An unrestored Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is now for sale. Despite the fact that it looks like a wreckage, connoisseurs know exactly what it’s made of. It is actually a treasure and the price shows just that.
The classic W198 comes with DB 50 white paint an red leather interior. The one who ordered it in the late 1950s is reportedly Hollywood assistant director Roger M. Andrews. But the Western films expert, also involved in the production of the 1948 Superman series and 1949’s Batman and Robin, died in 1958, at the age of 46.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing ended up in the possession of Hollywood real estate developer Leslie Milton Wolf. He didn’t like the white exterior paint much, so he decided to switch to red. The Gullwing was far from being a garage queen. So the odometer clocked mile after mile, reaching around 92,000 miles (148,059 kilometers). It was 1972 when his family after he passed away, decided to sell it.
The third owner of the 300 SL Gullwing didn’t move it around too much. He only took it to 94,164 (151,542 kilometers). If you’re wondering why the body looks that bad, here’s your explanation. And the intention was good. In 2018 though, he restarted the engine and began to peel off the red paint. But the red still shows every here and there. Luckily, the interior hasn’t gone through the same torture. The red leather thus looks impeccable and the Mexico-Becker radio is still functional.
The future owner will have some hard work to do to get this thing look the way it did when it rolled off the assembly line back in 1956. He’s getting the original paperwork, tools and service receipts, plus the original Karl Baisch luggage case.
After the car spent around 60 years in a single family, New York-based Gullwing Motorcars is selling this treasure. All you have to do is pay $1,495,000 and you get to take it home and invest probably just as much to give it the usual “mint condition” the owners of the 300 SL Gullwings usually chase.
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