Mercedes-Benz

The 300 SL is the outlier: its tubular spaceframe passes through where the door sills would be, so the sill is both structural and thin-walled — nothing is levered or jacked against it, and the steering wheel is unlatched and swung down so the driver can get over it. The doors hinge at the roof and need overhead room, so the driver is out before the car reaches its final position in the trailer. On W113 and R107 cars the removable hardtop travels in its own padded frame rather than on the car, and restoration-grade single-stage paint means soft ties only and no tape on a painted surface. Modern AIRMATIC and E-Active Body Control cars have a raised transport setting that lifts the front air dam clear of a tilted deck and caps speed at around 20 mph; the same system self-levels once parked, so strap tension is re-checked after the suspension settles rather than at the moment of loading. AMG carbon-ceramic discs have little cold bite, so loading happens at walking pace with the deck chocked.