Offered for sale is a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing with one of those stories that simply cannot be recreated.

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Originally delivered in silver-grey (DB 180) with dark blue cloth interior trim, this Gullwing left the factory in August 1955 and was subsequently supplied to its first owner, a wealthy lady from Frankfurt. After spending its early years in Germany, the car later made its way to Los Angeles, California, where it entered the ownership of a businessman named Lee.

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In the late 1970s, the car was discovered in restoration-needing condition and purchased back from California by a prominent figure from Germany’s post-war automotive aftermarket world, a man closely associated with the rise of one of the country’s best-known tuning and accessories brands. The Gullwing was subsequently shipped back to Germany, arriving in late 1980, with the original customs paperwork still accompanying the car today.

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What happened next is what makes this particular 300 SL especially fascinating. Rather than restoring the car back to its original delivery colours, the then-owner chose to have it refinished according to his own personal taste. The work was carried out in-house and the Gullwing was restored in ivory over red leather, a striking and elegant specification it still wears today. At a time when restoration photography was far from common practice, he also decided to document the process in remarkable detail.

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That decision has left behind something exceptionally rare today: not just a Gullwing with a fascinating life story, but a car accompanied by a visual and written record of its transformation more than four decades ago.

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Highlights

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• Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing

• Originally delivered in silver-grey (DB 180) with dark blue cloth interior

• Early German ownership before export to Los Angeles, California

• Re-imported to Germany in 1980, with original customs documentation still on file

• Restored in period for a notable figure from Germany’s automotive tuning and accessories world

• Extensive documentation covering more than 46 years

• Original California license plate still present

• Period photo album documenting the restoration

• Only three owners recorded in the Mercedes-Benz archive

• Approx. 3,000 km driven over the last 20 years

• Replacement engine, but with an unusually complete and traceable paper trail

• Original Becker Mexico radio included

• Original handbooks and accompanying literature present

• Additional period records and vehicle-specific documentation included

• Roadworthy and running

 

Today, the Gullwing presents itself exactly as one would hope from a car of this kind: not as a freshly over-restored showpiece, but as a wonderfully honest time capsule with fitting patina, charm and enormous historical depth.

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The current ivory-over-red colour combination is inseparably linked to the car’s second major chapter in life and to the personality of the man who brought it back from California. At the same time, the original delivery colours are fully known and documented, giving a future custodian the rare opportunity either to preserve the car exactly as it stands today, with all the character and story that comes with it or to return it to its original silver-grey over blue specification if desired. From our perspective, that flexibility only adds to the fascination of the car.

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The body presents itself in overall attractive condition with light age-related patina and a few manageable areas of minor corrosion. Some of the rubber seals show age and partial porosity. The vehicle is currently due for a service, which can of course be carried out prior to delivery if desired. TÜV can also be renewed before handover upon request.

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Mechanically, the car has benefited from important work in recent years. Among the more notable invoices are the replacement of an injection component in 2021 for nearly EUR 10,000, as well as cylinder head work carried out for several thousand euros. The car also received a Nardi steering wheel and a later set of tyres during its life. The Gullwing is roadworthy, starts and drives, and has only been used sparingly over the past two decades for selected rallies, parades and occasional appearances connected to the classic Mercedes-Benz world.

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The late owner passed away roughly twenty years ago. Since then, the Gullwing has remained within the family and has only been exercised occasionally, with the mileage over that period being both low and traceable. It is now being offered on behalf of the family with the clear intention of finding a knowledgeable and caring next custodian.

 

This is not a “matching-numbers-at-all-costs” investment piece with no story attached. It is something rarer in its own way: A Gullwing with a documented life between Frankfurt, Los Angeles and Germany’s post-war tuning culture. A car with photographs, customs papers, original plates, handbooks, invoices and a personality of its own.

A car that can either be preserved exactly as it stands today or carefully returned to its original factory specification. Most importantly, it is a 300 SL Gullwing with provenance you can actually hold in your hands.

 

The vehicle is available for inspection by appointment. Independent appraisals and pre-purchase inspections are very welcome. Full transparency is important to us, and we will be happy to provide serious interested parties with further documents, photographs and details upon request. The car is being sold on behalf of the owner.