Knowing that there are only two early Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwings in the country, the likelihood of stumbling across one in your local supermarket car park is extremely remote indeed.
What makes this particular Gullwing so rare is that it’s number 27 of the 29 aluminium-body Gullwings ever built. This is the only one of the aluminium-body 300 SLs painted in this combination of MB 608 elfenbein (elephant ivory) with red, gabardine, tartan-plaid seats and cream leather — specification L2.
It is a matching number car with all components matching the build sheet, with the exception that it is trimmed in nappa leather rather than vinyl texleder.
The car was delivered with, and still retains, the factory NSL-specification engine that includes high-performance camshaft, as well as a special suspension package. The restoration of this car has taken four years.
At the recent Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance, this stunning example won the coveted Master Class competition against four other world-class restorations, scoring 564 points out of a possible 590 points. This is the third-highest score achieved at this event in its 42-year history.
Read all about this 1956 Mercedes Benz 300SL Coupe in the upcoming New Zealand Classic Car Issue No. 292.
