1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
- Colour
- Silver Grey Metallic
Chassis 7500315 is a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster completed at Sindelfingen on 16 October 1957 and delivered new in Silver Grey Metallic with red leather interior to Douglas Stearly of Trappe, Pennsylvania — an accomplished amateur racer and USAC team operator who also owned a 300 SL Gullwing. Stearly campaigned this Roadster at the 1958 Nassau Speed Week, achieving a class runner-up and 4th overall in the Tourist Trophy heat and a 3rd-in-class finish in the Nassau Trophy. Thereafter the car saw minimal use and retains its original paint, upholstery, numbers-matching drivetrain, and under 35,710 miles.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$1,105,000
- 1957-11-01 → 2006Factory deliveryDouglas Stearlyfull documentation
Businessman and amateur racer from Trappe, Pennsylvania, who purchased the Roadster new from his Mercedes-Benz dealer, adding it to a Gullwing he already owned. After Nassau Speed Week competition in 1958, he drove the car only rarely, keeping it garaged and largely preserved over five decades.
- 2006 →Private salePennsylvania-based collector-dealerpartial documentation
Acquired both Stearly 300 SLs together; held the Roadster in dealer inventory on static display rather than driving it. Spent approximately $20,000 on mechanical servicing prior to offering the car for sale.
Competition
- 1957-12-01Nassau Speed Week1957 Nassau Speed WeekDriver: Douglas StearlyMidfield finishes
Stearly competed in his red 300 SL Gullwing, not the Roadster; rivals included Stirling Moss, Phil Hill, Carroll Shelby, Peter Collins, Masten Gregory, and a teenage Ricardo Rodriguez.
- 1958-12-04Nassau Speed Week1958 Nassau Speed Week — Tourist Trophy qualifying heatDriver: Douglas StearlyBest in class
Stearly qualified fastest in class aboard the Roadster; the professional field was depleted that year due to a starting-money dispute.
- 1958-12-04Nassau Speed Week1958 Nassau Speed Week — Tourist TrophyDriver: Douglas Stearly2nd in class, 4th overall
Closely contested wheel-to-wheel battle against George Constantine's Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk III; Stearly was narrowly beaten at the finish.
- 1958-12-05Nassau Speed Week1958 Nassau Speed Week — Governor's Trophy qualifierDriver: Douglas Stearly4th in class
Overall finishing position not recorded.
- 1958-12-05Nassau Speed Week1958 Nassau Speed Week — Governor's TrophyDriver: Douglas Stearly6th in class
Overall finishing position not recorded.
- 1958-12-07Nassau Speed Week1958 Nassau Speed Week — Nassau TrophyDriver: Douglas Stearly16th overall, 3rd in class
Field of 40 included outright racing machinery such as Reventlow's Scarab, a pair of Ferrari 250 TRs, a Ferrari 375 Plus, a Ferrari 500 TRC, and a Maserati 450 S; the Roadster's class podium was achieved as a road-going production car.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1958MechanicalUnnamed Reading, Pennsylvania race shop
Prepared for racing at a local shop in Reading, Pennsylvania ahead of the Nassau Speed Week campaign.
- 2006Service
Comprehensive mechanical servicing costing approximately $20,000 carried out to bring the car to a condition suitable for regular road use.
Commissioned by the consignor ahead of offering the car for sale.
Are you the owner of this car?
This car's public record is built from its auction and competition history. Register your ownership and privately add your own records to make it a verified Legacy Metrics passport — provenance that backs your car's value at sale and gives your insurer evidence to price against. Roy reviews and verifies every registration personally.