Photo: RM Sotheby's
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is probably the most iconic model bearing the three-pointed star and a dream for any collector. As rare as these beautiful machines might be, some of them are real mirages on wheels, like the ones made of aluminum alloy. Only 29 cars with such a body were ever produced, and one of them is for sale at RM Sotheby’s.
Motorsport is all about racing cars with more power and less weight, while also trying to stay in the race by not crashing the car. More power is always easy, and the driver is there to make sure the latter is a given, but making the car lighter, that’s something that takes a lot of work and resources. Mercedes-Benz tried to solve this riddle by building the 300 SL’s body out of magnesium alloy. The car was supposed to be raced in the 1953 racing season, but Mercedes gave up, opting to go with Formula 1 instead.
This extraordinary effort would’ve been lost had Mercedes not opted to offer a similar car to retail customers. It was dubbed “Leichtmetallausführung” or “Light Metal Version,” and out of practical reasons the body was made out of aluminum instead of magnesium. Excepting the windshield, all cabin windows were replicated in plexiglass, resulting in an overall weight reduction of 209 pounds (95 kg).
Of course, the car was properly modified to make use of the new alloy body. The 3.0-liter inline-6 engine was fitted with a competition camshaft, as well as a new throttle butterfly valve, and a recalibrated fuel distributor. Together with the higher compression ratio, these modifications helped it achieve 215-horsepower. Further improvements include sportier suspension and special vented front drum brakes.
The car was released to the public in 1955 but the price premium over the normal production version meant only 24 sold that year, with another four following in 1956. The example on auction at RM Sotheby’s (chassis number 5500332) is number 13 out of the 24 units built in 1955 and is said to have been ordered by Joseph F. Weckerlé, the official Mercedes agent in Casablanca, Morocco.
The car was acquired in 1982 by Hyatt Cheek, then-president of the Gullwing Group owner club and a director-at-large on the Mercedes-Benz Club of America's National Board. He drove the car regularly, and it has now around 19,500 km (12,110 miles) on the odometer. It‘s one of the few Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing examples to retain its original alloy body and engine. This explains the seven-figure valuation, although we wouldn't rule out gaining an eighth during the auction.
This extraordinary effort would’ve been lost had Mercedes not opted to offer a similar car to retail customers. It was dubbed “Leichtmetallausführung” or “Light Metal Version,” and out of practical reasons the body was made out of aluminum instead of magnesium. Excepting the windshield, all cabin windows were replicated in plexiglass, resulting in an overall weight reduction of 209 pounds (95 kg).
Of course, the car was properly modified to make use of the new alloy body. The 3.0-liter inline-6 engine was fitted with a competition camshaft, as well as a new throttle butterfly valve, and a recalibrated fuel distributor. Together with the higher compression ratio, these modifications helped it achieve 215-horsepower. Further improvements include sportier suspension and special vented front drum brakes.
The car was released to the public in 1955 but the price premium over the normal production version meant only 24 sold that year, with another four following in 1956. The example on auction at RM Sotheby’s (chassis number 5500332) is number 13 out of the 24 units built in 1955 and is said to have been ordered by Joseph F. Weckerlé, the official Mercedes agent in Casablanca, Morocco.
The car was acquired in 1982 by Hyatt Cheek, then-president of the Gullwing Group owner club and a director-at-large on the Mercedes-Benz Club of America's National Board. He drove the car regularly, and it has now around 19,500 km (12,110 miles) on the odometer. It‘s one of the few Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing examples to retain its original alloy body and engine. This explains the seven-figure valuation, although we wouldn't rule out gaining an eighth during the auction.
Google News