Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe 1955, Alemanha

Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe 1955, Alemanha
Fotografia

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe
Chassis no. 198.040.5500548
Engine no. 198.980.5500575

2,996cc SOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection
240bhp at 6,100rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Drum Brakes

THE MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL GULLWING
Instantly recognizable not only by automobile buffs, but virtually anyone on the planet, the immortal 300SL (for Sports Leicht) Gullwing Coupe arguably competes for the title of "Greatest Sports Car of the 1950s," and surely qualifies for anyone's Top 10 list of the greatest automobiles of all time. A period favorite of wealthy celebrities, it ranks today among the most valued and collectable sports cars ever produced.
The 300SL Coupe was the direct descendant of Mercedes Benz' Le Mans W194 competition Coupe, conceived in 1952. It was aimed at wresting 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 necessary to design, build, and develop a new single-seater for the 1954 season. Instead, Chief Engineer, Fritz Nallinger, suggested that the company build a new two-seat sports car utilizing the strong in-line SOHC six-cylinder engine from its luxurious 300 series. Because the engine and drivetrain were relatively heavy, the chassis would have to be extremely light. Test Department manager Rudolf Uhlenhaut—having some experience with tubular chassis design—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 in-line 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 raise the entry so that the doors cut 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. 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.
Then came Le Mans, where Uhlenhaut struck fear into the competition by bringing an SL Coupe fitted with a hand-operated air brake mounted on the roof. While that particular car was not raced, Mercedes would tuck the idea in its pocket for future use. After the grueling 24-hour epic, a pair of 300SLs had finished in the top two positions...and were then driven back to the factory!
Mercedes Benz sat out the 1953 and 1954 sports car seasons, concentrating instead on developing its new Grand Prix car. However, the SLs were not done. They reappeared in 1955 as the airbrake-equipped 300SLR, utilizing that feature and numerous more of the advancements that were successfully tested on the company's Formula One racing cars. The year would bring triumph and tragedy: 300SLRs winning at Buenos Aires, the incredibly difficult Mille Miglia—where Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won at a record average speed of just under a hundred miles an hour—the Nurburgring, Spa, Zandvoort, Aintree, Kristianstad, Monza, Dundrod, and Sicily's Targa Florio. The only setback, and one that would have devastating consequences, occurred at Le Mans, where team driver Pierre Levegh and more than 80 spectators died in one of racing's worst accidents, prompting Mercedes Benz to withdraw from racing for many years.
New York imported auto entrepreneur Max Hoffman, credited with urging Mercedes Benz to build a production sports car based on the 300SL racing car. The 300SL Gullwing, in final form, was unveiled at the New York International Motor Sports Show in early February of 1954, and actual production began that fall. The new Coupe was slightly changed in appearance from the racing Coupes and featured Bosch direct fuel injection. This prompted the factory to claim it was, "the fastest German production sports car." Between 1954 and 1957, a total of 1,400 Gullwings were delivered to eager purchasers, and in 1957, the elegant and improved 300SL Roadster appeared. These proved to be even more successful from a sales standpoint, with 1,858 units produced.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
Hand-built at the Mercedes-Benz works during the Summer of 1955, this beautiful Gullwing completed its build on July 27, 1955 and was painted in the very typical period color of DB 608 Ivory, with the interior trimmed in code 1079 Red—retained until this day. The new Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing was destined for the US market, more specifically Los Angeles and the mild California climate—quite a rare destination for a 300SL of the period, as most went to Max Hoffman's New York-based agency. All of these dates and records are neatly documented in several books, and on the copies of the factory build sheets, which can be found in the car's history file.
The Gullwing's first owner remains unknown, but that person is believed to have kept the car until 1972. After which the luxurious car was sold to a Mr. Ottmar Thomas of Visalia, California. Mr. Thomas retained the sporting Mercedes-Benz until 1990, when he sold it to renowned 300SL expert, Paul Russell. The Gullwing would later join the collection of racing driver and collector, Mr. Lothar Motschenbacher. Most recently, the 300SL Gullwing has formed part of a prominent Reno, Nevada-based collection of exceptional European sports cars. It is evident, that the Mercedes-Benz has been used sparingly and always kept in very good storage over the years.
A close look reveals the now Silver Metallic exterior paint (DB 180) in good condition, though with some light door dings and small imperfections in areas. The red interior—including the beige headliner—is original and shows an absolutely lovely patina. The original ivory-colored steering wheel is in place, as is the original VDO gauges and switch-gear. Chrome and brightwork, as well as lights and lenses, appear original and preserved, showing minimal aging. Furthermore, the factory chassis, body, and paint tags are all original and unaltered. The engine compartment has retained many factory finishes, and, keeping with its authenticity, the engine is the matching numbers unit, which appears to never have been opened up or out of the car.

