1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster

198.042.10.003043roadGermany

Engine: Inline six-cylinder with sport camshaft, cast iron block
Colour: Navy blue

The 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, chassis 003043, left the factory finished in Fire Engine Red with a black leather interior. Notably, it is believed to be among the last examples fitted with a cast-iron engine block and among the first to receive four-wheel disc brakes. By the mid-1970s the car had passed through a Miami collection before moving to Alabama, then to the northeastern United States, where it underwent a substantial restoration. A comprehensive mechanical rebuild was completed in late 2021, leaving the car in strong running order with matching-numbers components confirmed by factory documentation.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold US$1,545,000
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
2011 →Private sale
Consignor
partial documentation
Purchased from a New York dealer around 2011; kept in a climate-controlled garage with careful maintenance and a mechanical rebuild performed in late 2021.
Date unknown
Miami, Florida collection
partial documentation
By the mid-1970s the car had passed through this Florida-based collection and was repainted silver during or around this period.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
John Boozer
partial documentation
Dealer principal based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, operating an eponymous local dealership.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Northeastern US owner
partial documentation
During this ownership the car underwent a significant restoration, with coachwork refinished in navy blue and interior retrimmed in beige leather.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

2021Engine rebuild
RM Auto Restoration
The engine was overhauled with replacement intake and exhaust valves and guides, valve springs, pistons and rings, gaskets and seals, timing chain, crankshaft and connecting rod bearings, oil pump assembly, and distributor gears.
Work was submitted in late 2021 and also included a transmission rebuild with new bearings and gaskets, plus a new battery.
2021Mechanical
RM Auto Restoration
The transmission was overhauled with new bearings and gaskets, and a replacement battery was fitted as part of the same refurbishment programme.
Conducted concurrently with the engine rebuild; RM Auto Restoration also confirmed matching-numbers integrity across major components.
2021Inspection
RM Auto Restoration
A thorough examination of component stampings for the engine, gearbox, rear axle, front spindles, and body was carried out, confirming consistency with the factory data card and a high degree of mechanical originality.
Mercedes-Benz Classic separately acknowledged a typographical error in the data card's engine prefix, while confirming the serialised engine sequence is correct.
—
Bodywork
During its mid-1970s Miami ownership the car was repainted from the original Fire Engine Red to silver.
—
Restoration
A substantial restoration was carried out in the mid-2000s, with the coachwork refinished in navy blue and the interior reupholstered in beige leather.
Work occurred while the car was based in the northeastern United States.

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