1959 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
- Engine
- Inline six-cylinder with competition camshaft, ~215 bhp
- Colour
- Dark blue over gray leather with dark blue soft-top and matching hardtop
A 1959 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster prepared at Sindelfingen as an exhibition display vehicle, most likely for the 1960 New York Auto Show, with special-order features including white-grey coachwork, red leather interior, and polished engine bay. Purchased new by Miguel Alemán Velasco — son of the Mexican president who championed the Carrera Panamericana — the car has remained in Mexico throughout its life. Now presented in dark blue over grey leather, it retains its numbers-matching drivetrain and has been previously restored to a high standard.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$1,132,500
- 1959-12-01 → 1960Factory deliveryMercedes-Benz (factory exhibition vehicle)partial documentation
Configured at Sindelfingen as a display vehicle for an upcoming US exhibition, most likely a major auto show in New York in early 1960. Fitted with special exhibition preparation including polished engine compartment details.
- 1960 →Private saleMiguel Alemán Velascopartial documentation
Purchased new following the car's exhibition duties; Alemán Velasco had personal ties to the Carrera Panamericana through his father's role in founding the event. A period photograph in the history file places him at the 1952 race finish line. The car remained in Mexico throughout his ownership.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownProminent Mexican collectorpartial documentation
An unnamed but notable Mexican collector who held the car before it passed to the current consignor; the vehicle remained in Mexico during this period.
- Date unknownPrivate saleCurrent consignorpartial documentation
Acquired from the preceding Mexican collector some years before the auction. A prior restoration to a high standard was carried out at some point, and the car is currently presented in dark blue over gray leather.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Restoration
The car was restored to a high standard at some point prior to the auction, with the colour scheme changed from the original special-order white-grey with graphite hardtop to dark blue over grey leather with a matching soft-top and hardtop.
Exact date and workshop are unrecorded in the catalogue prose.
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