1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
- Engine
- 3.0L inline-six, overhead camshaft, Bosch direct fuel injection, 215 bhp at 5,800 rpm
- Colour
- Metallic blue
A 1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, chassis 198042-10002418, originally delivered new to the United States and subsequently registered in the United Kingdom by 1987, where it entered a notable private collection alongside significant British and European marques. The car retains its original matching-numbers engine and period instrumentation. After extended storage under climate-controlled conditions, it was recently recommissioned and refinished in a period-appropriate metallic blue.
Ownership
- 2022-05-13Auction saleEstimate €950,000 – €1,200,000
- 1959 →Factory deliveryUnknown early US owner(s)none documentation
Car was among the majority of Roadsters exported to the United States; early ownership history is unrecorded.
- 1987 →Acquisition unknownUK-based collection ownerpartial documentation
By 1987 the car was UK-registered and held as part of a substantial private collection that also included notable Bentley, Porsche, and Ferrari models. Over roughly the past decade it was kept in climate-controlled storage before being recommissioned.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Maintenance
The car was placed in dehumidified storage for roughly a decade, preserving its condition during an extended period of non-use.
Duration stated as approximately the last ten years prior to the catalogue date.
- —Service
Careful recommissioning carried out within the twelve months preceding the sale, returning the car to a usable condition while preserving original mechanical components.
Work described as sensitive in approach; original engine and instrumentation retained.
- —Bodywork
Original red finish (DB534) replaced with a period metallic blue paint, considered more complementary to the Roadster's proportions while remaining authentic to the era.
Colour change carried out as part of the recommissioning process.
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