This lovely 300SL Gullwing is a well-cared for example, which appears to never have been dismantled or modified. A Mille Miglia eligible Mercedes-Benz with superb looks and engineering under the hood, this matching numbers 300SL Gullwing deserves serious consideration.

Fonte: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25101/lot/36/

Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe 1955, Alemanha

Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe 1955, Alemanha
Fotografia

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Chassis no. 198.040.5500771
Engine no. 198.980.5500295

427cu. in. OHV V-8 Engine
Single 4 barrel Carburetor
410bhp at 6,000rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

THE MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL GULLWING
Instantly recognizable by virtually anyone on the planet, the immortal 300SL (for Sports Leicht) Gullwing coupe arguably competes for the title of "Greatest Sports Car of the 1950s", and surely qualifies for anyone's Top 10 list of the greatest automobiles of all time. A period favorite of wealthy celebrities, it ranks today among the most valued and collectable sports cars ever produced.
The 300SL coupe was the direct descendant of Mercedes Benz' Le Mans W194 competition coupe, conceived in 1952 and aimed at wresting the World Sportscar Championship from Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Lancia. Chief Engineer Fritz Nallinger suggested that the company build a new two-seat sports car utilizing the strong in-line SOHC six-cylinder engine from its luxurious 300 series. Test Department manager Rudolf Uhlenhaut, having some experience with tubular chassis design, 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 in-line 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 raise the entry so that the doors cut 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 the cars finished second and forth. Next came the Grand Prix of Berne, where a quartet of 300SLs took the start and swept the top three positions. Then came Le Mans, where after the grueling 24-hour epic, a pair of 300SLs had finished in the top two positions... and were then driven back to the factory! In 1955, Mercedes would go on an incredible winning streak which included the famous Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson victory where a record average speed of just under a hundred miles an hour was set.
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 new coupe was slightly changed in appearance from the racing coupes and featured Bosch direct fuel injection. It was claimed by the factory, "the fastest German production sports car".
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
Although this Gullwing is one of 1,100 production cars built on the blueprint of the race model – it has an outstanding race history of its own.
The Gullwing was completed at the factory on January 10th, 1955. The car was ordered in the gorgeous shade of DB 534 red, over a 953 black interior. The formative years of the car are undocumented, but early records suggest that this Gullwing was driven in race events right out of the gate – as it was shipped back to Stuttgart in the 60s where it received a new aluminum motor complete with sports cam. Jump to November, 1978, and the car appeared in an advertisement in Hemmings Motor News offered for $30,000 – completely restored in fire engine red with black interior and only 13,000 miles on the new aluminum motor. Mr. John Olson, editor and publisher of the SL Market Letter in Minneapolis, Minnesota, snapped up the car and a new era began.
In 1982, Olson entered the car in the 3,000 mile road rally from Boston to San Diego, called the Four Ball Rally. Apparently averaging a 'sedate' 65 miles an hour, the 27-year-old classic – the oldest car in the field - finished in 47 hours. The following year the car came in 3rd in the Coast to Coast Cannonball, a strenuous feat which resulted in Olson having the Gullwing overhauled in April, 1984, under the watchful eye of Paul Russell at Gullwing Service Co. in Essex, Massachusetts. With all systems fully addressed, it was off to the races again.
In 1986, Olson drove the car to 2nd place in a field of thirty 300 SLs at Laguna Seca, and then attended the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which was honoring the Mercedes-Benz marque that particular year. In his final racing foray, Olson entered his Gullwing into the Mille Miglia of 1987 and upon completion extended his European tour in Stuttgart where he presented the car at the annual Mercedes meet. Finally, Olson decided it was time to hang up his racing goggles and in 1988 he let the car go to Alex Dearborn of Topfield, Massachusetts, with no small amount of nostalgia and reluctance. In a letter scripted in Olson's superb penmanship (and included in the documents provided herewith) he tells Dearborn that over the past decade he spent over $35,000 on the mechanicals to draw out the car's 'guts and vinegar'. He goes on to say, "This car has soul, but don't be afraid of it. The harder you drive it, the more it loves you."
Dearborn immediately put this advice to the test and drove the Gullwing to first place overall at the Road America 300 SL Grand Prix in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The following year the car was treated to a repaint – again in fire engine red – and was re-detailed, before entering the Historic Exhibition Race at Lime Rock, Connecticut, in 1989. According to magazine clippings, Dearborn and his Gullwing led the field for most of the race, but was out-maneuvered towards the end by another red Gullwing driven by Joe Tompkin. Crowds at the finish line erupted at the Mercedes one-two finish, reminiscent of the team victories celebrated by the factory race teams of the 1950s.
In 1990, Dearborn sold the car into a major East Coast collection, and thenceforth it was never raced again. Since its track days, the Gullwing has been routinely maintained and carefully stored by the collector and current owner – thus rendering the car in its current excellent condition. The paint is very good for a car restored almost 40 years ago, the engine bay is clean and tidy, and the interior exhibits a comfortable patina of careful use.
Accompanying the 1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing is an extensive portfolio of documentation: race history, advertisements, judging record sheets, service invoices, handwritten correspondence and clippings from several magazines, including Victory Lane and Vintage Motorsports. Maps of racing routes and photographs of the car en route add important historical gravitas and color to this extraordinary Gullwing's racing history. This car has it all – it is collectible, highly desirable, a legend of the Mercedes line and a thoroughbred racing champion of the Golden Years of 1950s motor racing. It's beautiful, iconic, suited up and ready for its next racing adventure at the hands of a worthy companion.

