A convertible with a diesel engine on a world record drive - 55 years ago
Nowadays, convertibles with diesel engines are nothing out of the ordinary. More than 50 years ago, however, no car buyer would have thought of ordering the then rather crude diesel engines in a classy convertible.
Nevertheless, a convertible with a diesel engine was built in 1959. It was a Mercedes Benz 190 SL equipped with the OM 621 engine, which had been bored out to 2,032 cm3.
The privateers Gastell, Kögel, Nathan and von Zedlitz set diesel records with this special 190 SL on November 25 and 26, 1959. 34 international records were achieved in the 2- to 3-liter class, including 124.1 km/h over 2,977.3 kilometers in 24 hours. In some cases, a standard 190 D saloon was also used for the record runs on the Hockenheimring.
The 190 SL was chosen because its aerodynamic shape offered good conditions. The car was driven with a closed fabric roof. The car was lightened by removing the bumpers and the radiator grille.
A report on the normal 190 SL can be found in the Zwischengas archive.
