Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955, Alemanha

 

Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1955, Alemanha
Fotografia

Since the dawn of automobile production, the occasional truly outstanding model has appeared periodically to startle and capture the imagination of enthusiasts worldwide. There is perhaps no better example of this than the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing.
The Gullwing’s stunning looks are matched only by its space-age engineering, incredible performance, and world-beating pedigree, which earned its Works-prepared variants convincing victories at many of the world’s premier sportscar races between 1952 and 1956. Mercedes-Benz’s incredible coupé scored wins everywhere from the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Carrera Panamericana to the Liège-Rome-Liège (as well as multiple SCCA and European Rally championships). The 300 SL Gullwing is, without doubt, the sports car of the century—an icon among post-war designs that still captivate collectors today.
From 1949 until 1979, the popularity of road racing among Swedish sportsmen translated nicely into the sales of sportscars. This was especially true of the 300 SL, of which 17 examples were delivered new to Sweden between 1954 and 1956—all of them through the dealerships of Gunnar Valfrid Philipson. Importantly, enthusiasm for the 300 SL was matched by Mercedes-Benz’s own commitment to sportscar racing in Sweden, and during the same three-year period the firm loaned Works-prepared, factory-competition 300 SLs to several Swedish drivers including Mas-Olle Persson, Bengt Martenson, Stig Eklund, Arne Lindberg, and Erik Lundgren—not only at events in Sweden, but across mainland Europe.
For its part, Philipson’s eponymous Mercedes-Benz dealership network sponsored just about every major domestic sportscar event during this period, with a special focus on those to which the factory team was to make an appearance. Among them was the 1955 Kristianstad Grand Prix at Råbelövsbanan, of which a contemporary account from Motor Sport notes, ‘The whole entourage of the Mercedes-Benz … with four lorries, innumerable private cars, the whole of the racing technical staff, team staff, press staff, mechanics and Fangio, Moss and Kling. Mercedes-Benz banners and stars were hung everywhere, they ran special film-shows and dominated the whole scene in a manner that was a little garish for so unimportant an event.’
Completed in February 1955, chassis 5500078 is the 4th of 17 300 SL Gullwing Coupés delivered new to Sweden, and is presented today in its factory-correct colour of Silver Grey Metallic (DB 180)–indisputably the model’s signature shade.
Though much of this Gullwing’s history prior to entering The Aurora Collection in 1981 is unrecorded, it is believed to have resided in Sweden its entire life, save for a brief stint in the United States during the late 1960s. While originally delivered with a set of Rudge wheels that are sadly no longer with the car, the Gullwing does retain features such as special-order driver-operated radiator shutters, a full set of belly pans, and rear mudguards. Bidders should note that, having been kept on static display for a number of years, this car should be subject to mechanical inspection prior to being driven.
Benefitting from an older restoration that retained many of the car’s early-1955 build details, this wonderful 300 SL Gullwing would be eminently suited for an exceptionally wide variety of rallies, tours, or club events.