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| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955 |
Mercedes-Benz’s 300 SL claimed 2nd in the Mille Miglia, 1-2-3 in the Sports Car Race in Berne, Switzerland, 1st and 2nd at Le Mans, 1-2-3-4 at the Nürburgring, and 1st and 2nd at La Carrera Panamericana. Yet more was to be desired. From his Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Park Avenue showroom, the company’s U.S. distributor, Max Hoffman, said that there was a market in America for a fast, sensual Mercedes-Benz coupé, and a production version of the racing 300 SL, complete with the fascinating and now legendary “gullwing” doors necessitated by the unusual, tall “birdcage” frame design, would be it.
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| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955 |
The “SL” moniker (translated to English as Sport Light) reflected the pioneering use of a welded, tubular-steel, ultra-light frame construction that weighed only 182 pounds. The car also featured fully independent suspension in addition to its fuel-injected, 3.0-litre (2,996 cubic centimetre), OHC straight-six with dry-sump lubrication, and the motor was inclined to the side in order to reduce the height of the front end. The power was rated at 215 brake horsepower at 5,800 rpm (DIN) and delivered through a four-speed manual gearbox. A 161-mph top speed and 0–60 acceleration of approximately eight seconds, depending on the rear-end ratio selected from five options, made the 300 SL the fastest production automobile of its time.
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| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955 |
The 300 SL was also raced and piloted by the top drivers of the day, such as John Fitch, Olivier Gendebien, Paul O’Shea, Prince Metternich, and of course Sir Stirling Moss, who holds the “forever” course record for his famous Mille Miglia finish in 1955. It all added to the romance of a car that seemed destined to become a legend the moment production began. It had all of the right ingredients: incredible exclusivity, incredible speed, and an incredible price.
CHASSIS NUMBER 198.040.5500272
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| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955 |
The Gullwing offered here is recorded in the Gull Wing Group Registry as having been originally delivered through Max Hoffman’s famous New York dealership, finished in White (DB 50) over Red leather (1079) interior. The original owner was reportedly Henry A. Harrell of Long Beach, New York, with whom it is recorded in the Registry. Later, it was purchased from Mr Harrell by the well-known American collector and enthusiast Ernest Stern of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose stable it shared with many other outstanding automobiles, most prominently the ex–Shah of Iran Bugatti Type 57.
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| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955 |
In the early 1990s, the car was sold out of the United States to an Italian collector who almost immediately passed the car to Mr Giordano Biragli. The car was then registered on Italian plates MI 8P6400. In early 1992, the car was acquired by the current seller who participated in the Mille Miglia Storica in 1993 and then again in 1999.
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