1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe
VIN. 198.040-6500024
Engine no. 198.980.5500877
Body no. 198.040.6500033

2,996cc SOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection
215bhp at 6,100rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front Suspension, Rear Swing Axle, Coil Springs
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

*Delivered at the factory and displayed at the 1956 Geneva Auto Show
*Sold to a private Swiss buyer following the Geneva show
*Acquired by Georgina Garcia Conde of San Antonio, Texas in 1969
*In Mexico since the early 70s, and in current ownership for nearly 30 years
*Specialist restored by a Pebble Beach award-winning specialist
*Recently serviced in preparation for sale
*Classically presented in DB180 Silver over red leather upholstery


THE MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL GULLWING

The immortal 300SL (for Sports Leicht) Gullwing coupe arguably competes for the title of "Greatest Sports Car of the 1950s," and surely qualifies for virtually any petrolhead's Top 10 list of the greatest automobiles of all time. A period favorite of celebrities, it ranks today among the most coveted sports cars ever produced and is a benchmark collectible automobile.

The 300SL Coupe was the direct descendant of Mercedes-Benz' Le Mans W194 competition coupe, conceived in 1952 to wrest the World Sportscar Championship from Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Lancia, which were dominating post-war endurance racing. Mercedes- Benz historian W. Robert Nitzke writes that company management wanted to jump back into Grand Prix racing, where it had been so successful before the war, but lacked the time and resources to develop a new single seater for the 1954 season. Instead, Chief Engineer Fritz Nallinger suggested the company build a new sports car based on the robust SOHC inline six-cylinder engine from its luxurious 300 "Adenauer" series, but substantially modified. Because the engine and drivetrain were relatively heavy, the chassis would have to be extremely light. Test Department manager Rudolf Uhlenhaut sat down with construction engineer Joseph Müller and laid out an extremely light (154 pounds) and rigid lattice-work chassis capable of accommodating the big six. One major problem soon presented itself: there was no way to mount conventional doors without compromising the rigidity of the chassis. The solution was to cut the doors into the roof, but that meant hinging them from the top, thus giving birth to this car's timeless signature design feature.

The 300SL's first racing trial was the 1952 Mille Miglia, where Kling finished second to Giovanni Bracco's open Ferrari, while Rudolf Caracciola was fourth, the two Gullwings being split by a Lancia. The third Coupe had gone off the road early in the grueling contest. Next came the Grand Prix of Berne, where a quartet of 300SLs took the start and swept the top three positions, Caracciola having crashed in what would prove to be his last race. The racing 300SLs spawned the legendary 8-cylinder 300SLR, which further dominated motorsport until the tragedy of the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, when Mercedes-Benz pulled out of global racing for decades.

Max Hoffman, the influential and enterprising New York foreign car importer, is credited with urging Mercedes-Benz to build a production version of the 300SL racing car for the ravenous US market which some say became the original "supercar." The 300SL Gullwing, in final form, was unveiled at the New York International Motor Sports Show in early February 1954, and actual production began that fall. The road car differed slightly in appearance from the racing coupes and featured revolutionary new Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection. Between 1954 and 1957, a total of 1,400 Gullwings were delivered to eager purchasers, and in 1957, the elegant and refined 300SL Roadster followed in its wheel tracks. These proved to be even more successful from a sales standpoint, with 1,858 units produced.


THE CAR OFFERED

Chassis number 6500024 is a fine example of this most iconic automobile, presented in the equally iconic color combination of Silver over Red upholstery. This car's particularly intriguing history begins at the end of February, 1956 when it rolled from the Sindelfingen factory gates for the first time. Finished originally in DB608 (Elfenbien beige), it was sent to Switzerland and displayed at the 1956 Geneva Auto Show. Shortly thereafter, it found its first private buyer, Hans Hürlimann, of the Swiss tractor manufacturer Hürlimann Traktoren. In the first three months, Herr Hürlimann had an unfortunate road accident with the car, but it was returned to the factory in Germany for repairs.

The history goes cold for a period, and the paper trial picks up in 1969 with a copy of an invoice from Motor Imports, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas, showing the SL was acquired by Miss Georgina Garcia Conde for the princely sum of $1,500. Notably, it was invoiced under its engine number, 5500887, at that point. It appears she first imported the car to Mexico, where it has remained ever since.

Sra. Garcia Conde sold the 300SL in 1982, and the next owner kept it for a few short years before it was acquired in 1986 by Mexican business mogul and collector Carlos Hank Rohn. At that time, it is believed the car was finished in red. In 1995, it came into the care of the family offering it here, who commissioned its restoration in Mexico with a Pebble Beach award-winning specialist. It has reportedly enjoyed attentive care for the past three decades, and in preparation for this sale, the vendor reports that the fuel pump was rebuilt, the brake hydraulics serviced, and other minor service performed.

Offered here with an older yet attractive restoration, it is a lovely example to prepare for prestigious rallies like the Colorado Grand, California Mille, or any number of tours with the ever-enthusiastic Gullwing Group. As evident by their seemingly unabated desirability, 300SL is arguably one of the greatest sports cars of all time, and no great collection should be complete without one.