Mercedes-Benz 230 SL shown in Geneva

Geneva, March 1963. At the Geneva Motor Show, Daimler-Benz has presented its new two-seater sports car, the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL, known inside the works as the W 113. It takes the place of two cars at once: the 190 SL and the 300 SL.

A body built around safety

The new car follows the principles of engineer Béla Barényi: a rigid passenger cell with front and rear sections designed to absorb energy in a collision. The steering column and the interior fittings have also been reconsidered so that occupants are better protected.

Last 300 SL Roadster leaves the factory

With the arrival of the new model, production of the 300 SL Roadster has come to an end. Together with the Gullwing coupé built until 1957, the car carried the racing heritage of the W 194 onto the road. Its six-cylinder engine was among the first in a production car to use direct fuel injection.

190 SL bows out after eight years

The 190 SL, introduced in New York in 1954, has also left the line. Close to 26,000 examples were built, many of them for customers in America, where the open two-seater found a loyal following among those who wanted the look of the 300 SL at a gentler price.

Böhringer is European Rally Champion

Eugen Böhringer has taken the 1962 European Rally Championship at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE. Among his results was victory on the Acropolis Rally in Greece, run over rough mountain roads in the heat of early summer.

Coupé and Cabriolet in steady demand

Order books for the W 111 Coupé and Cabriolet, presented in 1961, remain full. Both share the fuel-injected 2.2-litre six of the saloon, with four full seats, a low roofline and a generous use of wood and leather in the cabin.

300 SE at the top of the range

The 300 SE offers air suspension, power steering and an automatic gearbox as standard. Chrome strips along the flanks and wheel arches set it apart from the smaller saloons with which it shares its body.

The workshop at Untertürkheim

In the halls at Untertürkheim, engines are still assembled largely by hand. Each unit is run on the test bench before it is passed to the body plant at Sindelfingen, where paint is applied in many coats and rubbed down between each.

Fuel injection gains ground

Engineers expect mechanical fuel injection to become more common in larger engines. Compared with carburettors, the system meters fuel more precisely, which improves response and makes cold starting easier in winter.

Winter driving advice

Owners are reminded to check antifreeze, battery and tyre condition before the cold months. Snow chains should be carried on mountain passes, and the heater controls should be tried before the first frost.

Tyres for higher speeds

With cruising speeds on the autobahn rising, tyre makers are offering new radial designs. They are said to wear more slowly and to hold the road better in the wet, though some drivers find the ride firmer.

Club meeting in the Black Forest

Members of the regional motor club met for a run through the Black Forest. Some forty cars took part, among them several 300 SL roadsters and an early 170 V, which completed the climb without complaint.

Service network grows abroad

Daimler-Benz reports that its service network now reaches a large number of countries. Spare parts are held in central stores so that workshops abroad can obtain them quickly, even for older models.

Racing department looks back

Although the company withdrew from circuit racing after 1955, the experience of the W 196 and the 300 SLR is still felt in the road cars. Engineers point to the brakes, the suspension and the use of light alloys.

New paint colours for the season

The colour chart for the coming season includes papyrus white, signal red and a range of metallic finishes. Interiors can be ordered in leather or in a hard-wearing cloth, with matching carpets.

Letters to the editor

A reader from Munich writes that his 220 S has covered more than 200,000 kilometres without major repairs. Another asks whether the new roadster will be offered with an automatic gearbox; the factory has confirmed that it will.