German title

Chassis no. 198042 10 002678 Engine no. 198980-10-002741

- Restored to a very high standard

- Matching numbers (chassis, engine, gearbox, rear axle and front stub axles)

- Magnificently presented, with its two-tone hardtop as it left the factory

- Only one owner for its first 30 years

- Last registered in his name

  

Presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1957, the new 300 SL roadster replaced the ‘Gullwing’ coupé, production of which ended at the beginning of the year. The roadster represented the culmination of the 300 SL’s career, the ideal compromise between a sporting pedigree and the refinement customers expected from cars at this price. It could reach 240kph and was perfectly suited for undertaking long journeys without fatigue, surrounded by luxury, or to go to the opera in evening dress. Built with the utmost care, its handling was very safe, thanks to its modified rear suspension and, from 1961, new disc brakes. The roadster would, moreover, enjoy a longer career than the coupé and was only dropped from the range in 1963. It would never be replaced: the 230 SL which succeeded it could not lay claim to the same sporting lineage. The Mercedes 300 SL roadster is therefore one of the most iconic and prestigious models to have borne the three-pointed star. A milestone in the history of the oldest car maker of all, it marks the intersection of the two characteristics that symbolise the company: sport and luxury.

According to its factory build sheet, this Mercedes 300 SL left the factory on 7 October 1960 and was first registered on 10 October, with the number N-JP347, in the name of the Herrmann company, an electrical engineering concern in Nuremberg. It stood out from the other models on account of its unusual colour scheme: it had black paintwork (‘Schwarz 40’) with an interior in pearl grey leather and a black hood. It was delivered with the optional two-tone hardtop, as is noted in its Fahrzeug-Daten. It appears that at the end of the 1970s, the car was taken off the road, as its registration certificate was cancelled in March 1979 with the comment "Länger als 1 Jahr aus dem Verkehr” (off the road for more than a year). It was re-registered on 14 May 1982 with the number N-TC254, still in the name of the Herrmann company. It therefore remained registered in this name until at least this date, and probably much longer.

This superb roadster received a very high-quality restoration in the 2010s, undoubtedly carried out by Kienle or another restoration firm working to the same standards, as can be seen from a valuation report produced in March 2018 by Christian Kramer, a FIVA expert. This report gave the 300 SL Roadster – which had 3,011km on the clock at the time – a rating of ‘1-’ (one minus), very close to the highest possible score of ‘1’ (the lowest being ‘5’). The report emphasised the remarkable condition of the car, which still has its original components: the engine, gearbox, rear axle, steering box and front stub axles with matching numbers. The restoration has been perfectly preserved, with faultless paintwork in its original shade of black, superb chromework and magnificent beige leather upholstery, respecting how it was fitted out when new and with instruments and controls which operate extremely well. Its owner drove the car every three months for about 50 kilometres. Very careful by nature, he had it regularly serviced. The last major service, at which all the fluids were changed, the brakes overhauled and the tyres replaced, has just been carried out by HK Engineering. The restoration work plainly left nothing to chance, and the engine bay and boot are also immaculate.

Since 2018, the car has been driven very little, as when the current owner bought it, the odometer was reading only 3021km. Since then, it has covered only another 500km. The roadster will be sold with its original tool kit and jack.

 

This is therefore an exceptional example of one of the fastest, most prestigious and most iconic sports cars of the 1950s and early 1960s. In roadster form, it combines its majestic engine with the pleasures of a relaxed drive when the sun lets you drop the hood, the better to hear the growl of its in-line six with its origins in competition. And in winter, its original two-tone hardtop protects you from the cold: the best of both worlds!

Participating in the auction on this lot is subject to a special registration process. If you would like to bid on this lot, please get in touch with the bidding office or the motor car department at least 48 hours before the sale. 

Photos © Dennis Noten