1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe

A Lovely Lady with Bolted-on Eyebrows
By 1951 Daimler-Benz had recovered enough from World War II to establish project W194 and raid the 300 sedan parts bin to develop nine cars for the 1952 racing season. With these cars, Mercedes-Benz achieved victory in the 1952 sports car manufacturer's championship.

Max Hoffman, the American distributor, convinced Mercedes to develop the model into a commercial road car. The result, introduced in 1954, was the 300 SL coupe, often referred to as the 'Gullwing' because of its unique doors. (Americans actually preferred the roadster version which followed the coupe in production.) The 300 SL road car retained many characteristics of the original race car, and was exceptionally competitive on the track. In the 1955 Mille Miglia, a factory-prepared car was driven to GT Class 1st place by American driver John Fitch.

The car shown car be identified as an early 1955 version because the 'eyebrows' over the front wheels are bolted on, rather than stamped as on integral part of the fender. The only option is the very rare set of Rudge knockoff-type wheels. This car has been in the Chicago area since the early 1970s. It was acquired four years ago by its present owner, who just finished an extensive, all-inclusive restoration back to its original condition.