Vehicle Description
To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Fort Lauderdale event, 6 -
7 April 2018.
Estimates:
$1,000,000 - $1,300,000
100 percent of hammer proceeds to benefit the Jackson, Michigan,
YMCAOffered directly from its owner since 1968Exhibited for four
decades at various Indiana museumsNever restoredFormerly owned by
noted West Coast sportsman Arthur L.W. TrueA thrilling opportunity
to acquire one of the most original surviving Gullwings
Please note that Internet bidding is not available for this lot.
Interested parties that are unable to attend the sale may register
to bid by telephone or place a commission bid online at
rmsothebys.com.
Chassis number 7500071 was the fifth from last 300 SL coupe
produced and, as such, has all of the most desirable
late-production features, as well as the optional Becker Mexico
radio and full leather upholstery. It was originally delivered to
28-year-old Donald H. Bueermann of Portland, Oregon, later passing
to fellow Portland resident Howard Hanna, as recorded in Eric
LeMoine's 300 SL Register. In the early 1960s, it moved to
Washington State in the ownership of young Arthur L.W. True, heir
to a Spokane oil fortune and a well-known figure in Pacific
Northwest sports car circles. Mr. True was a particular fan of
Ferraris and is famous for his custodianship of the unrestored 250
TR, chassis number 0704 TR.
Sadly, True passed away in 1967 at the age of 35. His family
subsequently donated several of his outstanding automobiles,
including the 250 TR and this Gullwing, to the Henry Ford Museum of
Dearborn, Michigan. The museum found the Gullwing outside their
needs and, within a year, had sold it to the current owner, a
resident of Jackson, Michigan.
While the owner enjoyed his 300 SL, he never had a place to
maintain it in the conditions it demanded, and so it has spent its
life since 1968 on display in two different museums. For the past
few decades, its home has been the Special Interest Gallery of the
ACD Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana, where it has been viewed
by many hundreds of thousands of visitors to that legendary
facility. In fact, for many Midwestern 300 SL enthusiasts, it was
their very first "in-person" view of a Gullwing.
Such superb surroundings have helped the 300 SL survive in
exceptionally original condition. Much of the Fire Engine Red
finish (534) has been redone, as-necessary over passing years, but
is still present on the factory hubcaps. The original Cream
upholstery was quickly surface-dyed black decades ago, but remains
intact, and there are no tears or scratches. All of the 36,375
actual miles recorded at the time of cataloguing were added prior
to 1968. The car is still equipped with its original Michelin
spare, as well as two of the three original belly pans.
Befitting its owner's charitable mindset, 100 percent of the hammer
proceeds from this sale will be donated to the consignor's favored
cause, the Jackson YMCA, as a major gift toward the construction of
a state-of-the-art new building for an organization that has
benefited the Jackson, Michigan, community for generations.
There are almost no other Gullwings that have survived in the
condition of this car, and fewer still that have been continuously
admired and beloved by so many, for so long, firing the
imagination. For three decades, visitors to one of America's
foremost automotive museums have had the opportunity to envision
mastering the art. Straddle the door sill. Slide in. Tuck the left
leg in. Pull the door down. Fire up the canted inline six. Shift
into first and go.
Today, for one person, that long-fed dream becomes reality.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/FL18.