The Gull Wing Group International (GWG) is a 501(c)(7) nonprofit organization founded in 1961 by enthusiasts of the 1954 to 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.

In 2020, the GWG extended membership to owners of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a modern revival of the Gull Wing design, further expanding the reach of the organization to younger car enthusiasts.

The GWG started with eighteen Mercedes 300SL enthusiasts in August 1961 by Ernie Spitzer,[1] an entrepreneur who owned a commercial printing business.

[4] By 1965, the GWG had formed a Southern California Chapter, and the first meeting took place at the home of Stan Kauffman on August 11, 1965.

Nineteen members of the Northern and Southern California Chapters met in Santa Barbara to plan for the first annual get-together, which was held in Reno, Nevada in May 1969.

The organization began attracting members from all over the country, and Hunt suggested a formal Business Office be created.

[5] The first official event was a series of three technical sessions by a representative of the Robert Bosch Corporation covering the car's fuel injection system.

On 11 June 2011, the GWG gathered at Fort Point at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club.

[6] President John Willott and fellow members Craig Mcloughlin and Tom Thornhill organized a tour of Arizona driving 1000 miles in 2018.

[8] Bob Sirna, a previous president of the organization, set a new Bonneville Speedway F/GT speed record in 2016 in a 300 SL, establishing a new mark for 3L Sports cars of 190.759 mph.

The cover topic for the June 1962 issue was the First Anniversary Dinner, which was coming up later that month at the San Francisco Airport Hilton.

[14] The Group's roster has been a valuable vehicle ownership source and maintains an active directory that shows the provenance of cars sold at auction.

Past conventions have been held in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Pasadena, California; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Saratoga Springs, New York; Dearborn, Michigan; Las Vegas, Nevada; Newport, Rhode Island; Nashville, Tennessee; Victoria, British Columbia; Sun Valley, Idaho; Flagstaff, Arizona; Palm Springs, California; Montvale, New Jersey; New Orleans, Louisiana; Homestead, Virginia; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Greenbrier County, West Virginia and many other locations.

The Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) inspected twelve cars for the first time for the GWG.