1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
- Engine
- Fuel-injected straight-six
- Colour
- Ivory (DB 608)
Chassis 7500563 is an early production 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, the 526th of 618 built in the model's inaugural year, delivered new through a Studebaker dealer in New Orleans on 16 December 1957. Originally finished in Ivory over red leather, the car spent nearly five decades in the same prominent Mexican collection. A full concours-quality restoration returned it to factory-correct specification around 2010, and its authenticity as a genuine 300 SL has been confirmed in writing by Mercedes-Benz Classic.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$1,050,000
- 1957-12-16 →Factory deliveryStudebaker dealer, New Orleans, Louisianafull documentation
Vehicle delivered new to this dealership on 16 December 1957, per original data card. Initial retail point for the US-market car.
- 1972 → 1973Acquisition unknownMercedes-Benz enthusiast, San Antonio, Texaspartial documentation
Car remained in New Orleans until this owner acquired it in 1972. Sold it the following year in original but non-operational condition.
- 1973 →Private saleRodolfo Junco de la Vega, Jr.full documentation
Purchased as an intended gift for his wife Lillian; carried out sympathetic mechanical work himself and had the car repainted in blue per Lillian's preference. Around 2010 commissioned a full restoration to factory-correct color specification. In early 2023, his heirs sent the car to Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA for a formal chassis-number inquiry.
Competition
- 20122012 Amelia Island Concours d'EleganceInvited exhibit
The concours founder and president personally extended an invitation to display the car following its restoration, which was regarded as confirmation of the restoration's high quality.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2010Restoration
Complete restoration returning the car to its factory-correct Ivory exterior with red leather interior and black fabric soft top, executed to original specifications.
Interior and soft top crafted by master upholsterer Benny Lesch of Havana, Florida. Restoration quality recognised by an invitation to exhibit at the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
- 2023InspectionMercedes-Benz Classic Center USA
Full mechanical inspection carried out and a formal inquiry submitted to the Mercedes-Benz factory archives to address the chassis prefix anomaly.
Written correspondence from Mercedes-Benz confirmed the car is and always has been a genuine 300 SL Roadster; factory policy precluded further comment on the stamping irregularity.
- —Mechanical
Owner carried out a sympathetic mechanical restoration by hand over several years following acquisition in non-running condition.
Work undertaken by Rodolfo Junco de la Vega, Jr. personally after purchasing the car in 1973.
- —Bodywork
Car was professionally refinished from its original Ivory to a Medium Blue over matching blue leather interior, reflecting the preference of owner Lillian Junco de la Vega.
Carried out during the 1970s ownership period; later reversed during the 2010 restoration.
- —MechanicalBob Smith Coachworks
Extensive mechanical refreshment including replacement of clutch, fuel lines, pilot bearing, water pump, distributor cap, spark plugs and leads, generator, valve cover gasket, transmission and engine mounts, and resurfacing of the flywheel. Starter, regulator, brake booster, master cylinder, fuel tank, and fuel injection system were rebuilt or refurbished, and new cores were fitted to the radiator and oil cooler.
Work carried out by noted specialist Bob Smith Coachworks in Gainesville, Texas; described as a recent regimen at time of cataloguing.
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