1955-Mercedes-Benz-300SL Gullwing

Description

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
s/n 198.040.5500179, engine no. 198.980.5500168
Silver with Black Leather Interior

The 300SL was one of the most exotic cars available when it was new. Directly descended from racing cars, and chock full of innovative features, they were fast, beautiful, and expensive. Arguably the first ‘supercar’ ever (others claim that honor should be bestowed upon the Lamborghini Miura), the 300SL has also been described as the McLaren F1 of its day. Thanks to Mercedes’ development work during World War II in aircraft engines, the 300SL became the first production car with fuel injection, and the light but strong spaceframe necessitated the now legendary and often copied upwards opening doors. The result was a stunningly beautiful but also functional car that was, depending on gearing, the fastest production car in the world. Surrounded by separate frame carbureted contemporaries, the SL was truly a glimpse of the future and remains today a very special car indeed. Its appeal is timeless and consequently, 300SLs have remained blue-chip collector cars that are always in demand and perhaps even culturally embedded as one of the most iconic and greatest cars of all time.

This particular example has many unique features, including just two California owners from new, including the same owner since 1965, some forty-eight years of uninterrupted Southern California ownership. Originally finished in DB334 light blue with blue plaid interior, this car supplied new to Mercedes-Benz of Los Angeles on 31 March 1955. Its first owner was Robert Barker of Santa Barbara, California, who kept the car until 1965, driving it nearly 100,000 miles before selling it to its second owner.

That owner shipped the car back to the Mercedes Factory in Germany, where it arrived in November of 1965, to have it comprehensively restored. The factory changed the color to silver, reupholstered the interior in black leather, and fitted front disc brakes. The factory also replaced the engine, stamping the new block to match the chassis and fitting a sport camshaft. The replacement of the engine, fitment of disc brakes, renewal of the paint in silver, and interior reupholstery are all documented in a detailed invoice from Mercedes-Benz, totaling 26,000 deutschmarks (about $6500 USD in 1965, the cost of a new 230SL!). The mileage at the time of the restoration was 95,115 and the car has covered 27,000 miles since, to bring it to its current reading of just under 22,000. The work was completed in June of 1966 and the owner toured in Europe in the car before shipping it back to California. The car left Bremerhaven, Germany aboard the SS Wisa on the 18th of August 1966, bound for the Port of Los Angeles.

The car survives today in this configuration, having been kept by its second owner for 48 years. The car has luggage, storage bag for the side windows, and retains its belly pans. It is in excellent driver condition, having been cosmetically restored. The paintwork is virtually unmarked and was performed to very good standards, although there are a few surface imperfections in the finish. The body is straight, solid, and displays excellent fit and gaps. The chrome and metal trim are excellent with no pitting, finish deterioration, or aging to speak of. The wheels are excellent and wear Michelin radial tires. The car has Cibié headlamps and Talbot mirror, both of which are in excellent shape. The remaining glass and lights are also excellent.

The interior is in fine shape, with excellent leather and dashboard. The instruments, switches, and controls are excellent, and the dashboard upholstery is in very good order. The carpets are correct square weave items which show some pilling but are not excessively worn. The correct ivory steering wheel is in place, and the headliner is correctly upholstered in light gray woven wool.

The engine compartment is clean but not detailed for show. Rather, it has the appearance of a properly kept car that has not seen any invasive work beyond regular maintenance in many years. It is fundamentally correct in appearance, save for the polished finish of the intake manifold, and the engine has an honest presentation that reflects the car’s uninterrupted long term ownership.

The car runs and drives very well, reminding the driver why the 300SL was such a legendary car, and how extraordinary the car must have been when new. The engine starts easily and runs well once properly warmed, and this car feels like an unusually sprightly example owing to its sport camshaft and the rear axle ratio. The brakes are wonderfully linear and effective in operation thank to the fitment of front discs and the gearbox is simultaneously slick and precise in feel while also giving an impression of robustness that simply does not exist in an Italian gearbox from the same period. The suspension and chassis are capable and confidence-inspiring and the entire car has a coherent and satisfying feel that inspires the driver to go on a 1000 mile drive across the European countryside.

This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a Gullwing with exceptional provenance that includes two known California owners from new. Although not in its entirely original configuration, the changes that have occurred are documented as having occurred at the factory, which adds unique provenance that also meaningfully improves the driving experience of a car that was already a joy to drive in the first place. The car is in superb driving condition and makes a strong cosmetic impression but is not so spotless as to discourage its regular use. Indeed, thanks to its build date, this car is eligible for the world’s most prestigious driving events and is sure to make for a willing and pleasurable companion on any trip. The car comes with a fascinating stack of documentation from the 1960s, including the invoice for the changes from the factory, as well as luggage, storage bag for the side windows, and belly pans.