1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing Replica in Santa Monica, CA

To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sotheby's Santa Monica event, June 24, 2017.
Estimate:
$125,000 - $135,000 US

Nicely built and proportioned on 2002 SLK 32 AMG donor car
349 bhp, 3.2-liter AMG V-6 engine and automatic transmission
Full leather interior, including headliner
Properly appointed with conveniences
Mechanically sound with fine driving habits

The original Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is one of the true iconoclastic automobiles of the 20th Century. It combined an unrivaled racing lineage with a truly innovative design. The 300 SL was notable for a most notable physical feature of Sindelfingen designer Karl Wilfert's beautiful coachwork that is seen with the legendary roof-hinged doors, thus giving the model its eventual nickname, the �Gullwing.' Possibly more than all; the 300 SL offered its exhilarating performance in the lap of luxury.

This inspiring 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing replica is finely built on a 2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG. The donor car is described as being a first owner car that was purchased from Mercedes-Benz of Houston in January 2015. The precise and finely proportioned body is fiberglass that was hand laid from tooling material not regular cloth fiber. The tooling material is normally used in making the molds for a fiberglass body and are said to be 10 times more resilient against cracking.

The chassis, engine, automatic transmission, and suspension all are original Mercedes-Benz parts. The car has been properly tuned, plus the brakes, shocks, and springs were replaced during the transformation. The heating and air conditioning system are both in excellent working order.

The red interior is reported as full leather, including the headliner. The cabin also has matching carpet and the trunk area is finished in the same materials and patterns. The seat inserts and select trunk detail has a diagonal quilted pattern that is nicely detailed. The interior is accessed through the gullwing doors that have shaved handles and are electronically operated. The instrumentation is AMG white-faced gauges and conveniences include air conditioning, Alpine AM/FM/CD system, steering wheel controls, cruise control; power steering, windows, and power four-wheel disc brakes. The alloy wheels are also AMG keeping with the Mercedes-Benz presentation throughout.

The 300 SL is said to run and drive in an excellent fashion with no squeaking or cracking noises from the cockpit. This is a wonderful presentation of a favorite car with modern amenities and mechanical features. The pleasures behind the wheel should be extraordinary.
Addendum:
Please note this vehicle is titled as 2002 Mercedes-Benz.

To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/.