1955 Mercedes 300 SL GULLWING — SOLD
Chassis No. 1980405500656
Engine No. 5500704
Miles: 30,385

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History of 1980405500656
This car was purchased new from Mercedes on August 26th 1955 by Heinrich Schmid in Germany. The original color was Silver with a black interior. In 1964 George Brown in partnership with James Palmer purchased the car from Mr. Schmid. At that time the car only had 19,000K of use. Palmer and Brown dissolved their partnership in June of 1964 and Mr. Palmer became the sole owner of the car. He kept the car in Germany for the next 6 months with the intention of selling it, but fell in love with the car and had it shipped home to New Jersey. In 1982 Mr. Palmer commissioned Precision Autoworks of Camden New Jersey to undertake a complete cosmetic restoration of the car and to change the color from silver to black with a red interior. The car was completed in 1984. It has been shown a number times since its restoration winning it’s class at the 1985 Gathering of Friends Concours D’ Elegance and taking 3rd in the “Show Gullwing” class at the 1989 Gullwing Group Convention in Dearborn. Mr. Palmer sold the car to a collector in 2001. The car currently has just 48,901K (30,385 miles) of total use from new. The car is a number matching car in “Concours” condition and includes the rare factory luggage.

Recently Canepa Design performed a complete mechanical inspection and service of all drivetrain, suspension, electrical and control systems in addition to a full cosmetic detail to to the highest concours standards. New springs have been fitted to lower the car and a full four-wheel alignment performed. Michelin 205/70 VR/15 XWX tires have been installed, and European specification bumpers fitted. The car is absolutely stunning and drives perfectly. It is ready for the concours field or any of the great automobile tours.

General History of the 300SL
Introduced at the 1954 New York Auto Show—unlike previous models introduced at either the Frankfurt or Geneva shows. The 300SL was best known for both its distinctive gullwing doors and for being the first-ever gasoline-powered car equipped with fuel injection directly into the combustion chamber. The gullwing version was available from March 1955 to 1957. In Mercedes-Benz fashion, the “300” referred to the engine’s cylinder displacement, in this case, three liters. The “SL” stood for “Sport Leicht” or “Sport Light.”

The gullwing doors, hinged at the roof and so named because the open doors resembled a bird’s outstretched wings, were implemented as such to accommodate for the car’s tubular chassis, designed by DBAG’s chief developing engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Part of the chassis passed through what would be the lower half of a standard door. This tubular chassis was a necessity, as the original car was designed solely for racing and needed to be as light as possible due to the rather underpowered original, carbureted, engine, while still providing a high level of strength. This required the driver and any passengers to do some gymnastics to get in or out of the car, usually by sitting on and sliding across the wide door sill. A steering wheel with a tilt-away column made the process considerably easier.

It was Max Hoffman, Daimler-Benz’s official importer in the USA, who convinced DBAG management in Stuttgart that a street version of the 300SL would be a commercial success, especially in the US. Hoffman’s prediction was correct since more than 80% of the vehicle’s total production of approximately 1400 units were sold in the US, making the Gullwing the first Mercedes-Benz which sold in bulk outside its home market. The 300SL is credited for changing the company’s image in America from a manufacturer of solid, but staid, automobiles to that of a producer of sporty cars.

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