by Wallace Wyss –
Here’s your chance to “corner the market” on two original Mercedes 300SL, the gullwing coupe and a roadster.
The gullwing was made from ’54 through ’57 and the roadster continued from ’57 through ‘63.
Gooding & Company, announced last month that they will be rolling out a pair of Mercedes 300SL, a Gullwing and a Roadster, that both came from a single family ownership. Garage mates, y’ might say.
Photo courtesy of Gooding & Company
Mercedes 300SL
You won’t really corner the market since there are several thousand ‘50’s through early ‘60s 300SLs built but since only a handful are for sale at any one time, you can bag two of the available ones, both just rolling out into the sunlight after six decades.
It is pretty much recognized that, for their time, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was revered as a pinnacle of design and engineering. These two are not restored but being touted as highly original examples that showcase limited mileage and long-term ownership–both plusses with collectors.
“Today, some 60 years on, it is almost impossible to find another pair of 300SLs still in their original family ownership and unrestored,” noted Garth Hammers, a Specialist at Gooding. “I think collectors are going to be very excited to see these two particular cars come to auction at Pebble Beach.”
Gooding estimates the ’55 coupe will go for $1,000,000-$1,300,000.
One funny story about the coupe is that the original buyer, a publishing executive, insisted on ordering it in British Racing Green (DB 221) over tan leather—a rarely seen color combo among the total of 1,400 gullwings built. The car has only 16,000 miles on the clock.
Gooding estimates the 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster will go from $800,000-$1,000,000.
It is finished in Silver-Blue Metallic (DB 353) over a gray leather interior and a parchment soft top. That car accumulated a bit more miles – just under 38,000 miles but has the bragging rights of having an original matching Karl Baisch luggage set.
This year the Gooding will be Friday and Saturday instead of the usual Saturday and Sunday. The Gooding website has more details.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Wallace Wyss
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is a co-host of Autotalk, broadcast from KUCR FM Riverside, each week on 88.3 FM.
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