1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
- Colour
- Fire engine red
A 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster delivered new to the United States in fire engine red over light grey, equipped with factory options including fog lights, safety belts, and a Becker Mexico radio. One of only 618 early examples assembled, the car spent several decades in storage before passing to its third owner in 2004, who commissioned a comprehensive restoration in Germany totalling approximately 3,800 hours over eighteen months. The car retains many original components and is accompanied by original service books, instruction manuals, and a detailed Classic Data evaluation report from 2017.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €902,188 (≈ $992K)
- 1957 → 1960Factory deliveryFirst US ownerpartial documentation
Car was delivered new in 1957 in the United States with various factory options. The vehicle is understood to have been kept in Hollywood and accumulated only modest mileage during this period.
- 1960 → 1974Private saleSecond US ownerpartial documentation
Purchased via a dealer and drove the car extensively, adding roughly 100,000 km. After 1974 the car was stored in a warm, dry garage for approximately three decades.
- 2004 →Acquisition unknownConsignorfull documentation
Third owner overall; relocated the car to Finland after servicing, then commissioned a comprehensive restoration in Germany spanning around 3,800 hours over roughly eighteen months. A Classic Data evaluation report from late 2017, along with original service books and manuals, accompanies the vehicle.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2004Service
Following acquisition, brakes, tyres, and other wear items were replaced as needed to bring the car back into running condition ahead of importation to Finland.
Carried out prior to the car being transported from the US to Finland.
- 2017InspectionClassic Data
Comprehensive condition evaluation conducted by Classic Data, with the resulting detailed report confirming the car's exceptional state and the originality of numerous components.
Full report retained on file with the vehicle documentation.
- —Restoration
Full restoration completed in Germany over roughly eighteen months, totalling around 3,800 hours of labour. Original components were retained and repaired wherever feasible, with replacements made only where necessary. European-specification headlights were fitted during this work.
Work took place after the car had been used by the consignor in Finland and prior to the 2017 Classic Data inspection.
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