If God said I could only have one car for the rest of my life... wow... very nice car. I would have to go with the European version though, it didnt have the bumper guards and a few of the other things on it. Still, very cool.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL restauration basis

1954, red
restoration basis


Price: upon request

Sales representative: Mr. Uwe Weischedel
Phone: +49(0)711 17 – 8 40 40
Fax: +49(0)711 17 – 8 34 56



General information
The legendary gullwing coupe was the first true sports-car to be developed by Daimler-Benz after the war. Its salient feature was taken from this racing-car, the unusual doors, which earned the car the nickname "gullwing" in English-speaking countries. This unusual design solution was not intended as a publicity stunt, but, as had been the case with the racing car, from a construction point of view, this was an absolute necessity. The tubular space frame, derived from the SL racing-car, which weighed a mere 50 kg, had the drawback that because of its overall height conventional doors were simply not feasible.

The lightweight construction - the complete car with spare tire, tools and fuel weighed only 1295 kg - led to the sensational driving performance of the 300 SL: Depending on rear axle transmission a maximum speed of 235 kph to 260 kph could be achieved.

From August 1954 until May 1957 1,400 units were built in Sindelfingen, 29 of them with a light-alloy body and one test vehicle with a plastic body.

Detailed information
This Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was delivered to its first owner in the USA as the 26th exemplary of the series in October 1954. At that time, it was painted silver metallic and had a fabric interior equipment. The second owner had the paint refreshed in the color DB 180 G, approximately 25 to 30 years ago. As an officer of high rank in the US army, he brought the car to Germany, where he drove it for years with a US registration. The car was serviced by the owner of a Mercedes-Benz garage, a friend of the officer, who bought the car as the officer went back to the USA.

In 1997 the car came back to a private German owner. The current owner used it exclusively for drives with a temporary licence plate. For a lack of time he cannot anymore attend this hobby and thus has decided to sell the vehicle.

Bearing the end number 00026 of the year 1954, this 300 SL gullwing is one of the oldest coupes worldwide, and has never undergone any restoration except for the work mentioned above. By virtue of its early year of construction, the vehicle offers remarkable details, such as pipings and a sole drain hole at the gullwing doors.

The car can be made roadworthy with manageable cost. A complete restoration at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center can be realised for the next owner.