Vehicle Description
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Factory Rudge Wheel RoadsterThis W198
Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster is 1 of just 27 examples delivered new
with Rudge 'knock-off' wheels while retaining its factory applied
original DB 180 Silbergrau Metallic paint and 1079 Rot leather.
This 300SL retains all of its original 'numbers matching'
components and retains all five of its original, date-coded 300SL
Roadster-specific Rudge wheels along with its original Hepco
luggage suitcases. Having never before been exhibited on a concours
showfield in the United States, this exceptional W198 Roadster
checks all of the boxes of a preservation show winner with unusual
rarity throughout and is mechanically a star, fully sorted for long
distance touring use.A Confluence Of Spectacular RarityThe ability
to have Rudge "knock-off" wheels fitted to a 300SL Roadster when it
was delivered new was a special order option continued over from
the 300SL "Gullwing" Coupe production run. Of the 1400 Gullwings
produced between 1954 and 1957, estimates suggest that around 350
of them, or 25%, were delivered new with the racing inspired,
center-locking Rudge wheels installed. 300SL Roadsters delivered
new with these special wheels, however, were far more rare. Of the
1858 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadsters produced between 1957 and 1963,
a mere 27 of them, less than 1.5% of the total Roadster production,
were delivered new with the now ultra-desirable option of Rudges.
So rare are 300SL Roadsters delivered new with Rudge wheels, that
the known number of these specially optioned cars produced by
Mercedes-Benz is less than that of aluminum bodied 300SL Gullwings,
of which 29 are currently known. From a collectibility standpoint,
the "Factory Rudge" designation is indeed the rarest and most
coveted original option for the W198 Roadster model, and by a
significant margin.In addition to factory Rudge wheel Roadster
examples being significantly rarer than factory Rudge Gullwings,
the wheels themselves are also different in size. Whereas the
Gullwing Rudge wheels are 5 inches in width, the Roadster Rudge
wheels are larger at 5.5 inches, giving them a wider footprint, and
thus, better grip to the road. The wheel faces of original Roadster
Rudges are also distinctively stamped with "300SLRO", further
differentiating them from the Gullwing wheels that came before
them. As it would turn out, 1957 would be the final full production
year for the fitting of Rudge or other knock-off wheels to new cars
in Germany. In 1958, new German transportation laws prohibited the
use of these "knock-off" wheels, affecting not only Mercedes-Benz
but also other famous German manufacturers such as BMW and
Porsche.The manner in which these special "knock-off" wheels
transform the presence of a 300SL is of such desirability today
that aftermarket reproduction versions of the original Rudge wheels
have been manufactured at great expense and have been fitted to
hundreds of 300SL Roadsters that otherwise originally came fitted
with standard bolt-on hubcap wheels. The precious few examples
special ordered new with Rudge wheels are standard bearers within
the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster production run, with most of the
'Factory Rudge' Roadsters residing as permanent fixtures in the
some of world's finest collections. Very rarely do they come about
as for sale.According to a copy of its factory data card, this
exceptionally rare and original 300 SL Roadster left the factory at
Stuttgart-Unterturkheim on October 21st, 1957 and was originally
delivered to North America via Mercedes-Benz Distributors Western
Ltd. of Vancouver in late 1957. The Mercedes was finished in DB 180
Silbergrau Metallic (Silver-Grey Metallic) paint over a 1079 Rot
(Red) leather interior with a Schwarz (Black) top; all of which is
retained today in a beautifully patina?d factory-original
condition. Further specifications included instruments in English,
sealed-beam headlights, 3.89:1 rear-axle ratio, Becker Mexico
radio, two-piece luggage set, and, most notably, 5.5x15 KPZ Rudge
knock-off wheels. The car was and remains equipped with engine no.
198.980.7500338, gearbox no. 216, front axle nos. 367 (left) and
366 (right), rear axle no. 374, and body no. 198.042.7500268, all
retained by the car today.Merle Solland, second owner of chassis
7500348 300SL Roadster, recorded recollections of his stewardship
of the car in a professionally compiled history book that
accompanies the 300SL today, noting that the car?s first owner was
a successful commercial apple farmer hailing from Wenatchee,
Washington. The apple orchard owner?s daughter came to love the
sporty open-topped W198 Mercedes-Benz and, as a teenager, she would
drive it around the family?s orchard property. However, as she
approached legal driving age, her father decided a less powerful,
and perhaps more modest automobile would be a better choice.Mr.
Solland, a world-record-holding hydroplane racer, learned of the
300SL?s availability through a racing acquaintance of his in the
spring of 1964, and also heard that the owner was looking for a
more subdued car for his daughter. So, when Solland went to the
apple orchard to look at the Roadster, he purposely drove his
humble Ford in hopes of striking a trade deal of some manner. The
apple farmer explained to Mr. Solland that I can?t tell her no, so
give me a little money, leave the Ford here, and take home the
Mercedes. Mr. Solland enthusiastically did just that, driving home
that day in his extraordinary Rudge wheel Mercedes-Benz 300SL. The
Solland family would go on to retain the 300SL for the next 54
years. Kurt Solland, son of Merle, recalled that when his father
purchased the car, it had covered roughly 36,000 miles and remained
original except for an off-yellow paint job, which he believed was
applied by the Roadster?s original owner while the car lived at the
Orchard farm in Wenatchee.In 2018, Jan Kanevad, a Swedish collector
with an eye for original finishes and otherwise exceptional
original sports cars, purchased the ?57 Rudge wheel Roadster from
the Solland Family, he became the car's third and most recent
private owner. Upon purchasing the car, Kanevad employed 300 SL
specialists HK-Engineering of Polling, Germany to go through the
car mechanically as well as carefully remove its layer of yellow
paint to reveal the original Silbergrau (silver grey) metallic
paint beneath. The craftsmen and technicians at HK were able to
successfully remove the top layer of yellow-golden paint applied
early in the 300SL's life at the apple orchard, and they were able
to accomplish this daunting preservation project in part because
the yellow-golden repaint had poorly adhered to the factory applied
silver as the yellow-golden paint was substrate more suitable to
painting barns than sticking well to shifting metal car body
surfaces.As testament to HK-Engineering?s dedication, the company
stopped counting its time at 1,000 hours for this prolonged,
laborious work with respect to the meticulous process of paint
removal to achieve revealing the original factory silver. As proven
today by extensive paint meter readings recorded by Scott Grundfor
Company upon arrival to our facility in California, the car indeed
retains the vast majority of its original DB 180 silver-grey
metallic paint finish, except for a blend on the right front fender
and several small areas including on the hood, which have all been
done so expertly it is quite difficult to spot even if you know
where to look.Scott Grundfor Company can confirm that this time
capsule 300SL also retains original factory-installed 1079 Rot
(red) leather upholstery, today presenting in a timelessly patina?d
condition. Even its rubber floor mats, trunk mat, headlights,
taillights...for more information please contact the seller.
