Estimate: € 1,150,000 to € 1,250,000
Chassis Number: 198.040-55-0179
This extraordinary 300 SL Coupé comes with a remarkable history and some really interesting features. In the 64 years since its first delivery it was owned by just three collectors. The second owner sent the car back to the factory in Germany in 1965 to have it fully restored and kept the car for nearly half a century after that.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is one of the most fascinating and well-known cars at all. Its extraordinary design is a true masterpiece, and from the technical point of view, the car was trailblazing. It was the first production car with fuel injection, and its characteristic gullwing doors serve as a basic recipe for every super-sportscar to this day. It turned into a real icon and many consider it to be the best sports car of all times.
According to the delivery note issued by Daimler-Benz, this particular example was supplied new to their retailer in Los Angeles end of March 1955. It was finished in light blue with blue plaid interior. First owner was Robert Barker from Santa Barbara, California, who sold the car ten years and around 95,000 miles later. This way, the beautiful coupé made its way to Gary Gallup, where it would stay for nearly half a century.
Gary Gallup, a successful breeder of orchids, had been searching for a brand-new gullwing in the first place. As their production had already ceased in 1957, he finally bought this vehicle from Robert Barker. To get close to his original wish for a new car, he sent the 300 SL to the Daimler-Benz factory to have it comprehensively restored in November 1965.
As stated in the available documents, a smaller repair was executed and the car was given a wash before Gary Gallup toured Europe with his car before it was fully overhauled. Even the original insurance papers as well as an invoice for a service executed at Nimes in France are still existent. Gary Gallup manifested this trip as well as future excursions by sticking metal badges of the places he went to onto the dashboard.
After the trip the car was thoroughly restored at Stuttgart. At this time, only eight years after the gullwing went out of production, many original new parts were still on stock. Especially the motor was replaced by a brand-new exchange part which then obtained the correct “matching number”. This was common practice at the time and is completely documented in the original paperwork issued by Daimler-Benz. The papers also state that Gary Gallup ordered the new motor with a high power NSL-camshaft.
In addition to all this, Gary Gallup also had front disc brakes fitted in the factory. This was an option never available on the Gullwing and was only introduced on the 300 SL Roadster in 1961. Colour-wise, he chose a classic combination of paint in DB 180 silver-grey and an interior of black leather.
All works are fully documented through the existent original quotes, invoices, insurance and shipping papers as well as correspondence.
For this very comprehensive restoration of the car Gary Gallup was invoiced more than 26,300 DM. Cost for the transport as well as insurance added to this. This has to be compared with the original price of a new 300 SL Gullwing of 29,000 DM back in 1955, and a new 230 SL Pagoda was available for 22,000 DM in 1965.
All in all, the restoration in the factory lasted until June 1966. Finally, on August 18, 1966, the car was shipped from Bremerhaven back to California. Gary Gallup kept the car for 48 years and sold it towards the end of 2013.
The actual owner bought the car in early 2014 in the USA and had it shipped back to Europe. In the same year, he had an experienced German specialist garage work on the car’s technology, spending a total of 40,000 Euros. The car was checked thoroughly and underwent a large-scale technical maintenance.
Accordingly, the car is in a good technical condition. Supposedly, the paintwork has been renewed once more in the decades after the restoration and definitely is in a decent condition with just a few traces of usage. Most likely, the interior leather is the material built in by Daimler-Benz in 1965, and especially considering its age, it is in a very good condition.
In the offer from 1965 it is stated that the car was showing a mileage of 95,115 when the restauration was started. Today, the five-digits mileage-indicator gives 22.695 miles. According to Gary Gallup, it ran around 27,000 miles or near 44,000 kilometres in all those years, which explains the good condition of the car.
As accessories, the car comes with a really beautiful repro-luggage set in the colour of the car’s interior.
The car is currently registered in a European country.
In early 2019, the car had been sent to the Daimler-Benz Classic Center. We asked the manufacturer to issue an experts’ assessment which will be available around mid-may and can be reviewed.
The car is available for an inspection by appointment only in 33415 Verl, Germany. We are happy to show you the car and the documents and have a lift available as well.
Please contact us if you wish to obtain further information.
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