Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Fort Lauderdale
event, March 31-2, 2017.
Chassis No.
19804210002994
Estimate:
$1,250,000 - $1,500,000 US
At the behest of now-legendary American importer Max Hoffman,
Mercedes-Benz engineers and designers in Germany created a
road-going version of the W194 300SL racing car that dominated the
1952 racing season. Adapting the race model's tubular space frame
chassis into grand touring road use was no minor achievement, but
it paid off: the �Gullwing' Coupe with its distinctive top-hinged
doors and bubbly body was a hit in the United States, becoming the
brand's first true overseas success story.
It wasn't just a winner because of the way it looked. The 300SL's
lightweight chassis made the most of its inline six-cylinder
engine, which was plucked from Mercedes' Adenauer sedans but fitted
with a highly advanced, Bosch-developed mechanical fuel injection
system rather than Solex carburetors. At the end of its short run,
the 300SL �Gullwing' Coupe begat a Roadster variant, first shown at
the 1957 Geneva motor show. With its folding soft top, the 300SL
Roadster was a luxury compared to its counterparts.
The 300SL Roadster utilized front-hinged doors, but it was
otherwise fully race-derived and included a higher compression
version of the 3.0-liter six-cylinder fitted with a sports
camshaft. In 1961, Mercedes-Benz fitted Dunlop's new disc brakes to
the 300SL and beginning a year later an aluminum engine block
replaced the previous cast unit.
The 300SL Roadster offered here is from the final year of
production, making it one of barely two dozen to leave the factory
in 1963. The benefactor of a recent cosmetic restoration by noted,
Pebble Beach award-winning shop Vantage Motorworks, this Roadster
presents beautifully. Its correct Silver Grey metallic paint has
been meticulously applied and, with its black German canvas
convertible top lowered, its red leather interior exhibits not a
single crease. With the top dropped, a hard red leather boot
finishes its profile. European market headlights and polished wheel
rims finish out its appearance.
A period Becker AM/FM radio has been fitted to its correct
leather-wrapped dashboard. Englebert vintage-style tires wrap its
wheels. The 300SL Roadster's chrome has been refinished throughout
and a pair of driving lights flank the enormous three-pointed star
integrated into its grille. An English language owner's manual,
full vintage tool kit, jack, and spare wheel and tire are
included.
Under the 300SL Roadster's long hood, its numbers-matching straight
six-cylinder engine with cast iron block has been detailed and
presents well with limited signs of use. Its correct, and
exceptionally rare, disc brakes remain fitted to provide stopping
far better than earlier models' drums. Benefitting from these late
production upgrades, the 300SL Roadster offered here makes a
rapidly appreciating investment that's also ready to be driven and
enjoyed.