The stylish gull-wing door Mercedes 300SL coupe was shown to the public. With a 6 cylinder engine and a top speed of 155mph, the two-door coupe created a sensation among wealthy car buyers who were actually seen waiting in line to buy it. Because of the impracticality of the gull-wing doors, the company only manufactured 1,400 300SL coupes.

Unfortunately, the 300SL race car also played an infamous role in car racing history. Careening out of control in the 1955 race at Le Mans, the SL crashed into spectators, killing eighty. As a result Mercedes-Benz pulled its cars out of racing competition for nearly three decades.