Vehicle Description
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/.
