1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupé
- Engine
- 3.0L SOHC inline-six, mechanical fuel injection, 215 bhp (DIN) / 240 bhp (SAE)
- Colour
- Mercedes-Benz Silver
A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe, chassis 198.040.5500548, completed at the factory on 27 July 1955 and finished in DB 608 Ivory over a red interior that survives intact to this day. Delivered new to Los Angeles — an uncommon destination for a Gullwing of the period — the car passed through very few long-term owners, including noted 300SL specialist Paul Russell and racing driver Lothar Motschenbacher, before entering a prominent Nevada collection. The matching-numbers engine appears undisturbed, and factory tags, trim, and brightwork are largely original and unmodified.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$1,155,000
- 2019-01-17Auction saleSold US$1,100,000
- 1955 → 1972Factory deliveryUnknown first Los Angeles ownerpartial documentation
Believed to be the original delivery recipient in the Los Angeles area; exact identity not established but tenure is approximated to end around 1972.
- 1972 → 1990Private saleOttmar Thomaspartial documentation
Based in Visalia, California; held the car for roughly 18 years before selling to a specialist dealer.
- 1990 →Private salePaul Russellpartial documentation
Noted authority on 300SL motorcars; acquired the Gullwing from Thomas and subsequently moved it along to the next collector.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownLothar Motschenbacherpartial documentation
Professional racing driver and collector who added the Gullwing to his personal collection at some point after Russell's ownership.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownReno, Nevada-based European sports car collectorpartial documentation
Most recent custodian prior to auction; maintained a curated group of notable European sports cars and stored the Gullwing carefully.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
No maintenance or restoration records.
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