1954 MERCEDES 300SL GULLWING HEADLINES SILVERSTONE CLASSIC SALE

1954 MERCEDES 300SL GULLWING HEADLINES SILVERSTONE CLASSIC SALE

1954 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing

Silverstone Auctions are delighted to present their headline lot, the 1954 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, for their Silverstone Classic sale on the 27th and 28th July 2019.

The 300SL Gullwing is an iconic Mercedes-Benz coupe that was first produced in 1954. Only 1,400 cars were ever made and early cars such as this one, are particularly desirable. In 1999 the 300SL Gullwing was voted "Sports car of the century".

Nick Whale, Managing Director of Silverstone Auctions commented: “We are privileged to offer this car fresh to market from the same private ownership as the 300SL Roadster that we sold at the Silverstone Classic in 2018.”

“This car comes with an impressive history file and with a unique first UK owner being the late Peter Warr, who was the team manager for the Lotus Formula 1 team.”

“He imported the car from Arizona in 1989 and subsequently enjoyed the car until it was purchased by our vendor in August 1993.”

“What is really special about this Gullwing is its an early car and features the highly desirable full 'belly pans'.”

When supplied new on 27th December 1954 to Hoffman of New York, the car was originally finished in Mercedes racing silver. It is now presented in Fire Engine Red as it was when Peter Warr imported the car in 1989.

It has also been fitted with a sports camshaft upgrade and, more recently, electronic power steering which can be removed if required.

The comprehensive history file shows the thorough and diligent maintenance of the car by well-known 300SL Specialists, including John Surtees Engineering, marque expert Ron Waghorn, marque expert Tommy Johnston and more latterly Neil Corns of Omega Motorsport. The plethora of parts invoices are from Keinle, HK Engineering and Classic Mercedes UK but, most important of all, the injection pump was completely overhauled and rebuilt by HK Engineering in Germany just 2 years ago. Both the gearbox and brakes have also been recently overhauled, including both the brake drums and master cylinders

The car has benefitted from regular use and has been on many European motor tours to exotic places such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Monaco, as well as competing on the Ecurie Ecosse Scottish Tours no less than 12 times!

Nick Whale continued ”It has clearly been loved and cherished by our enthusiastic vendor who is now ready to let the car enjoy its next chapter.”

The Silverstone Classic Auction takes place on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July 2019 offering an exclusive selection of classic cars, sports cars and supercars, including automobilia and luxury watches. The lots can be previewed on the 25th July 2019 from 13.30 to 18.30 and on the 26th of July from 09.00 to 18.00

Silverstone Auctions are accepting cars for their Silverstone Classic auction and can be contacted on 01926 691141 or email enquiries@silverstoneauctions.com and would be happy to talk with you and help you through the process of consigning your car.

THE ICONIC 300 SL: FOUR OFFERED AT BONHAMS MERCEDES-BENZ SALE

THE ICONIC 300 SL: FOUR OFFERED AT

BONHAMS MERCEDES-BENZ SALE

 

 

  

 

 

The 300 SL, be it Roadster or Gullwing – is one of the most recognisable models in the history of Mercedes-Benz. On 28 March, four pristine examples of this 1950/60s motoring icon will go under the hammer at Bonhams single-marque Mercedes-Benz Sale.

 

“First introduced with trademark ‘Gullwing’ doors, and often considered as the first real ‘supercar’, the 300 SL proved hugely popular and so was later developed as an open roadster,” said Philip Kantor, Head of European Motorcars.

 

“Bonhams Stuttgart Sale features four fantastic examples of the 300 SL: the 1957 disc-brake  Roadster, from European single family ownership of 48 years (estimated at €1,000,000-1,400,000/£730,000-1,000,000); a 1960 Roadster, previously owned by German industrialist, Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, of the Krupp steel dynasty (estimated at €900,000-1,200,000/£700,000-940,000); another fine 1959 roadster with hardtop (estimated at €1,000,000-1,400,000/£730,000-1,000,000); and finally from 1955, the famed Gullwing (estimated at €950,000-1,250,000/£690,000-900,000).”

 

The evolution of the 300 SL began with imported car impresario, Max Hoffman. When Mercedes-Benz won the Carrera Panamericana (a border-to-border road race across Mexico, held from 1950-1954) in 1952 with a W 194 300 SL coupé, Hoffman seized the moment to approach the marque with a radical idea: take the racing-derived tube frame W194, with its high performance 3-litre engine, and create a road-going sports car aimed at the upper-end of the aspiring US sports car market. 

 

Mercedes-Benz, still valiantly trying to shake off the devastation of the war and the weak European market, took him up on the idea, and the 300 SL was born.
 

Improvements to the 300 SL's usability were made throughout, yet it was still clear that this model was derived from a racing car. As aerodynamics played an important role in the car's speed, the Mercedes-Benz engineers would place horizontal "eyebrows" over the wheel openings to reduce drag. With fully independent suspension, a close-ratio gearbox with straight cut gears and the first direct fuel injection system with fourstroke engine ever offered in a production automobile, the 300 SL was a technological tour-de-force. When introduced in coupé form to the US market at the 1954 New York Auto Show, it became an instant sensation.

 

Held in the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Bonhams auction will feature a variety of some 40 classic motor cars from across the German marque’s century long history.

 

The Mercedes-Benz Museum charts the entire history of the world’s oldest car manufacturer. A total of 1,500 exhibits are featured in the museum, including 160 vehicles.