1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 'Adenauer' Cabriolet D
- Engine
- 3.0L inline-six, overhead camshaft, ~115 bhp
- Colour
- Dark blue over beige
A rare four-door convertible variant of the Mercedes-Benz 300 'Adenauer', one of only 262 Cabriolet D bodies built during 1952, this matching-numbers example was delivered new to Dortmund in July 1952 and was later registered in Belgium during the 1980s. Acquired in 2012, the car subsequently underwent a comprehensive body-off, nut-and-bolt concours restoration spanning from mid-2013 to late 2017, with sourcing of period-correct components from across Europe. It has covered approximately 40 kilometres since completion.
Ownership
- 2020-09-06Auction saleSold €235,000 (≈ $259K)
- 1952-07-17 →Factory deliveryOriginal Dortmund ownerfull documentation
Car delivered new to Dortmund, Germany, finished in black with green interior and beige soft-top. Delivery confirmed by original receipt on file.
- 1980-08-08 →Belgian owner in Veurnepartial documentation
Car was registered in Veurne, Belgium during the 1980s; this owner's tenure within that decade is otherwise undocumented.
- 1985-04-04 →Belgian owner in Everepartial documentation
Car re-registered to an owner in Evere, Belgium; no further detail on the length of ownership or subsequent disposition.
- 2012-06-17 →Private saleBelgian surgeonfull documentation
Discovered the car by chance in his own hometown after searching across Europe for a first-series Adenauer convertible with matching numbers. Initiated a full body-off restoration to concours standard between July 2013 and October 2017, with final detailing completed August 2018.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2013Restoration
Full body-off, nut-and-bolt rebuild carried out to concours standard; only original components in perfect condition were considered acceptable, with parts sourced from Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Work concluded in October 2017, with final detailing completed in August 2018. The car was refinished in dark blue over beige.
The extended duration of roughly four years was largely attributable to the scarcity of correct original Mercedes-Benz 300 components. Approximately 40 km covered since completion.
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