Vehicle Description
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing is widely regarded as a benchmark
of collectible vehicles. No assemblage of significant cars is
complete without one of these breathtaking machines, and original
300SL values reflect their status as "blue-chip" collectibles.
Upwards of seven-figure values are the norm, and restorations can
easily top a half-million dollars or more, plus the cost of a
donor. As the 300SL slipped out of reach for the average
enthusiast, the market for replicas and recreations grew
accordingly. In the 1980s, a 300SL owner and former Mercedes-Benz
employee named Anton "Tony" Ostermeier founded Gullwing
International Cars to take the concept of a "replica" 300SL to a
new level, designing a ground-up, exacting recreation worthy of
sharing the spotlight with the iconic original. Ostermeier cut no
corners developing his 300SL tribute using the finest components
and materials available. At the core is a welded square-tube steel
chassis built in a similar fashion to the original tubular
spaceframe. Keeping it in the family, Ostermeier fitted
contemporary Mercedes-Benz W124 steering, suspension, and running
gear. The body is an inch-perfect copy, built using Tony's original
300SL and factory bucks as patterns. To ensure accuracy and achieve
the desired finish quality, Gullwing Cars made the bodies using an
aircraft industry material calledGLAREthat bonds fiberglass to a
thin outer layer of aluminum. The material ensures precise fit and
a nearly flawless outer surface with superior quality and finishes
than traditional fiberglass. Many of the trim parts, instruments,
and other details are so accurately produced that owners of
original cars began using them on restoration projects, and even
experts are hard-pressed to tell the difference between an
Ostermeier SL and the real thing at first glance. Each Gullwing
Cars 300SL took over 400 hours each to complete and were highly
prized by the lucky few who got one of the approximately 150 sold.
Much like a Lynx D-Type Jaguar or Glenn Pray Auburn, Tony
Ostermeier's SLs are highly desirable and considered genuine
collectibles in their own right. This Gullwing Cars 300SL coupe
hails from 1991 and is an outstanding example that has covered just
over 5,300 miles from new. Finished in red over tan leather trim,
it is offered in superb condition thanks to long-term ownership
with an enthusiastic collector. Exterior trim and brightwork are in
very good order, and the car features excellent, period-correct
Mercedes-Benz SL chrome wheels, wearing color-keyed hub caps and
fitted with fresh, vintage-style Avon Turbosteel radials. Each
Ostermeier SL was built to order, and this car came well-equipped
with the Mercedes-Benz M103 inline-six, four-speed automatic
gearbox, air conditioning, tan leather upholstery, and matching
fitted luggage. Climbing aboard the Ostermeier Gullwing requires
the same finesse as an original, thanks to the high, broad sill,
and low bucket seats. Also, like the original, this car features a
tilt-away wheel to make ingress much easier. The dash is a carbon
copy of the 1955 car, with beautifully finished chrome switchgear,
controls, and accurately reproduced VDO instruments. The tan
leather seats are faithful to the original patterns, as are the
square-weave carpets, leather-covered sills, and broadcloth
headlining. All interior materials are of the utmost quality, and
in this car, they are in superb condition thanks to the
exceptionally low mileage. The only details that give this away as
a Gullwing Cars SL are the automatic transmission floor shifter,
the center console housing HVAC controls, and a contemporary
AM/FM/CD head unit. Under the bonnet sits a Mercedes-sourced
3.0-liter inline-six. These are famously robust and provide ample
power and torque in the lightweight SL. As expected of a low
mileage car, the engine presentation is superb, with factory-fresh
finishes in a tidy and impeccably clean engine bay. With its robust
underpinnings and exceptional build quality, this Ostermeier
Gullwing makes a superb long-distance tourer and is perfect for
savoring your favorite sweeping roads in the spirit of the original
300SL. With only 150 or so examples built, these cars are extremely
rare and are seldom available on the open market. This marvelous,
low-mileage example is ready to be driven and cherished by its next
keeper. Offers welcome and trades considered For additional details
please view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7168-1991-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-by-ostermeier/