Incredible original condition
Just in from Southern California
Rare European model – sold new in Sweden
47,940 actual miles (77,152 KM)
Matching numbers original engine
Beautiful, factory correct paintwork
Wonderfully original interior
Over $27,000 spent on recent service work completed by a marque
specialist that included complete brake, cooling, exhaust, fuel
injection system rebuilds and more
Documentation includes factory books, radio books, service records,
$27,000 in recent service receipts, copy of build data card,
factory tools and more
Options include:
New whitewall tires
Becker Europa radio
Rare 4-speed manual transmission
Drives and performs incredibly well!
Simply one of the best examples of this iconic model available on
the market day!
A collector’s dream!
During the late 1940s, Daimler-Benz AG began focusing on
building another powerful, elegant limousine for the luxury market,
something in the spirit of the pre-war 770K. The 300 had been on
the drawing board since 1938, and a prototype Cabriolet was shown
at the Frankfurt Auto Show in April 1951. Production of the
four-door Limousines and Cabriolet d began that November and ran
through 1962, with 11,430 cars built.
This production average of 1,000 cars a year was definitely low, so
updates were phased in as required and logged in by chassis number,
a common DGAB procedure then. When significant changes were made,
the model designation changed. The original 300 (no letter) was
built as a 1951 to 1954 model; the 300b was built for 1954 and
1955, and the 300c for 1955 through 1957, and the 300d for 1957 to
1962.
The 300 quickly became one of the leading prestige cars of its era,
and standard-wheel-base cars were brought by Frank Lloyd Wright,
Yul Brynner, Al Hirt, Prime Minister Nehru, and the Shah of Iran,
to name just a few. Early Cabriolet D prices of around 25,000 DM
(Which would have bought three Cadillacs) stretched to 35, 000 DM
for the 300d version. These cars cost more than a 300Sc Roadster or
a 300SL Roadster with hardtop.
Among the many heads of state, royalty, captains of industry,
entertainers, and other prominent individuals who relied on these
cars was West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. Even though his
custom-bodied 300d limousine differed from the standard version in
many ways – among them a higher roof and extended wheelbase- all
300s soon bore the nickname "Adenauer." Continuing an already long
Vatican-Stuttgart connection, Pope John XXIII’s specially-built
1960 300d Pullman-Landaulette had a closed front seat but a
convertible top over a single, throne-like back seat. Even among
300 production cars, custom features were common.
Like certain other Mercedes-Benz models, the 300 was advertised and
sold with different body style names in Germany and elsewhere. For
the sake of marketing, the Limousine and the Cabriolet D in Germany
became the more familiar sounding Hardtop and Convertible for the
U.S. Elegant sales literature remains to the tell the story. The
last of this upright, honorable line was the 300d. By the mid-1950s
the original 300’s conservative styling and other modest features
were showing their age. More and more 300s were being exported to
the U.S., where the sweeping lines and driving comfort ranked high
among buyers’ expectations. In August 1957, DBAG began building the
totally updated 300d.
To provide more rear leg room and a smoother ride, the new model’s
W189 chassis had a 3.9-inch longer wheelbase. In the American
vogue, the Hardtop’s dramatic new roofline-with no visible center
pillar-combined with removable rear quarter windows to create a
pillarless panorama. The tiny horizontal taillights of the earlier
cars were replaced by much larger and easier seen vertical lights
in the almost-finned rear fenders. A one-piece front bumper
replaced the earlier three-piece design.
Like earlier 300s, the 300d was built on an oval-tube X-shaped
frame with independent front suspension by coil springs. Because
they also used a rear swing-axle, varying loads significantly
affected rear wheel camber, which in turn influenced driving
stability. DBAG’s solution to keeping the rear wheels upright was a
unique load leveler. Controlled by a dash switch, an electric motor
on the rear chassis wound a jackscrew in or out to twist auxiliary
torsion bars acting on each ear trailing arm to supplement the coil
springs. This device was used on all four 300-series cars; the
hydraulic self-leveling systems on later models were not as durable
and lacked manual control.
The Mercedes-Benz 300d Adenauer featured here is finished in black
and has an impeccably kept original beige interior with brown
piping. This magnificent motorcar was just purchased in Southern
California where a complete mechanical servicing was performed with
over $27,000 spent. This exceptional 300d is among one of the
finest examples we have had the pleasure of offering many years and
is accompanied with its factory books, service records, recent
receipts, build sheet, factory tools, and much more. We are proud
to offer what we believe to be one of the very best Adenauers
available on the market today. Classic cars have proven to be among
the most resilient and rewarding investments in recent years with
the Historic Automobile Group Index (HAGI) jumping 39% in 2013, 16%
in 2014 and 17% in 2015 while posting gains of 467% over the last
10 years. Ready to make an investment you can actually enjoy?
Please contact one of our expert sales consultants at (314)291-7000
or [email protected] for more information. They will be happy to
give you a complete walk-around, supply you with a more detailed
description, and answer any questions you may have. Buy with
confidence; this just might be one of the best finds on the
market.
Trades welcome! Financing available! Please visit www.schmitt.com
to view our full inventory.
