This 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe is one of the most important sports cars of the postwar era, developed from the W194 racing car and brought to production after Mercedes-Benz responded to Max Hoffman’s push for a road-going version. Its tubular space-frame chassis required the now-iconic gullwing doors, while Bosch direct fuel injection and lightweight construction helped make it the fastest German production car of its time.
Chassis 7500071 is among the final Gullwings built—reportedly the ninth-to-last produced and the penultimate delivered. Finished as specified in Fire Engine Red over special-order Cream leather, it remains an extraordinarily original, unrestored example.
The car retains most of its factory paint, markings, and seal tags, and is a full matching-numbers example verified by Ben Valkenburg. It shows just 40,420 original miles, making it highly suitable for preservation-class concours events. Delivered new to Los Angeles in May 1957, the Gullwing passed through a small number of owners before being donated to the Henry Ford Museum.
It was later displayed for 50 years at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, preserving its remarkable originality. Since returning to Europe, it has undergone careful recommissioning while retaining its largely untouched condition, including its restored Cream leather interior and highly original engine bay with factory-applied details intact.
One of just 1,400 Gullwings produced, this example stands out as one of the most original surviving cars. It is eligible for prestigious events such as the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Mille Miglia Storica, and Colorado Grand, and is currently offered through Broad Arrow Private Sales with an asking price of $2,579,000.
Source: Broad Arrow Private Sales
