1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe

This 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe was built as a US-specification model and left the factory wearing a special-ordered combination of White (DB 50) over Black (DB 953) leather. The Gullwing was completed on August 20, 1955, and sent five days later to Mercedes-Benz Distributors Inc. in New York City. The car's early caretakers are believed to be Lou Lesser and Jack Kearns. By the late 1980s, it was owned by David Chow of Los Angeles, who commissioned Jerry Hjeltness of Hjeltness Restoration of Escondido, Californi,a to perform a restoration. Upon completion, the 300SL wore a midnight blue exterior with light gray leather upholstery and a matching set of fitted luggage.

The next owner of this Mercedes-Benz was Bob Sirna of Rochester, Michigan, who acquired it in August 1992. The car was shown on Mr. Sirna's behalf by Hjeltness Restoration at concours events in Fresno, San Diego, and Santa Barbara, California, earning First in Class honors at each outing, followed by Best of Show at the June 1993 edition of the Le Cercle Concours d'Elegance in Los Angeles.

In July 1997, Mr. Sirna traded the Gullwing via restorer Scott Grundfor. After maintenance, service, and tuning, the car was acquired by Michael Warner of North Carolina who kept it for two years and then offered it for sale through Mr. Grundfor once again. In early 2003, it was acquired by a Texas-based collector. In August 2012, it was purchased by Dar Reedy of Minnesota, then by the current caretaker in 2016.

This Mercedes is powered by a 2,996cc SOHC inline six-cylinder engine with Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection and produces 220 horsepower at 5,800 RPM. There is a four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel servo-assisted hydraulic drum brakes, and an independent front suspension with coil springs.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2025