1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Gullwing' Coupé - Estimate: €1,300,000 - €1,500,000 / £1,100,000 - £1,300,000
Chassis no. 198.040-55-00514
Engine no. 198.980.7500132
• One of the most iconic cars of the 20th Century
• Delivered new to Spain in 1955
• Subsequently exported to the USA
• First restored in the 1980s
• Returned to Europe in the 1990s
• Restored again in 2023
• Owned by a Luxemburg collector since 2023
"When it was first announced by Mercedes-Benz, the production 300 SL Coupé was a startling car built to the German concern's customarily startling standards, but above all what left the general public most open-mouthed about the new car was its upward-opening Gullwing doors...!" - Motors, 1963.
Post-war, Mercedes-Benz had returned to competition in 1952, fielding two of its new 300 SL (W194) sports cars in the Mille Miglia. The pair finishing a creditable 2nd and 4th overall in this most difficult of events, and this promising start was followed up by a win in the challenging Carrera Panamericana. The works first raced the 300 SL (Sport Leicht) in open form, but for the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in June a trio of 'gullwing'-doored coupés was entered. High sills were a feature of the multi-tubular spaceframe chassis, and while access was not a problem of the open car, the enclosed coupé bodywork required innovative thinking - hence the gullwing doors. Karl Kling and Hans Klenk duly brought their 'Silver Arrow' home in 1st place at Le Mans and the 300 SL was on its way to becoming part of motor sporting legend.
Its development encouraged by the influential United States Mercedes-Benz importer, Max Hoffman, the production 300 SL was unveiled at the International Motor Sports Show in New York in February 1954. The production 300 SL road car retained the spaceframe chassis and lightweight aluminium-alloy bodywork of the W194 racer, while its mechanical underpinnings, like the latter's, owed much to the contemporary Mercedes-Benz 300 luxury saloon. A 2,996cc overhead-camshaft inline six, the 300 SL's engine was canted over at 45 degrees to achieve a low bonnet line and produced 215bhp (DIN) at 5,800rpm using Bosch mechanical fuel injection; it was the first time such an induction system had been used on a production automobile. A four-speed, all-synchromesh manual gearbox transmitted power to the hypoid bevel rear axle. Suspension was independent all round: by wishbones and coil springs at the front, with swing axles and coil springs at the rear.
A production 300 SL (W198) was tested by Road & Track magazine in 1955, accelerating from 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 140mph (225km/h), a quite extraordinary performance at the time. Half expecting the long-awaited 300 SL to provide an anti-climax, R&T were delighted to find the new car, "far beyond our wildest expectations. In fact, we can state unequivocally that in our opinion the 300 SL coupé is the ultimate in an all-round sportscar. It combines more desirable features in one streamlined package than we ever imagined or hoped would be possible. Performance? It accelerates from a dead start to 100mph in just over 17 seconds. Dual purpose? A production model 300 SL can make a very acceptable showing in any type of sportscar competition. Yet the car is extremely tractable and easy to drive in traffic. Comfort? The fully enclosed 300 SL is the most comfortable (and safe) high-speed 'cross-country' car built today".
A 300 SL roadster featuring conventional doors was first exhibited at the Geneva Salon in May 1957, and although built in greater numbers has never matched the immortal Gullwing for desirability. Its racing parentage notwithstanding, the 300 SL remains a thoroughly practical car, as civilised in city traffic as it is exhilarating on the Autostrada. By the time 300 SL Gullwing Coupé production ceased in 1957, some 1,400 examples had found customers.
Few post-war sports cars have achieved the legendary status of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, and today the model is both rare and highly sought after by connoisseurs of fine automobiles.
According to its associated history, this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé was delivered new to Spain that same year. One of only three Gullwings exported new to Spain, it was exported to Venezuela in the 1970s and then moved to the USA, where a comprehensive restoration was carried out during the 1980s. During that restoration, the car was fitted with a 1957-model engine; its present colour scheme of solid grey with red leather upholstery being adopted at the same time.
In the 1990s the Mercedes returned to Europe where it remained in the ownership of a German collector for 19 years. In 2012 ownership passed to a German collector then in 2016 to a Austrian collector. The current Luxemburg-based collector has owned the car since 2023. That same year, the Gullwing underwent another comprehensive, documented restoration, including extensive work to the body. The associated documentation is available to the successful purchaser. The car's specification, including its later (1957) engine, should be considered in conjunction with the available documentation. As well as the aforementioned restoration records, the car comes with a copy of the 2012 German Fahrzeugbrief (registration document) and an Austrian expertise carried out in May 2016. Additional documentation consists of a FIVA Identity Card and Luxembourg registration documents.
Belonging to a Luxemburg collector since 2023, the car represents an attractive opportunity to acquire one of Mercedes-Benz's most iconic sports cars, combining the unmistakable styling and advanced engineering of the original Gullwing with a documented restoration history. Its rarity, enduring visual appeal and place in the history of Mercedes-Benz make the 300 SL Gullwing Coupé an important addition to any serious collection of significant post-war sports cars.
Text & Image: Bonhams
The Zoute Sale 11 October 2026, 13:00 CEST
|Knokke-Heist, Le Zoute
