Photo: RK Motors Charlotte
A pristine 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing was just sold for $ 1.9 million in a private transaction.
The 1954 Gullwing set a three-year market high after the RK Motors Charlotte recently put it up for sale. The vehicle attained such a high price for a 1954 example thanks to its excellent shape and flawless mechanical condition. It has had the same owner for 50 years and only has 45,687 original miles on its odometer. Furthermore, the car was fully restored and features original belly pans, tools, books, and the optional Nardi steering wheel.
This example has a red leather interior and a repainted grey exterior. The car has its original engine and drivetrain, as well as all original sheet metal. Back in the day, this was a fully loaded vehicle except for a set of Rudge wheels. Initially, it was owned by Leopold Poldi Bentley in Western Canada. Bentley saw the market for such special cars and used this particular example as a factory demonstrator for Poldi’s company, Mercedes-Benz Distributor West Ltd.
Its first owner bought it in 1956 and kept it at his summer home in Western Canada. The restoration process was done in the early 1990’s by Rudi and Company in Vancouver, a specialized team of craftsmen.
With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why a one-owner 1954 300 SL managed to sell for almost two million dollars. Finding a car with unbroken history, matching numbers drivetrain and original low mileage is difficult even with modern second-hand cars, let alone with post-WW2 vehicles.
The buyer is obviously a collector who wants to preserve this pristine example in the best condition possible. We can only hope that the Gullwing’s new owner has a thing for the Internet and will post videos of this masterpiece of engineering.
Back in the day, the 300 SL was the fastest road-going production vehicle of the time. It was capable of breaking the 160 mph barrier and had a gasoline direct injection engine, the first of its kind in a production car.
Obviously, the direct injection system was different from the one found in current production vehicles, but in the 1950’s it was considered groundbreaking. Its trademark doors gave the 300 SL the “Gullwing” nickname that stuck to the car rather quickly and were fitted this way to make room for its tubular frame.
This example has a red leather interior and a repainted grey exterior. The car has its original engine and drivetrain, as well as all original sheet metal. Back in the day, this was a fully loaded vehicle except for a set of Rudge wheels. Initially, it was owned by Leopold Poldi Bentley in Western Canada. Bentley saw the market for such special cars and used this particular example as a factory demonstrator for Poldi’s company, Mercedes-Benz Distributor West Ltd.
Its first owner bought it in 1956 and kept it at his summer home in Western Canada. The restoration process was done in the early 1990’s by Rudi and Company in Vancouver, a specialized team of craftsmen.
With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why a one-owner 1954 300 SL managed to sell for almost two million dollars. Finding a car with unbroken history, matching numbers drivetrain and original low mileage is difficult even with modern second-hand cars, let alone with post-WW2 vehicles.
The buyer is obviously a collector who wants to preserve this pristine example in the best condition possible. We can only hope that the Gullwing’s new owner has a thing for the Internet and will post videos of this masterpiece of engineering.
Back in the day, the 300 SL was the fastest road-going production vehicle of the time. It was capable of breaking the 160 mph barrier and had a gasoline direct injection engine, the first of its kind in a production car.
Obviously, the direct injection system was different from the one found in current production vehicles, but in the 1950’s it was considered groundbreaking. Its trademark doors gave the 300 SL the “Gullwing” nickname that stuck to the car rather quickly and were fitted this way to make room for its tubular frame.
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