At Villa Erba on 25 May 2013 RM Auctions will offer, as lot 108, a piece of history, a stunning fresh, correct, and highly-equipped, hard top 1962 Mercedes 300SL Roadster. Its expected to reach between $840,000- $1,030,000.
Designed primarily by chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the car was built on a tubular space frame and clothed in aluminium. The production 300SL debuted at the International Motor Sports Show in New York City in January 1954. With the exception of 29 special order examples clothed in all alloy, the body shell was now made of steel, with an aluminium hood, doors, and boot lid, and the chassis was made stronger. In all, 1,400 Gullwing Coupés were sold between 1954 and 1957, approximately 80 per cent of them in the United States.
As demand for the coupé weakened, the factory transform the 300SL into a roadster. Delivered new to Mannheim, Germany, this 300SL Roadster was first sold to a Swiss customer. It has had no more than two registered owners since, and the original owner’s widow has confirmed that the 34,000 kilometres now showing on the odometer is consistent with the usage it received during their long-term stewardship.
This Mercedes has been the subject of a painstaking, five-year body-off rebuild. Acquired as a rust- and accident-free original car, it was restored to international show quality, using new-old stock and Mercedes-Benz replacement components. The restoration is documented with an extensive dossier of invoices and photographs.
The car was finished in its original, authentic Mercedes-Benz White (DB-050), with a contrasting interior in rich Burgundy, and with matching soft top and a corresponding White hard top. The glass has all been replaced with new pieces from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, bearing the correct imprints. The Mercedes also includes a new set of fitted luggage by Karl Baisch. Originally delivered without a radio, it is equipped today with a correct new-old stock Becker Mexico unit with electric antenna. A major advance is the Easydrive electric power steering. Other upgrades include an electric radiator fan with both thermostat and manual controls, for optimum operation in all weather, and a removable blind on the oil cooler.
