Being a founding sponsor of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance that took place on the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island from March 12-14, 2010, there was no way that Mercedes-Benz would let the opportunity to bring together the original 300 SL Gullwing Coupe with its modern-day successor, the SLS AMG, slip away.
The event saw a collection of classic Gullwing models including the original Le Mans-winning 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL which formed the base for the production model that followed in 1954.
Over the course of three years, only 1,400 examples of the 300SL Gullwing were built for the road making it one of the most sought after classics of all time.
It's grandson, the SLS AMG, was introduced last year and is the first vehicle entirely designed and developed by Mercedes-Benz's high-performance division, AMG. The limited production sports car features gullwing doors and an AMG 6.3-liter, front-mid mounted V8 engine with a maximum output of 563 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque (U.S.-spec).
"The SLS AMG and Gullwing displays at the 15th anniversary of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance are top examples of Mercedes-Benz historical significance and major contributions with the automobile industry," said Stephen Cannon, VP of Marketing, MBUSA.
"The iconic 1954 Gullwing represents the leading innovation Mercedes-Benz is known for throughout history and the SLS AMG sets a new standard for supercars of the future just like the 300 SL did over 50 years ago," Cannon concluded.
