SL-Class (W198 / W121) Mercedes Benz SL 300 Gullwing


The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was a road-going version of the W198 racing car with extensive modifications to the body. The 300 SL in coupé form was introduced in 1954, featuring its trademark gullwing doors. Produced from 1954 to 1963.
Potentially the Most Expensive Gullwing Ever
Jonathan Klein
July 30, 2015

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One of the most rare and valuable cars in the collector car market is, of course, the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. It’s an icon. One that routinely commands multi-million dollar price tags. Now, one of the rarest of these already rare cars will be heading across the auction block next month at Pebble Beach.

Over the years the Gullwing was produced, Mercedes only built 29 examples of the iconic sportscar with a lightweight all aluminum body. This is one of those 29. Not only did the aluminum body create a more striking exterior, but it dropped the weight of the car significantly. Additionally, this Gullwing features a 3.0L inline-six cylinder engine with a competition camshaft. This little piece of race engineering boosts the overall horsepower of the car to 215. Back in the day, this made for a very lively ride.

This car is part of the Pinnacle Porfolio collection, which features vehicles totaling an estimated $65 million. And this particular car may be one of the most valuable in the collection. Currently, RM Auctions is expecting this Gullwing to go for anywhere between $5.5 million to $6.5 million. The auction will take place as part of Pebble Beach’s Concours d’ Elegance on August 14th.



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Potentially the Most Expensive Gullwing Ever - MBWorld
 
Wild Wing: Mercedes-Benz 1954 300SL Sells for $1.9 Million
Tony Markovich
Christmas Eve, 2015

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Oh, you think spending a grand on Christmas is a lot to handle? That’s cute. A 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing just sold for a casual $1.9 million. Even crazier, that’s not even the most ever paid for this model.

Known as one of the most important cars in automotive history, the 300SL’s top price came in 2012 when it sold for $2.2M at a Barrett-Jackson auction, so technically, this is a steal. Fixed up by 300SL Restorer Rudi and Company in Vancouver, B.C., this Gullwing has nearly every possible option, and only 45,887 miles on the clock.

The car was originally imported into Canada by a man named Leopold Poldi Bentley (insert ironic joke here), a lumber cash cow, and was eventually used as a show car for a Mercedes-Benz dealership he opened. The car, which still has the original 4-speed manual and 3.0L, 2,996cc M198 inline-6, was sold in 1956 and stayed with the buyer for 50 years. The paint was redone during the restoration, but this is about as clean and original of a ’54 SL as you’re going to find.

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Wild Wing: Mercedes-Benz 1954 300SL Sells for $1.9 Million - MBWorld
 
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Famous chequered pattern from racing: Maximum originality: Upholsteries for Mercedes-Benz 300 SL available again in original specification
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The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” is regarded as the sports car of the century. Its interior is characterised by chequered upholsteries like the ones used in the 300 SL sports car (W 194). Mercedes-Benz Classic has now arranged for the original patterns from the 300 SL (W 198, 1954 to 1957) series sports car to be reproduced by the original supplier according to their original specification. The fabrics can be ordered from any Mercedes-Benz sales partner.

Stuttgart. Three chequered upholsteries with the code numbers L1 (blue-grey), L2 (red-green) and L3 (green-beige) for seat cushions and seat backrests were available ex factory for the legendary 300 SL “Gullwing”. They were combined, for example, on the seat side bolsters and seat backs, with MB-Tex in blue, beige and green. Leather upholstery was available as an alternative for an additional charge of DM 600.

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This reproduction of the chequered upholsteries is Mercedes-Benz Classic’s response to the popular request from owners of the legendary sports car for the original specification of the interior material. As was the case at the premiere of the “Gullwing” model in 1954 the three fabrics correspond to the original delivery specification of the then Daimler-Benz AG, and are therefore made from 100-percent high-quality wool yarn. When it came to determining the exact colours and patterns, Mercedes-Benz Classic worked closely with the Design department in Sindelfingen – which is also historically authentic.

All three original standard equipment variants L1, L2 and L3 can be ordered from any Mercedes-Benz sales partner by the metre with the following part numbers:

Blue-grey chequered design (L1): A 000 983 44 86 / 5000
Red-green chequered design (L2): A 000 983 44 86 / 3000
Green-beige chequered design (L3): A 000 983 44 86 / 6000

The price per metre with a useful width of 1,400 millimetres is EUR 184.45 including VAT.

Variant L1 was delivered in nearly 80 percent of the 300 SL models with a fabric interior produced from 1954 to 1957. This made the blue-grey chequered gabardine fabric the most popular interior design of all in the 300 SL “Gullwing” – even coming in ahead of the leather variant ordered most frequently. The second most popular fabric pattern was variant L2 at nearly 14 percent, whilst variant L3 was only ordered with a frequency of about 6 percent.

Sheep’s wool not only corresponds to the original specification, it also has numerous functional advantages. The fibre is breathable, offers natural moisture management and thus creates a pleasant seat climate, especially on long journeys. For wool can absorb up to a third of its own weight in moisture and always remains odour-neutral.

The combed yarn consists mainly of longer, and mostly fine fibres which are aligned consistently and in parallel. A fabric made from it is therefore of high quality. The German original supplier has again produced the new upholsteries for the 300 SL in four-ply double-weave twill, creating a very robust material. The fabrics meet the supply specifications of the then Daimler-Benz AG with regard to wear- and scuff-resistance, lightfastness and flammability.

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Polsterstoffe für Mercedes-Benz 300 SL in ursprünglicher Spezifikation wieder erhältlich - Mercedes-Benz Passion Blog / Mercedes Benz, smart, Maybach, AMG
 
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Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz Group AG is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Established in 1926, Mercedes-Benz Group produces consumer luxury vehicles and light commercial vehicles badged as Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, and Mercedes-Maybach. Its origin lies in Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes and Carl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first internal combustion engine in a self-propelled automobile. The slogan for the brand is "the best or nothing".
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