There Mercedes-Benz 300 SL it is one of the most iconic and popular cars in the classic car landscape. The Gullwing, or Ali di Gabbiano is often the protagonist of auctions that reach considerable figures but in this case the elegant model of the German brand has reached a record figure, close to 7 million dollars. The reasons for such a high price are in the bodywork since it is a very rare Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Alloy”, made entirely of aluminum instead of steel. There are only 29 copies made with this material by Stella and one of these has a new owner a few weeks after being sold at the event organized by RM Sotheby’s in Arizona.
The engineers of the German car manufacturer wanted to create a car that could stand up to rivals on circuits all over the world and for this reason they decided to lighten the weight of the standard version, replacing the original steel with aluminum and glass. with Plexiglas. The result was a saving of 95 kg which allowed her to have her say against historical European rivals such as the Aston Martin DB3S, the Maserati A6GCS and the Ferrari 750 Monza. Of the 29 examples of the Mercedes 300 SL made with this technique, this is the only one that was originally sold on the African continent. Indeed, after its construction in 1955, the car sold by RM Sotheby’s was delivered to a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Casablanca.
This special example of Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is finished in metallic silver gray with blue interior and is also equipped with a Becker radio. In the photos provided by the auction house you can see the optimized set-up, with specific shock absorbers and springs, as well as the choice of equipping this car with Rudge rims with central locking. The model was sold in 1962 and has now arrived in the hands of the new wealthy owner who had to shell out $ 6,825,000 to get it. A figure much higher than “only” one million and 700 thousand which stopped the hammer for another example of Gullwing in the same auction.
Photo: Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
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