Fonte: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23977/lot/91/?category=list&length=111&page=1

Bugatti Type 57SC Sports Tourer Coachwork by Vanden Plas, França

Bugatti Type 57SC Sports Tourer Coachwork by Vanden Plas, França
Fotografia

1937 BUGATTI TYPE 57SC SPORTS TOURER
Coachwork by Vanden Plas
Chassis no. 57541
Engine no. 29S

3,257cc DOHC Supercharged 8-Cylinder Engine
Stromberg Carburetor and Roots-type Supercharger
200bhp at 4,500rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Low-slung Leaf Spring Suspension
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

THE BUGATTI TYPE 57
"The car sped along at 80 mph with the comfort and quietness one associates with the Type 57... We were quite willing to believe that Jean Bugatti has achieved the 435 kilometers to Paris in just under 3½ hours in the Type 57 - an average of 77mph..." - Motor Sport, May 1939, writing about the normally-aspirated Bugatti Type 57.
Introduced in 1934, the Type 57 marked Jean Bugatti's emergence as Bugatti's leader and creative driving force. It was the first new model built under his direction and it incorporated many features new to Bugatti. Its dual overhead camshaft eight-cylinder engine had dimensions of 72x100mm, offering 3,257cc displacement, with a five main bearing crankshaft. The camshafts were driven by a train of helical-tooth gears at the engine's rear with a further crankshaft bearing behind them. Finger cam followers minimized side thrust on the valve stems. The Type 57 also marked Bugatti's first use of a transmission fixed to the engine crankcase and a single plate clutch. The top three gears in the four-speed gearbox were constant mesh. A proper Bugatti hollow tube live front axle was suspended by semi-elliptical front and reversed quarter-elliptical rear leaf springs with cable-operated mechanical drum brakes.
Despite financial problems, development of the Type 57 continued with the introduction of a stiffened frame and rubber-mounted engine, along with the supercharged Type 57C model in 1936. Driven by the camshaft drive at the rear of the engine, the Roots-type supercharger ran at 1.17 times engine speed. This provided a 5-6 psi boost and a healthy 160 bhp which made close to 120 mph possible. The Type 57 in all its forms attracted discerning owners who were only satisfied with the best, among them land speed record holder Sir Malcolm Campbell, who wrote: "If I was asked to give my opinion as to the best all-round super-sports car which is available on the market today, I should, without any hesitation whatever, say it was the 3.3 Bugatti... it cannot fail to attract the connoisseur or those who know how to handle the thoroughbred. It is a car in a class by itself."

