SPORTING TRADITION

[Music] Sports [Music] tradition a car combining a new idual Style with the latest technical developments with the engineering side and give KL cing the opportunity to show us its virtues in the course of the [Music] film here is the solid foundation of the 230 SL the frame floor it has been taken over from The Limousines and reinforced [Music] a very Stout Distortion free construction which is additionally welded to the bodying an additional strength of the [Music] unit thus an outstanding stability of the whole car and especially the passenger space is [Music] achieved the underside is plastic sealed to protect against corrosion and [Music] gravel on design and construction in front independent wheel suspension coil springs with shock absorbers close to the wheels torsion bar stabilizer at the rear the single joint swing axle tested in so many races here too coil spring and shock absorbers close to the wheels excellent road holding qualities achieved by separating wheels and suspension long wheelbase and very wide track even in hair pin bends outstanding Road adhesion and only slight side inclination neither over nor under steer this is not least due to the stabilizing compensating spring above the rear axle the low pivot point lies in the middle the wheels act on Long lever arms thus only slight changes of track sports car road holding qualities and still comfortable suspension the unsuspended mass is reduced by independent wheel suspension Road bumps are thus neutralized to a high degree the brake system matches the high driving qualities disc brakes in front since here the highest braking loads occur drum brakes with turbo cooling at the rear both brake circuits are separated from each other to offer even higher safety reserves booster brake for easier operation and this is how it works in practice retardation values no breaking away of the car no blocking no fading no vehicle should be faster than its brakes certainly not a high performance sports car and that's what the 230 SL is thanks to the six-cylinder Sports Engine with intermittent fuel injection similar to the 220 SE engines but with 170 gross horsepower a che reeved by modified injection cam shaft and valves besides higher compression ratio high torque in all speed ranges and low power weight ratio this means sports car Power for quick [Music] starts High cruising speeds rapid [Music] acceleration but also the high flexibility demanded of a car in stop and go traffic and at crawling speeds these performances can only be achieved by suitable transmission ratios the transmission of the 230 SL fully synchromesh four gears with hand shift or on special request with automatic transmission first second third fourth gear changing as it should be for sports driving with a floor shift lever easy to operate fast with automatic transmission selection lever is mounted on the tunnel the well proven recirculating ball type steering on special request with Servo assistance very easy to operate very precise vibration free thus the engineering of the car alone offers us the assurance that the car will meet any demands made on it the same high level was aimed at and achieved by the designers in style and Equipment maximum utilization of space lots of room for two persons inside lots of space in the boot and back for luggage this is combined with very favorable exterior Dimensions which means a small parking area and good maneuverability in traffic for relaxed non- tiing driving even over long distances widely adjustable seats and a correct seating position for each size [Music] in spite of the low height of the car it is extremely comfortable to get in and out an advantage of the raised roof edges another important feature of this roof design extremely good upward Vision Without change of driving position also excellent all round Vision here the low Center Line of the car shows its favorable effects with sloping roof edges the visual angle would be like this so clearly the characteristic roof design resembling a pagoda is not a fashion feature but has a purely functional purpose should you prefer the Roadster version in fine weather nothing easier than that after loosening only four handles the hard top can be taken [Music] off even more sports car like and of course even better Vision the car for sunny days but for rainy weather too the folding top is hidden below this cover also when the coupe roof is put on a new solution of an old problem very elegant and practical putting up the top with effortless ease fixing two handles that is all you have to do to have a tight roof above you also with excellent Vision the reverse way is equally convenient loosen the handles [Music] lower the [Music] top right back into the [Music] boot close the cover and that's [Music] all the holiday luggage can be easily stoled this set of suitcases fits into the boat remarkable for a sports car isn't it got more luggage there's still enough space behind the seats these are the seats for driver and passenger handmade designed for sports driving with firm lateral support even when cornering fast and very well ventilated by ventilation slots in the back of the backr and by perforation of the leather or mbex covers in fact the heating and ventilation system has been given Special Care a recently developed system with additional booster mixing cold and warm air it responds to the slightest adjustment driver and passenger may even choose different temperatures these slots provide additional cooling of the Interior by adjusting the blades the direct fresh air coming in may be deflected at will [Music] with the coupe permanent ventilation is affected through the frame of the rear window since in this way a rapid exchange of air is provided for the 230 SL can do without ventilation by side vents Direction indicating signaling with the overtaking [Music] lights operating windscreen wash and wiper all done with this lever the left hand always remains close to the steering wheel it could not be easier to use as with all Mercedes-Benz models special attention was given to the interior safety in the 230 SL flexible buttons and levers effective [Music] upholstering driving mirror flexibly mounted to compensate box all wellth thought out measures to protect the passengers the 230 SL is the result of the immense pains taken by the designer for inheriting an old thoroughbread tradition means meeting specially high expectations expectations mirrored in the interest with which this car is met everywhere [Music] marveled at and [Music] admired in the dense traffic of cities as well as at such festive events as the conquor Del [Music] gos a car of the international Elite a coveted attribute of the elegant world [Music] [Applause] but just a superior on the road where could that be better demonstrated than on the newer build ring [Music] [Music] style Elegance representation they don't count here what counts at temperament road holding minutes and [Music] [Music] seconds High technical maturity is the result of years of engineering development here it makes itself fully felt a car for the individualist of the wheel who is not satisfied with sport without driving comfort with exclusiveness without worldwide for those who require everything from one and the same model happy Motoring in the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL [Music]