1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing

Completed on June 16, 1955 and departing the factory two weeks later, this 300 SL Gullwing was originally one of 44 Gullwings to leave the factory finished in Ivory (DB608) for the 1955 model year. In addition to this, the car was fabulously well-outfitted, with an interior trimmed in blue leather (333) alongside cream headliner. Rudge wheels were without a doubt the car’s most notable option, but the car’s factory build sheet also listed: Special high gloss paint, special upholstery, instruments with English labeling, sealed-beam headlights, front and rear bumper overriders, disc wheels with Rudge hubs, two-piece luggage set in blue leather, protractor and balancing weights for wheels, windshield washer, 1kg extra Ivory paint, as well as a seaworthy shipping crate. Whilst its earliest history remains unknown, this Gullwing was purchased from a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Houston, Texas in April 1966 by John M. Wheatley. His purchase invoice remains on file, showing a purchase price of $5,100 which included one-way airfare from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Houston so he could drive the car home! By this point the car had been repainted its current shade of silver. A photograph in the history file with the car wearing a Texas license plate dated 1965 can be seen in the file. Taking the Gullwing home with him to Oklahoma, the car would remain there with Mr. Wheatley for the following 16 years. In 1982, the Gullwing was acquired by another long term owner, Robert P. Friggens of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who would go on to own the car for the following 37 years. With these two custodians, the car was carefully preserved in the dry Southwestern climate for over half a century. The car was entered in the Concours du Soleil in Albuquerque in September of 2008 whilst in Friggens’ ownership. The concours program, of which a copy is included in the file, makes for some interesting reading… “This particular 300 SL Gullwing Coupe featured in this year’s Concours du Soliel has been owned by local Albuquerque collector, Bob Friggens, for 25 years. It is unique in that it not only still maintains its original upholstery and interior, but, with the exception of a paint respray to the body and rechroming of the bumpers, the car is entirely original….Bob Friggens is known as a meticulous, innovative mechanical engineer. Like its owner would require, this Gullwing has…only received the best of care…Friggens used to drive his Gullwing some on business trips and never encountered any problems. He recalls going to Amarillo, driving 85 mph and averaging 28 miles per gallon.” After a brief spell in Europe, the Gullwing was repatriated to the United States in September 2022. In advance of being driven on the California Mille in 2024, the car was subject to over $78,000 in service work by Mercedes-Benz Classic in Long Beach, California. In January 2023, the car was fitted with all new tires (including the spare), performing a fluids service, and fitting a rebuilt mechanical fuel pump. In April of 2024, the car’s gearbox was removed, disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled, alongside the replacement of the clutch and flywheel. At the same time, new spark plugs and fuel lines were fitted, alongside new ignition points, distributor cap and rotor, and a new voltage regulator. The rear shocks and springs were replaced in August 2024. As time marches on, well-preserved Gullwings such as this are becoming increasingly more difficult to find and its clear that this car has not only been well-preserved but also enjoyed as its manufacturers intended by two careful owners for over fifty years. Its recent participation in the California Mille shows that this is a car not only to be cherished, but one which can be readily enjoyed on both casual drives and longer journeys. The benchmark supercar of its day, seventy years later the 300 SL Gullwing is still arguably Mercedes-Benz’s most iconic car, and that remains eminently usable in the 21st century. Boasting a truly remarkable story alongside its equally remarkable condition, this is a Gullwing to treasure.

Specification

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