1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
- Engine
- Inline-six from a 1957 300 SL Roadster (replacement unit), fuel-injected
- Colour
- 'Königs Blau' (royal blue)
A 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, chassis 8500267, originally delivered to the United States in Silver Gray Metallic over Red Leather. The car spent its first decades in America before passing to a German collector who commissioned a full bare-metal repaint in Königsblau and a biscuit-and-beige interior retrim in 1988. Imported to the United Kingdom in 1997, it has since passed through several British owners. A comprehensive engine and injection pump rebuild was completed in October 2023, and an independent inspection was conducted in 2025.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold £657,500 (≈ $822K)
- 1958-10-07 →Factory deliveryFirst US owner(s) — identity unknownnone documentation
Car was delivered new to the United States market; virtually nothing is recorded about its ownership during the first roughly three decades in America.
- → 1997German collectorpartial documentation
Commissioned a complete bare-metal respray in Konigs Blau and a full interior retrim in biscuit and beige by specialist tradespeople; photographic records of the work survive. Car remained in Germany until export to the UK in late 1997.
- 1997-11-01 → 2002Private saleAnthony Cluckpartial documentation
Brought the car into the UK and held it for approximately four years before consigning it to an auction sale.
- 2002 → 2005AuctionBrian Morrisonpartial documentation
Acquired the car at auction and held it for roughly three years.
- 2005-06-01 →Private saleBarry Burnettpartial documentation
Added the Roadster to a personal collection; ownership passed within the family, and in 2019 a major engine and injection pump overhaul was commissioned from specialist Chris Shenton, completed in October 2023 at a cost exceeding £60,000.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1988BodyworkBorm Autolackiererei
Full bare-metal strip and repaint in Königsblau carried out by a specialist paint shop; photographic documentation of the process is held on file.
Work commissioned by a German owner; completed in August 1988.
- 1988Restoration
Interior fully retrimmed to complement the new body colour, with biscuit carpet and beige leather replacing the prior specification.
Retrim carried out by Dieter Bollmeger; completed alongside the repaint in August 1988.
- 2023Engine rebuildChris Shenton
Comprehensive rebuild of the engine and injection pump by a marque specialist, with care taken to retain period-correct components throughout; work was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Road test and minor adjustments completed upon sign-off. Associated invoices exceed £60,000.
Work initiated in 2019 but not finalised until October 2023 due to pandemic-related disruption.
- 2025Inspection
A thorough independent condition inspection was performed; the resulting report is available within the car's documentation file.
- —Modification
The original engine was replaced with a unit from a 1957 300 SL Roadster; this substitution is believed to have occurred before the late 1980s.
The replacement engine and gearbox have been with the car for approximately three decades as of the catalogue date. Cylinder head, block, and crankshaft numbers confirm it is a coherent unit rather than an assembly of mixed components.
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