# Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18

> A strictly limited 1,500-piece 1:18 scale model of the W198 Roadster — the world's first series-production car with direct fuel injection — in the period-correct black-over-brown factory specification, with a fully operable soft top.

Only 1,858 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadsters were built between 1957 and 1963, and over 80 per cent of them crossed the Atlantic to American buyers — a market championed by US importer Maximilian Hoffmann who drove the car's conception as an open-top grand tourer. CMC's 1:18 scale model captures this low-volume landmark in Mercedes DB 040 Black with a brown leather interior and beige soft top, a combination as period-correct as it is visually striking.

## The W198 Roadster: Engineering Under the Skin

Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1957, the W198 II replaced the Gullwing coupé's top-hinged doors with conventional A-pillar-hinged panels — a change that required a redesigned chassis and raised kerb weight to approximately 1,330–1,383 kg. The M198 3.0-litre inline-six (2,996 cc) was tilted 45 degrees to clear the low bonnet line, and its Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection — technology borrowed from the Messerschmitt Bf 109E — made the W198 the first series-production car in the world to use the system, producing 215 hp at 5,800 rpm. From March 1961, the Roadster also became the first Mercedes passenger car fitted with four-wheel disc brakes as standard.

## From Race Track to Californian Highway

The 300 SL's road-car lineage runs directly to the W194 racing programme of 1952, when the space-frame coupé won Le Mans, the Nürburgring and the Carrera Panamericana with drivers including Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss. The Roadster inherited that pedigree while also correcting the Gullwing's notorious handling liability: a redesigned single-joint rear swing axle with a transverse compensating spring replaced the high-pivot arrangement that had caught out even experienced drivers. The final Roadster rolled off the line in February 1963, making it the last Mercedes-Benz built on a separate frame.

## CMC's Construction: Component by Component

CMC (Classic Model Cars GmbH, Germany) produces this 1:18 replica in die-cast metal with hand assembly throughout. The engine is built component by component, with each part mounted individually; dashboard instruments are separately fitted; and the multi-layer paint — applied by the same clear-coat process used by automotive manufacturers — replicates Mercedes DB 040 Black over a hand-laid brown interior. The functioning soft top is a defining feature of this variant, allowing display in either open or closed configuration. Doors open with sliding windows, the bonnet and boot both raise independently, and the spare wheel sits in the boot exactly as on the production car. Edition size is capped at 1,500 pieces worldwide.

## In the Display Cabinet

At 4,570 mm in real life, the W198 Roadster scales to approximately 25.5 cm in length, so allow a shelf depth of at least 12 cm and a clear run of 28 cm to accommodate the open doors during configuration changes. The black-over-brown specification pairs naturally with CMC's M-283 blue metallic Roadster (also limited to 1,500 pieces) or the M-282 red open-top variant for a period-colour triptych. The model ships in a red leather outer box with card sleeve and includes a cleaning cloth, hub caps, leaflet, and a suction tool for operating the panels — everything needed for a careful initial setup.

## Details

- **Price:** 696.9 EUR
- **Vendor:** CMC
- **Type:** ROAD CARS
- **Tags:** 1:18, ai-foto, ai-published, CMC, HISTORIC CARS, MERCEDES BENZ, NEWROADNEW

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 696.90 EUR | In stock |

## Images

- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - front three-quarter view
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - rear three-quarter view
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - side view
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - front view
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - rear view
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - opening parts
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - engine bay
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - open trunk
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - folded soft top
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster W198 1957 Black Brown CMC 1:18 scale model - rear detail

---

> Source: [Vroomi](https://vroomimodels.com/products/mercedes-benz-300sl-roadster-spider-soft-top-w198-1957-black-brown)
> Updated: 2026-10-14