To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The
Elkhart Collection event, 23 - 24 October 2020.
Estimate:
$1,400,000 - $1,600,000
- Originally delivered to Scuderia Ferrari driver Umberto
Maglioli
- Factory optioned with Rudge wheels and fitted luggage
- Excellent restoration in its original color of Silver Metallic
(DB 180)
- Retains it matching-numbers chassis, engine, gearbox, and
body
- Offered with original spare wheel, knock-off hammer, tool roll,
and window bag
- Documented by a copy of its Mercedes-Benz data sheet
THE LEGENDARY GULLWING
Mercedes-Benz's 300 SL claimed 2nd in the Mille Miglia, 1-2-3 in
the Sports Car Race in Berne, Switzerland, 1st and 2nd at Le Mans,
1-2-3-4 at the N�rburgring, and 1st and 2nd at La Carrera
Panamericana. Yet more was to be desired. From his Frank Lloyd
Wright-designed Park Avenue showroom, the company's US distributor,
Max Hoffman, said that there was a market in America for a fast,
sensual Mercedes-Benz coupe, and a production version of the racing
W194 300 SL, complete with the fascinating and now legendary
"gullwing" doors, necessitated by the unusual "birdcage" frame
design, would be it.
The "SL" moniker (translated as "Sport Light") reflected the
pioneering use of a welded, tubular-steel, ultra-light frame
construction that weighed only 182 lb. The car also featured fully
independent suspension in addition to its fuel-injected, 2,996 cc,
OHC straight-six with dry-sump lubrication, and the engine was
inclined to the side in order to reduce the height of the front
end. The power, rated at 240 bhp at 6,100 rpm (SAE) and 215 bhp at
5,800 rpm (DIN), with the factory-optional or dealer-installed
"sport" camshaft, was delivered through a four-speed manual
transmission. A 161 mph top speed and 0-60 mph acceleration of
approximately eight seconds, depending on the rear-end ratio
selected from five options, made the 300 SL the fastest production
automobile of its time.
Appropriate for an automobile that Max Hoffman had almost
single-handedly willed into being, the production 300 SL made its
debut in the United States, not in Germany, which was a
Mercedes-Benz first. More than 1,000 of the 1,400 cars produced
between 1954 and early 1957 were delivered through Hoffman, to
whose showrooms the rich and famous flocked. The 300 SL was as much
a status symbol in its time as it is today, as it was favored by
everyone from Hollywood stars to racing legends to genuine
royalty.
The 300 SL was also raced and piloted by the top drivers of the
day, such as John Fitch, Olivier Gendebien, Paul O'Shea, Prince
Metternich, and, of course, Sir Stirling Moss, who holds the
"forever" course record for his famous Mille Miglia finish in 1955.
It all added to the romance of a car that seemed destined to become
a legend the moment production began. It had all the right
ingredients: incredible exclusivity, incredible speed, and an
incredible price.
"A thoroughbred in every sense of the word," advertising boasted,
"and a car which will be recognized by all enthusiasts as the 'last
word' in sporting automobiles; a car which puts indescribable
pleasure into driving!"
THE MAGLIOLI GULLWING
Chassis 5500533, offered here, was originally delivered through
Milanese dealer Saporiti to one H. Maglioli, or Umberto Maglioli,
the Italian racing driver who participated in ten Formula One World
Championship Grands Prix between 1953 and 1957, and also won the
Carrera Panamericana in 1954.
The Mercedes-Benz data card, a copy of which is in the file, names
Mr. Maglioli and notes the original engine, gearbox, and body
numbers as matching the present units in the car, which still have
their correct original stampings, as does the frame. Even the left
and right front axles appear to be original, though the
differential is a slightly later period-correct unit (possibly
replaced for a different rear-end ratio). The car was originally
delivered in Silver Gray Metallic (DB 180) and originally had the
standard interior, fawn seats with red tartan inserts.
Significantly, it was also specified with a Becker Mexico radio,
fitted luggage, and one of the most desirable options of all,
factory Kronprinz wheels with Rudge center-lock knock-offs.
Later owners of the car included another well-known racing driver
and Mercedes-Benz specialist, Lothar Motschenbacher, as well as a
noted Mercedes-Benz collector in Southern California. As of 2010 it
was recorded in the Gullwing Group's registry as having 72,000
miles and having been restored with the present red leather
interior and original-style luggage, as well as the original Rudge
wheels-just as it remains today. That same year it was sold into
the current collection, where it has been maintained since.
The restoration appears to have been largely cosmetic, as the
chassis and engine compartment both retain extensive original
finishes and attractive patina from road use. The bodywork is quite
good, with solid fender "eyebrows," while the interior is
beautifully finished and still quite fresh in its appearance,
including crisp, clear gauges and tight upholstery. A wood-rimmed
Nardi steering wheel is the only readily apparent deviation from
"stock."
Accompanying the car is the original spare, knock-off hammer, tool
kit, the padded bag for the side windows, and a reproduction
owner's manual-everything needed to continue to enjoy a wonderful
Gullwing on the road. It would be an ideal entrant for any number
of vintage road tours and rallies for which the 300 SL is happily
eligible, and promises to be extremely exciting to drive. Umberto
Maglioli would undoubtedly approve of his former mount being
enthusiastically run and enjoyed exactly as he would have in the
mid-1950s, at the height of his illustrious career.To view this car
and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/el20.
