1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Factory Rudge Wheel RoadsterThis W198 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster is 1 of just 27 examples delivered new with Rudge knock-off wheels while retaining its factory applied original DB 180 Silbergrau Metallic paint and 1079 Rot leather. This 300SL retains all of its original numbers matching components and retains all five of its original, date-coded 300SL Roadster-specific Rudge wheels along with its original Hepco luggage suitcases. Having never before been exhibited on a concours showfield in the United States, this exceptional W198 Roadster checks all of the boxes of a preservation show winner with unusual rarity throughout and is mechanically a star, fully sorted for long distance touring use.A Confluence Of Spectacular RarityThe ability to have Rudge knock-off wheels fitted to a 300SL Roadster when it was delivered new was a special order option continued over from the 300SL Gullwing Coupe production run. Of the 1400 Gullwings produced between 1954 and 1957, estimates suggest that around 350 of them, or 25%, were delivered new with the racing inspired, center-locking Rudge wheels installed. 300SL Roadsters delivered new with these special wheels, however, were far more rare. Of the 1,858 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadsters produced between 1957 and 1963, a mere 27 of them, less than 1.5% of the total Roadster production, were delivered new with the now ultra-desirable option of Rudges. So rare are 300SL Roadsters delivered new with Rudge wheels, that the known number of these specially optioned cars produced by Mercedes-Benz is less than that of aluminum bodied 300SL Gullwings, of which 29 are currently known. From a collectibility standpoint, the Factory Rudge designation is indeed the rarest and most coveted original option for the W198 Roadster model, and by a significant margin.In addition to factory Rudge wheel Roadster examples being significantly rarer than factory Rudge Gullwings, the wheels themselves are also different in size. Whereas the Gullwing Rudge wheels are 5 inches in width, the Roadster Rudge wheels are larger at 5.5 inches, giving them a wider footprint, and thus, better grip to the road. The wheel faces of original Roadster Rudges are also distinctively stamped with 300SLRO, further differentiating them from the Gullwing wheels that came before them. As it would turn out, 1957 would be the final full production year for the fitting of Rudge or other knock-off wheels to new cars in Germany. In 1958, new German transportation laws prohibited the use of these knock-off wheels, affecting not only Mercedes-Benz but also other famous German manufacturers such as BMW and Porsche.The manner in which these special knock-off wheels transform the presence of a 300SL is of such desirability today that aftermarket reproduction versions of the original Rudge wheels have been manufactured at great expense and have been fitted to hundreds of 300SL Roadsters that otherwise originally came fitted with standard bolt-on hubcap wheels. The precious few examples special ordered new with Rudge wheels are standard bearers within the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster production run, with most of the Factory Rudge Roadsters residing as permanent fixtures in the some of worlds finest collections. Very rarely do they come about as for sale.According to a copy of its factory data card, this exceptionally rare and original 300 SL Roadster left the factory at Stuttgart-Unterturkheim on October 21st, 1957 and was originally delivered to North America via Mercedes-Benz Distributors Western Ltd. of Vancouver in late 1957. The Mercedes was finished in DB 180 Silbergrau Metallic (Silver-Grey Metallic) paint over a 1079 Rot (Red) leather interior with a Schwarz (Black) top; all of which is retained today in a beautifully patina fa