THE TYPE 57 S AND SC

This was the already fantastic chassis that spawned the Type 57S, where the S stood for surbaissé, or lowered – virtually a Grand Prix car in touring car guise. Although the 57S shared some features with its progenitor, the differences between the two models placed the 57S in a league of its own. Mechanical excellence was achieved by fitting a modified crankcase with dry sump lubrication derived from the T59 GP car, including separate scavenge and pressure oil pumps supplied from a 20 liter tank. High compression pistons gave the new engine a significant performance edge, and the clutch was reinforced to cope with the extra output. Ignition was by a Scintilla Vertex magneto driven from the left-hand camshaft. With its low weight, abundant power and small frontal area, the 57S had suddenly become a very, very fast automobile.
However, the fundamental difference between the 57S and the standard Type 57 lay in the low-slung frame design with its shorter wheelbase. The rear axle passed through the frame, while de Ram shock absorbers provided damping cleverly engineered to increase with speed. This new low chassis and the distinctive 57S vee-shaped radiator was a gift to the stylist, and the Jean Bugatti-influenced Atalante Coupé styling that was fitted to 17 of the 57S chassis, blended impeccably with the sculpted radiator design. Production was very limited. A mere 48 Type 57S chassis were built until the outbreak of hostilities. Two of these were 57SC models, fitted with a supercharger by the factory to create the ultimate-specification 200 bhp prewar French supercar. Along with the legendary Alfa-Romeo 8C 2900, the Type 57SC was quite simply the fastest road car in the world. With these extraordinary credentials, it is little wonder then that the 57S has been held in awe across the decades by collectors and enthusiasts alike, right up to the present day.
Even rarer than the Type 57S chassis that were bodied with Bugatti factory designs built by Gangloff in Colmar, were the very few that were handed over to outside coachbuilders. The car offered here is one of these ultimately rare cars. The Carrosserie Van den Plas was incorporated in Brussels in 1898. Automobile body manufacture commenced in 1900, and the company grew quickly. From about 1906, Metallurgique cars with Van den Plas bodies were imported into England by a company called Warwick Wright, which acquired the license to manufacture Van den Plas bodies and designs for the United Kingdom in 1910. In 1913, Vanden Plas (in two words) Ltd. was incorporated which then became a coachbuilding company in its own right.
The two companies led separate lives, but co-existed peacefully over the years. From 1924 to 1931, the English Vanden Plas company became famous for its rakish bodies on W.O. Bentley chassis, of which about 700 were built. With its reputation for quality coachwork well-established, Vanden Plas also bodied a number of Alvis, Armstrong Siddeley, Bentley, Daimler, Lagonda, and Rolls-Royce chassis in the 1930s. Vanden Plas bodied a total of two Type 57S chassis, namely the subject car and chassis 57572 which was given two-seater cabriolet coachwork in the autumn of 1937.
THE MOTORCAR OFFERED
The history of 57541 described here relies on the work of Bugatti expert Pierre-Yves Laugier, as well as on that of Bernhard Simon and Julius Kruta. All three have published chassis-by-chassis accounts of the Type 57S, which have been used.
George Rand, who had recently been appointed Bugatti agent in New York, ordered 57541 via Colonel Sorel, the London agent on Brixton Road. The chassis was sent to Vanden Plas and given a four-seat touring-roadster body no. 3595. Painted gray with red accents, the cost of this exquisite bolide was £ 275. Bodied in the classic minimalistic British style with sporting cut-down doors, 57541 resembles the Vanden Plas 4 1/4-liter Bentley Tourer body no. 3340 delivered to Malcolm Campbell in April 1936, as well as the 4.3-liter short chassis Alvis body no. 3588 built in 1937. Historically and stylistically, these three bodies can trace their lineage directly back to the great Vanden Plas-bodied W.O. Bentleys from the late 1920s. Colonel Sorel must have been justifiably happy with the result, as 57541 was pictured in the company's 1937-1938 catalog.
