1959 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
- Engine
- Inline six-cylinder with Bosch mechanical fuel injection, four-speed manual transmission
- Colour
- White (DB 147G)
A 1959-model Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, assembled late 1958 and originally delivered in silver over red leather to a Bahrain dealership, this numbers-matching example passed through California and Japan before undergoing a documented body-off concours restoration completed in 2012 by Brian Anderson's Classic European in Vista, California. The car subsequently won its class at the 2012 La Jolla Motor Car Classic and was runner-up at the Gull Wing Group National Convention, then received a comprehensive mechanical rebuild exceeding $200,000 at Automotive Restorations in Connecticut.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$1,200,000 – US$1,400,000
- 1958 →Factory deliveryAl Haddad Motorsfull documentation
Dealership in Iselah, Bahrain that received the car as a new delivery; factory records confirm original specification of silver paint and red leather.
- 2000 →Acquisition unknownMotomori Tanakapartial documentation
Tokyo-based private collector who held the car for roughly a decade before it was returned to Southern California; car had been exported to Japan in the 1990s.
- → 2014Private saleSan Diego-based collectorfull documentation
Commissioned a full body-off concours restoration by Brian Anderson's Classic European in Vista, California, completed in April 2012; restoration extensively documented.
- 2014 →Private saleCurrent vendorfull documentation
Acquired the car post-restoration and subsequently commissioned a thorough mechanical overhaul by Automotive Restorations in Connecticut, completed in 2016 at a cost exceeding $200,000.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownSanta Barbara, California residentpartial documentation
Car was imported to the US in the early 1960s and acquired by this individual; believed to have kept it in California.
Competition
- 20122012 La Jolla Motor Car Classic1st in class
- 20122012 Gull Wing Group National Convention — Show Roadster Division2nd overall in division
Held in Palm Springs; described as a highly competitive concours division.
- 20122012 The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
Car was displayed at this Carmel Valley event; no competitive result mentioned.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2010RestorationBrian Anderson's Classic European
Full body-off concours-level restoration commissioned by the San Diego owner, completed in April 2012; car refinished in White (DB 147G) over black leather, replacing the original silver-and-red scheme.
Work was thoroughly documented; car emerged from restoration in April 2012. Shop is based in Vista, California.
- 2014Engine rebuildAutomotive Restorations
Complete overhaul of the original inline six-cylinder engine, including recalibration and refurbishment of the Bosch mechanical fuel-injection system, as part of a broader drivetrain and chassis mechanical restoration.
Work was conducted in Stratford, Connecticut, and completed in 2016; total expenditure exceeded $200,000, supported by multiple binders of receipts and documentation.
- 2014MechanicalAutomotive Restorations
Comprehensive mechanical overhaul encompassing the four-speed gearbox, full brake system, front and rear suspension, and rear differential teardown and rebuild.
Carried out concurrently with the engine rebuild; car was subsequently tested and sorted for reliable road use before being returned to the owner in 2016.
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