1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Cabriolet
- Engine
- 3.0L straight-six with triple Solex carburettors, 150 hp, four-speed manual
- Colour
- Black
An early Mercedes-Benz 300 S Cabriolet, chassis 00055/52, built on 4 October 1952 and originally delivered in Black over Red leather to a New York customer. One of only 203 cabriolet examples produced, the car spent roughly three decades in a private American collection before undergoing a complete rebuild in the mid-1980s and a further bare-metal restoration in 2003. It subsequently crossed to Europe, earning a second-in-class concours award at the Rallye Paris-Deauville before passing to a UK owner and appearing at the 2014 Salon Privé.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold £410,000 (≈ $513K)
- 1952-10-01 →Factory deliveryMr Gasquepartial documentation
First owner; car was shipped to New York and delivered new. Specific end date of ownership not stated.
- 2009 →Private saleEuropean enthusiastpartial documentation
Acquired the car when it was brought back to Europe; entered it in the Rallye Paris-Deauville concours, where it achieved second in class.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownAmerican private collectionpartial documentation
Car remained within a single private US collection for approximately 35 years; a thorough rebuild was carried out by MB Restorations during the mid-1980s.
- Date unknownPrivate saleUK-based ownerpartial documentation
Acquired roughly two years after 2009; exhibited the car at the 2014 Salon Privé Concours d'Elégance and participated in the accompanying tour.
Competition
- 20142014 Salon Privé Concours d'Elégance
Car was displayed at the concours and also took part in the associated driving tour.
- —Rallye Paris-Deauville2nd in class (concours d'elégance section)
Car was entered in the concours element of this rally event and received a second-place class award; took place after the European enthusiast acquired it in 2009.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2003Restoration
Comprehensive recommissioning including a complete bare-metal repaint, replacement Carpathian Elm timber trim, and a new convertible hood.
Carried out despite the car having covered very few miles since the previous rebuild.
- —RestorationMB Restorations
Full rebuild carried out while the car was in American private ownership, after which the vehicle had accumulated only around 900 miles by the time of the next restoration.
Undertaken in the mid-1980s; precise year not stated.
- —Service
Routine maintenance performed by a well-regarded Mercedes-Benz marque specialist prior to the auction offering.
Described as recent at time of cataloguing; workshop not named.
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