1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing
The 300 SL Gullwing needs no introduction — but the example pictured here does. Mercedes produced 1,400 Gullwings over its three-year production run, making the car fairly rare. But of those 1,400, just 29 were bodied with aluminum bodywork, making them stand out even amongst a classic. Along with the lightweight alloy body were Plexiglas windows on the doors and D-pillars — good for 209 pounds in weight savings. The 3.0-liter inline-six also received attention, with a competition camshaft, higher compression, a bespoke throttle valve, recalibrated fuel system to deliver over 215 horsepower. Rudge wheels were fitted as standard, an option on steel-bodied Gullwings, along with ventilated front drums. This 300 SL was delivered new to Africa before spending most of its life in the United States. Fully documented and numbers-matching, the car goes to auction on March 13th.
