sentences:  Daimler-Benz's official importer in the USA, New York Mercedes distributor Max Hoffman, suggested to company management in Stuttgart that a street version of the W194 would be a commercial success, especially in America.The result was an icon, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing (W198).More than 80% of the vehicle's total production of approximately 1400 units were sold in the US, making the Gullwing the first Mercedes-Benz widely successful outside its home market and thoroughly validating Hoffman's prediction.