1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster

198.042.10.002831roadGermany

Engine: Updated inline-six with competition camshaft
Colour: Medium blue over red leather with black soft top

A 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, chassis 002831, finished in Medium Blue over red leather with a black soft top — the original factory color combination retained to this day. One of 250 produced that year and among the first 52 fitted with Dunlop four-wheel disc brakes at the factory, the car spent decades in German ownership before passing to a Japanese collector in 1990. Acquired in original, unrestored condition in 2011, it subsequently received a comprehensive restoration by D.L. George Historic Motorcars, with a strong emphasis on retaining original components including much of the factory leather upholstery. The numbers-matching car is accompanied by its original hardtop and a full data card.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold US$1,462,500
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1961 →Factory delivery
Mercedes-Benz dealer in Munich
partial documentation
Initial recipient of the car from the Sindelfingen factory; ordered with a specific color combination and several factory options.
1990 → 2011Acquisition unknown
Japanese collector
partial documentation
Stored the vehicle in a climate-controlled environment with the intention of a full restoration that was never carried out; the car remained in largely unrestored, original condition throughout this period.
2011 →Private sale
Current consignor
full documentation
Commissioned a comprehensive restoration by D.L. George Historic Motorcars, with an emphasis on retaining original components; has since used the car extensively and maintained it through a dedicated in-house team.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Owner in Munich
partial documentation
One of at least two subsequent German owners through whom the car passed over the decades following its sale.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Owner in Ostfildern
partial documentation
Second known German custodian before the car left Germany for Japan.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

2014Restoration
D.L. George Historic Motorcars
Full nut-and-bolt restoration carried out with a deliberate 'retain and rebuild' philosophy; a large proportion of the original red leather upholstery was preserved, and only OEM parts sourced from Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, Niemöller, and Art Thumwood were used. Documented by invoices and progress photographs totalling close to half a million dollars.
Work concluded by May 2014; car retains its numbers-matching engine and body as confirmed by the accompanying factory data card.
2016
Mechanical
Ignition distributor rebuilt, all Dunlop brake caliper cylinders overhauled, full set of new brake rotors fitted, additional sound and heat insulation added to the passenger compartment, and a Micronic air filter conversion kit installed.
Work performed by the consignor's dedicated in-house technical team as part of ongoing upkeep after the restoration.

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