THE ANDY WARHOL STORY - MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL

For the first time, a work of art by Andy Warhol from the "Cars" series and the prototype Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé can be seen together.

The "Cars" series by pop art pioneer Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is world famous. It shows selected vehicles from Mercedes-Benz and its predecessor brands in a striking, colourful rendering typical of the North American artist. The first of his motifs at the beginning of the picture series in 1986: the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing".

In the Mercedes-Benz Museum, the artwork depicting the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and the sports car was on display in close proximity from 21 to 26 June 2022. The original screen print comes from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection. The joint presentation is an absolute premiere. This is because the world-famous, iconic work of art and the vehicle itself have never been shown together before.

The history of the 300 SL "Gullwing"
The 300 SL was in production from 1954 to 1957. Only 1,400 vehicles are built at the Sindelfingen plant, largely using manufacturing methods. The "Gullwing" is one of the Mercedes-Benz's most famous vehicles and is voted "Sports Car of the Century" in 1999.

In 1986, the then Daimler-Benz AG commissioned Andy Warhol to paint the “Cars” series to mark the centenary of the automobile. The aim is to show 80 pictures documenting the history of the automobile from the Daimler Motorized Carriage and the Benz Patent Motor Car from 1886 to the present day using 20 selected vehicles from Mercedes-Benz and its predecessor brands.