MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL
‘GULLWING’
Chassis No: 838117B
81,000 miles with full, extensive service history
Comprehensively restored by Hilton & Moss
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Disclaimer: This is a test listing of a car we have photographed/filmed and not a live car for sale.
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’
To this day, the Mercedes motto has been "nothing but the best" words uttered once upon a time by a one Gottlieb Daimler. While many Mercedes-Benz products throughout the years have hit this mark, others have sailed past, like Ray Charles trying to pin the tail on the donkey. But where does the legend of the 300SL "Gullwing" fit in on this scale of greatness? Rarely is something as brilliant as we remember, so is the Mercedes 300 worthy of the legend?
To understand just how mind altering the 300SL was at the time, you need to step back to post war Germany.
In the wake of the second World War, Germany was on its knees. The industrial might had crumbled, economic collapse and poverty had gripped the German people. Lavish expenses and luxuries such as racing had become a distant memory of the pre-war era, but within just five years of the downfall of the Reich, racing was back on the cards. Mercedes-Benz were ready to get back to giving bloody noses.
In order to make the future sports car competitive it needed to offset the weight of the hefty drivetrain and running gear. This gave birth to the "Super Leicht" model that is still in production to this day; The SL. In his spare time Rudolf had designed a space frame for a Formula 3 chassis and with this new experience he set about modifying this chassis for its new purpose. One of the quirks of the space frame is the stressed high point join at the bulkhead, this is one of the few things that can be identified to enforce just how much the 300SL was to be a sister, rather than a long distance cousin of the W194 racer.
Brakes, engine cantering and the famous bubble roof all transferred over to the 300SL. The S-class engine lump was cantered over 50° to lower the bonnet, then breathed on with higher cam profiles and compression ratios. All of these immense performance changes buffed the power figures to a mind bending... 171hp, yes a whopping 53hp per liter. Meanwhile the brakes received the motorsport treatment. Fins were grafted to the edges of the brake drums, running close to the wheel these fins would blow cool air over the brakes keeping temperatures way down. The trade off for this was noticeable power sap. It took 1hp per corner to push the fins through the air, the resulting power now down to just 167hp.
Surprisingly, the area that didn't receive the motorsport treatment was the suspension that came straight from the S-Class, sporting rear trailing arm suspension much like a beetle. Early examples used wet-sump lubrication to save weight, but this was soon changed to a dry-sump arrangement. Mercedes’ existing W186 four-speed gearbox was installed, but uprated with a separate oil pump.
“The sports car of the future has become a reality”
- Road & Track, 1953
Doors, such an obvious part of a car, yet the grief that the Gullwing doors imposed on Mercedes was overwhelming. The W194 had what you could call Gullwing doors, however these "doors" only just came to below the window. Drivers were expected to slide in through the top of the car. Lighter doors = lighter car = racecar. This was a result of the formula 3 chassis not needing doors to compete. In turn, the sills came up to shoulder height.
Bodywork was designed and fabricated in-house at the Sindelfingen works with the exception of the first two prototypes that were manufactured at Unterturkheim. The lightweight fully enveloped bodywork was typical of early 1950s German design. It featured soft curves, short overhangs and little in the way of superfluous decoration. Exposed headlights were mounted either side of a primary nose intake complete with 15-bar grille and three-pointed star. Surprisingly, engine cooling vents were absent from both the hood and flanks. To improve aerodynamics, the cockpit was made as narrow as possible. Visibility was excellent thanks to the slim pillars.
Of the ten W194s originally built, nine were completed with closed Gullwing bodywork and one was in Spyder configuration. At least three of the Gullwings were subsequently transformed to Spyders mid-season. Mercedes’ first prototype was running by November 1951 and in March of 1952, the finished W194 was shown to the press.
Chassis 838117B
Tucked away for over 25 years in a private collection, this 300SL Gullwing has been sympathetically maintained helping preserve its originality and functionality. Dry stored and carefully kept, both bodywork and chassis are almost entirely free of corrosion. The car wears a charming patina gained from its 66-year life and is still finished in its data card correct hue of Feuerwehrrot DB534 red paintwork.
The history of this particular 300SL Gullwing starts in 1956, being sold new to Dr Moffett in New York. After initial purchase, Dr Moffet shipped the car back to his residence in Denver Colorado. In total Dr Moffett owned the vehicle for 16 years, but sadly in the final years the car saw little use and lived in a nailed shut garage to prevent thieves from stealing it. Dr Moffett eventually sold the 300SL in 1972.
Little is known about second owner of the vehicle who had the Mercedes for a lengthy 17 years. In 1989 the vehicle was sold to an english collector who imported and registered the vehicle in the UK and begun using it for road rallies. An ultra-rare second generation Halda Speed Pilot rally clock was fitted to the vehicle at this time. Period correct for the car and still fitted to the 300SL today. The English keeper kept the vehicle for 4 years before entering it into the 1993 Sotheby’s classic auction at the Royal Air Force Museum. It was at this stage the vehicle was purchased by its last keeper a member of offshores royalty who placed the car into a UK based classic vehicle collection.
During the extensive 28-year storage period the vehicle was maintained by an in-house storage mechanic who kept the car running through regular servicing and general maintenance. Due to spending a great period of its life in a dry US state or storage facility this 300SL is presented in an unrestored near preserved condition. The chassis and bodywork are corrosion free and the car is entirely complete down to every last nut and bolt.
Offered up for sale as part of a restoration contract this is a rare opportunity to own and restore an incredibly original W198. The specification can be tailored to a customers every requirement whether that be an entirely concours original car or for example a personalised colourway. Our state-of-the-art workshop facility allows for the entire restoration to be completed on site under one roof. From rebuilding the M198 engine to re-trimming of the interior our expert team of technicians can look after every element of the project.
Our expert sales team is on hand to help with any further questions on the vehicle, the finer details of the restoration can be outlined in further detail upon request.
