For Sale at Auction: 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 in Carmel, California

Chassis No. 188.013.6500077
Engine No. 199.980.6500077
Body No. A188.013.6500025

Before the war, the standard for supreme luxury and engineering at Mercedes-Benz had been set by the magnificent 540 K, built for the most discerning buyers of its day. The 300 S took up that mantle when it debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October 1951, carrying the prewar tradition of opulence and craftsmanship into a new age. The international press hailed it as a car for the world's elite, praising its elegant and traditional lines. It was derived from the stately 300 sedan but rode on a chassis shortened by roughly six inches, and its inline-six engine used higher compression and triple carburetors to produce 150 horsepower. Offered as a coupe, a Cabriolet A, and a roadster, it entered series production in the second half of 1952.

In September 1955, Mercedes-Benz introduced a thoroughly revised version at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, designated 300 Sc. It gained a low-pivot single-joint swing axle and replaced the triple carburetors with direct fuel injection like that of the 300 SL, raising output to 175 horsepower. The body received subtle updates in typical Mercedes-Benz fashion. New features included swivel windows, larger turn signals, a pair of horizontal chrome-trimmed louvers on each side of the hood, and chrome moldings sweeping from the front wheel arches to the rear. An "Einspritzmotor" script on the trunk lid was the only telltale sign that announced the injected engine within.

Hand-assembled to the highest standard the marque could achieve, the 300 Sc carried a price to match. It listed at roughly $12,500 in the United States, nearly double the cost of America's most lavish car, the Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible, at around $6,500. That made it one of the most expensive automobiles in the world, and its price naturally narrowed its audience. Just 200 examples were built across all three body styles before production ended in April 1958. Today the 300 S and 300 Sc rank among the most exclusive Mercedes-Benz passenger cars of the postwar era and, together with the 300 SL, the most sought after by collectors. Of the 300 Sc, only 49 wore the lavishly tailored Cabriolet A coachwork, making it the rarest and arguably most desirable of the line.

This Cabriolet, chassis number 77, was completed on 27 April 1956, specified as it appears today, in Taubenblau (Dove Blue) over a Grey leather interior with a Blue top. It was further optioned from the factory with white-wall tires, a passenger-side headrest, and an electric windshield washer pump. It remains powered by its original matching-numbers direct fuel-injected M199 inline-six as recorded on the copy of its original Data Card.

The car was sold new through Messrs. Schomperlen & Gast in Karlsruhe, Germany, to Brewery Director Dr. Walter Schrempp. While on vacation in Germany in the spring of 1960, it was spotted by David Siegrist, President of Montclair Studebaker Packard in New Jersey, who brought the car home with him as the ultimate souvenir of his trip. It then passed to Ben Halsell, who owned it until 1978, followed by Alex Dearborn, who kept the car until 1982 when it was purchased by Mike Hall of California.

A 1997 letter from Dearborn attributes the exceptional restoration to marque specialist Charles Brahms. The University of Southern California-trained pharmacologist, who became known to generations of collectors as "Mr. Mercedes," brought a scientist's precision and an artist's eye to every restoration that passed through his hands. Brahms's restoration touched nearly every system from refinished interior wood and a recovered leather dashboard to fresh carpets, a rebuilt Becker radio, a serviced braking system, a rebuilt water pump, and restored instrumentation.

From there, it passed through a succession of committed marque enthusiasts before briefly returning to Germany during the 1980s. The car later returned to the U.S. and joined the collection of James Patterson, under whose ownership Hjeltness Restoration refreshed the car following its highly detailed restoration by Brahms.

Clearly showing the high quality of the restoration work completed to this Cabriolet A, it made a successful showing at the 2012 Lake Mirror Classic, immediately capturing Best in Show. It remained a presence on the concours field, taking Mercedes-Benz Excellence in Class at the 2018 Cavallino Classic. In 2023, it entered the world-renowned Todd Blue Collection. It was entered and shown by Blue at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2024 capturing a class award, validation of the restoration work completed by Brahms and Hjeltness as well as the maintenance in the years since. Following this strong showing, the Cabriolet took victory in a featured class celebrating 140 years of Mercedes-Benz engineering and design at the 2026 Arizona Concours d'Elegance.

Today, it still retains its matching-numbers drivetrain and a set of fitted luggage. A strikingly handsome example of the most exclusive open Mercedes-Benz of its generation, it presents its next caretaker with a beautifully specified, award-winning example of one of the rarest and most elegant grand tourers the marque ever produced.