Vehicle Description
Scott Grundfor Restoration, Numbers Matching, Fully Sorted
More photos coming soon
Factory-Original Color Scheme. Frame, Engine, and Body Numbers
Correspond to Factory Records. Offered with Owner's Manuals, Jack,
and Tool Roll. Eligible for Countless Motoring Events
Worldwide.
$30,000 recommissioning just completed in July 2025.
The Roadster's first owner was Robert Czirr of Oak Park, Illinois.
His name appears on a copy of the factory build record, as well as
on a rarely seen, original German motor vehicle traffic
Authorization Certificate, which was issued to Mr. Czirr in
February 1960 for the miles he drove in Europe following the
factory delivery of his new white Roadster. After Mr. Czirr
imported it to the US, via Mercedes-Benz's South Bend, Indiana
distributorship, it was later acquired by Lawrence Wilkinson of
Stratford, Connecticut, who held it for more than a decade before
Wayne Drapeau of Huntington Bay, New York, purchased it in 1986.
Mr. Drapeau sold it in 2004 to Sandy Chandra, who later
commissioned Scott Grundfor Company of Arroyo Grande, California,
for its restoration. As the work progressed, Scott Grundfor
purchased the Roadster from Mr. Chandra.
Grundfor, who has served as the restoration editor for the
Mercedes-Benz Club of America's The Star magazine and as a judge at
the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance� since 1989, is an
acknowledged expert in the restoration of 300 SLs worldwide, his
cars having earned numerous concours trophies.
In undertaking the restoration of 002507, Grundfor and his team
strove to preserve the unrepeatable characteristics of the factory
assembly, performing a body-on restoration that would retain the
car's original "live" road feel. According to notes on file, the
body surface was stripped to bare metal and a respray was completed
in the original White (DB 050G) using German Glasurit paint. A
correct Dark Blue leather interior was crafted by master
upholsterer Jon Cumpton, with a matching blue German canvas soft
top, square-weave wool carpeting, and correct rubber floor mats.
The Roadster's original engine was refurbished by Mercedes-Benz
specialist Mark Wright, and the engine compartment has been
properly detailed, with painting and replating of various
components. Further, brake, cooling, and fuel systems were
addressed as needed. A new stainless steel exhaust system was
fitted, and the exterior chrome was triple-plated, as original. A
Becker Mexico radio as well as a Hirschmann antenna are in
place.
Provenance
Robert Czirr, Oak Park, Illinois (acquired new via Mercedes-Benz of
South Bend, Indiana)
Lawrence Wilkinson, Stratford, Connecticut (acquired prior to
1976)
Wayne Drapeau, Huntington Bay, New York (acquired from the above in
1986)
Sandy Chandra, Old Greenwich, Connecticut (acquired from the above
in 2004)
Scott Grundfor, Arroyo Grande, California (acquired from the above
in 2015)
In 2016, after a complete restoration, the Roadster joined the
growing collection of a collector who rarely drove it
In 2025 we purchased this 300SL and commissioned $30,000 in repairs
and refreshing to make it rally ready
2,996 CC SOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection
240 BHP at 6,200 RPM
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
Front Independent Suspension with Coil Springs
Rear Swing-Axle Suspension with Coil Springs
As Mercedes-Benz's sensational W194 competition car accumulated
wins in international racing beginning in 1952, the clamor grew for
the Stuttgart firm to create a road-going version. Fueled by the
suggestion from Daimler-Benz's North American dealer Max Hoffman,
the factory introduced the 300 SL Gullwing coupe at the 1954 New
York International Auto Show to universal acclaim. Powered by a
production version of the race-proven 3.0-liter SOHC straight-six
engine of the earlier competition cars, it utilized a revolutionary
Bosch direct fuel injection, which increased horsepower by almost
25%.
While the coupe addressed the appetite of the racing-oriented,
there was considerable demand for an open version. Although the
first prototype was spotted by the German motoring press as early
as 1956, the production 300 SL Roadster would not appear for
another year. Not merely a derivative version of the Gullwing, the
300 SL Roadster was comprehensively refined and re-engineered with
a fresh, dynamic personality all its own.
Only 1,858 of the hand-assembled 300 SL Roadsters were built from
1957 to 1963. Evolution from the Gullwing's design included lower
doorsills and a rear suspension that improved upon the coupe's
handling at the limit, as well as a competition camshaft and
increased compression, which gave the Roadster an additional 20
bhp.
The result was one of the most iconic and refined open road cars of
all time. The 300 SL Roadster offered here, chassis 002507, was
purchased through the Mercedes-Benz European Delivery Program, and
is one of approximately 250 examples built in 1960.