George Rand had 57541 shipped to New York where it is likely that it was used in the A.R.C.A. races on September 25, 1937. Period images exist of the car taken at the Roosevelt Raceway race in New York without the fender skirts it was fitted with initially. Rand was unable to find a buyer for the car, and it was shipped back to England and shown on the Bugatti stand at the London Motor Show held at the Olympia from October 13 to 22, 1938. On November 3, 1938, it was registered with the number FGW 384. The first English owner remains unknown. It is likely that 57541 remained in England, but according to Pierre-Yves Laugier, it is possible that by the end of 1938, 57541 was in the ownership of Herman H. Harjes, Jr., director of the Harjes and Morgan Bank on the Place Vendôme in Paris.
57541 vanished from sight during the hostilities, but towards the end of the war, it appeared for sale at the Continental Cars garage which was owned by Rodney Clarke, and it is likely that it was given registration number DXP 970 in 1947. That same year, the car had no less than three owners, namely Rodney Clarke, Brian Finglass, and Sir Alfred McAlpine, all of whom were managers of Continental Cars. Using Jack Bartlett as intermediary, they sold 57541 to Jack Robinson, who exported it to Trinidad, where it was registered as PB 371. According to Pierre-Yves Laugier, Robinson stated in a 1952 issue of Bugantics that when he bought the car through Bartlett, it was equipped with a Type 35B 3-blade racing supercharger. Robinson also noted that major work had been done to the car including fitting a new crankshaft, crankcase, cylinder block, pistons and connecting rods. In 1952, the car was completely overhauled, but its original gray color was kept. As Laugier succinctly states, "After its restoration, Robinson made the XK120 Jaguars pay dearly at the Trinidad Aerodrome, where he reached speeds of more than 180 km/h."
Robinson kept 57541 for more than thirty years and sold it to Peter Agg in 1985, with Leonard Potter possibly acting as middle man. Via his Trojan company, Agg undertook a complete restoration of the car. The engine was given to Crosthwaite and Gardner, who replaced the 35B supercharger with a correct Type 57, thereby bringing 57541 up to factory correct 57SC specification. Hydraulic brakes were fitted and the car was repainted in the light metallic blue color that it wears today. Agg took great joy in using 57541, and he was regularly seen participating at the Prescott hill climbs and various circuits. In 1995, the car was sold to its present owner, who has retained it for the past 20 years.
Remarkably, 57541 has a virtually unbroken chain of protective owners who have taken extremely good care of this automotive jewel since it left the factory. Factor in the unbeatable combination of its unique coach built body and genuine 1930s supercar underpinnings, and the result is truly a heady cocktail. The Bugatti Type 57S embodies the highest standards in road holding, engineering refinement and maximum performance in a prewar car. It also displays a sheer mechanical elegance is the very pinnacle of mid-1930s aesthetic finesse. One can lose oneself, just contemplating the gorgeous engine compartment. The Type 57S ticks every box – it is in many ways the ultimate pre-war supercar, and in SC form, certainly faster than virtually anything else on the road at the time. The production run of the 57S was brief as manufacturing costs were high, and a devastating war intervened. Rarest of the rare, 57541 represents a unique opportunity for an enlightened collector to acquire one of the greatest classic cars in the world.
The full production and current ownership record is summarized by Bernhard Simon and Julius Kruta in their reference work on the model. The list represents a stunning statement of the importance and exceptional esteem that collectors have held these cars in almost from new. When such things were still possible the Schlumpf brothers cleverly snapped up no fewer than 9 of them, precluding 20% of the production from changing hands again. Trend setting collector Ralph Lauren is one who can count 2 in his definitive stable, the majestic Atlantic Coupe as well as a convertible for example. As one analyzes this list today the potential to secure one, let alone an open car becomes so much more daunting, given that so many are now in long term ownerships or Institutional collections. A measure of this might well be the fact that it is 17 years ago since a convertible was offered publicly.

Fonte: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23133/lot/139/