Gullwings and Roadsters on the track in the ’50s and 60s

300SL Roadster at Riverside, CA circa 1959 sans windscreen and with head rest added.

Surviving the rigors of the Track

While 300SL Gullwings and Roadsters are nitpicked today for minute variations in originality by concours judges and discriminating buyers, this was certainly not the case in the late ’50s and early ’60s. This era saw the cars fall to their lowest values in the 55 year history of the series and repairs were often made with an eye toward expediency rather than maintaining an original configuration, particularly in the racing arena.

Many 300SLs were raced vigorously across the country by their owners and when calamity struck whether of a mechanical nature or resulting in folded coachwork, repairs were made that would make today’s 300SL crowd gasp. Crude repairs were often made to quickly get the car back on the grid for the next event.

Gullwing "Speedster" a result of damaged roof/doors having been sawed off! Vaca Valley, CA circa 1962.

If you happened to roll your Gullwing at one of northern California’s bleak road courses such and Vaca Valley or Cotati, one solution to quickly return to competition would be to simply saw the deformed roof and gullwing doors off. You’d end up with a 300SL speedster and be back to the track the next weekend, although likely re-classified as a “Modified” and now competing with the odd Ferrari Testa Rossa or Maserati 300S.

The Chuck Porter Special

Hollywood body shop owner, Chuck Porter, put together perhaps the most sacrificial 300SL by re-constructing a wrecked Gullwing into a bastardized road racing special. The car had been comprehensively destroyed somewhere between Los Angeles and Palm Springs during delivery to its new owner and was sitting in a Los Angeles salvage yard when Porter found it. Purchased in 1955 for $500 the twisted hulk would emerge after Porter’s handiwork as a competent road racing special initially still fitted with its original engine. The car was raced throughout California from 1955-1959 with a variety of engines, the most potent of which was a Hilborn fuel injected Corvette unit.

Chuck Porter Mercedes 300SLS Chevy special at this time owned by Peter Culkin

Fuel injected Corvette engine in Chuck Porter 300SLS(scrap) special.

Peter Culkin Gullwing

Other modified cars followed as crunched SLs were cobbled back together to continue their racing exploits. Perhaps one of the most raced and least damaged Gullwings would have to be the Peter Culkin car. Raced extensively throughout California with great success, this Gullwing sits in California today in largely “as-raced” condition awaiting a sympathetic restoration.

Peter Culkin's much raced and rarely damaged Gullwing.

Roy Spencer,
editor www.ourSL.com