. A broad range of prominent social figures chose this elegantsports car to complement their image, including Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra,who drove a 190 SL in the film “Ten Thousand Bedrooms”.The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL was built up until 1963. The clearest indication ofjust how much loved and successful the 190 SL was is demonstrated by theproduction figures: between May 1955 and February 1963, no less than25,881 cars left the assembly lines in Sindelfingen – far in excess of the initialaspirations.Two studies for the new type of roadsterAgainst this historical backdrop, it seemed only logical some decades laterto revisit these considerations: would it not perhaps be appropriate for theSL-Class Mercedes-Benz models, now firmly established in their own right, tobe joined by a younger brother? After all, Mercedes-Benz had launched anentirely new product initiative, to which a compact roadster could lend freshemphasis by drawing attention to the sporting heart of the Mercedes-Benzbrand.An appropriate acronym for this newcomer was swiftly coined: SLK. InGerman, these three letters stand for the car's characteristic properties –Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart/GermanyMercedes-Benz – A Daimler Brand