Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing & Roadster: How to spot a W198 worth buying.

This article is ongoing and may change over time. I will add more details until this becomes a very useable guide to purchasing or judging 300SL Gullwings and Roadsters. Our shop has restored several hundred cars and we've seen 300SL in every condition imaginable. Examples include: burned out, barn finds (complete with a family of rats), preserved original, maintained driver, crashed and smashed, and now, more often, the older restorations. I am writing from the perspective of a buyer, as I do not personally work on the cars or restore them (but I do pay attention).

Caveat Emptor - Do your research, due diligence pays off.
We have, over the years, come to notice some very obvious signs of poor or inaccurate restorations, and many cars heralded as "original" when they are quite clearly not. For anyone in the market for a 300SL Gullwing or Roadster, do your research carefully! The 300SL community, including collectors, restorers, repairers, brokers and dealers, is very small. So ask around, ask for references, and ask more than one person - the 300SL has made a lot of unscrupulous sellers and brokers a lot of money over the years. Do not let yourself fall victim to what appears to be "a really good deal." It is often too good to be true, and in my experience you do get what you pay for with the 300SL.

Do not buy a car and hope to restore it yourself and hope to turn a profit. It is easy to be tempted to spend $400.000 USD or less for a car that has not been restored and to want to do the work yourself. The value of these cars depends on accuracy and quality. It would be like buying a damaged painting and trying to restore it yourself. Even if you yourself are an artist, you are likely not an expert in conservation or restoration. Even an older restoration of say 10-20 years, might set you back tens of thousands in minor repairs if you are lucky, and in some cases require a full restoration. If the car you are buying was restored, find out who by and look at other examples of their work. Go and see the car if possible, drive it, maybe bring along someone who knows the mechanical and cosmetic details of the 300SL inside and out. Ask questions about the restoration, get all the details you can, but first spend some time learning about the car so you know what to ask and what you are looking at. How long has the car sat since restoration? What did the previous owner do with the car? Did the car ever have a major accident? Is it a matching numbers car? What was rebuilt during the restoration? Was it a full mechanical and cosmetic restoration? Did they replace the writing harness? When painted, was the car stripped to bare metal, picked and filed, was the body repaired or simply patched?

One of the best references is "Gullwing: The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé" by Anthony Pritchard, unfortunately it was a limited run of 1000 copies (roughly how many Gullwings are presumed to exist today). If you can get your hands on a copy or have already, then consider yourself lucky. I agree with much of what is said in their section on restorations and they are very thorough in describing the production Gullwing, piece by piece.

Numbers: (according to factory build records, which may not be precise)

Gullwing: (1,400 total production cars, including 29 lightweight alloy body models)

• 1952: 10 (Chassis: 194.010 000001 to 000010)
  
• 1953: 1 (Chassis: 194.010 000011)
• 1954: 146 (Chassis: 198.040 4500010 to 4500167)
• 1955: 867 (Chassis: 198.040 5500022 to 5500877, including 25 alloy models and 1 fibre-glass prototype)
• 1956: 311 (Chassis: 198.040 6500010 to 6500317, including 4 alloy models)
• 1957: 76 (Chassis: 198.040 7500007 to 00079)
  

Roadster: (1,858 total production cars)

• 1956: 1 (one of a rumoured five prototype Roadsters; the only one made in 1956)
  
• 1957: 618
  
• 1958: 267
  
• 1959: 200
  
• 1960: 241
  
• 1961: 256
  
• 1962: 182
  
• 1963: 91
  
• 1964: 3
  

A note on alloy body Gullwings:
Mercedes-Benz produced a total of 29 lightweight alloy body Gullwings during the production years 1955 and 1956. The standard steel body Gullwings had alloy doors, hood, trunk lid, and rocker panels. In addition to an all alloy body, the lightweight models had racing wheels with Rudge-Whitworth centre-lock hubs and spinners (commonly known as "Rudge wheels"), high-life camshaft, and plastic rear and side windows. They cost quite a bit more than the standard Gullwing when sold by the factory and today are worth over twice as much as a steel body car, going for $1.1M to $1.5M USD). A prototype 300SL will sell for similar sums or much more. We have restored several alloy body cars over the years and many people believe that all 29 are still on the road (so check your chassis plate for a 198.043).

Identification Plates:
The paint, motor and chassis plates, found under the hood, are the best place to start your research. The main chassis/model/typ plate is on the left side of the engine firewall. A second chassis plate and often a stamping is found on the left side front chassis leg close to the tubular transverse member. The paint number plate is located on the right side of the engine firewall with the prefix "DB" for Daimler-Benz. Below this is a common place to find the stamped chassis number (but not on some early cars). The motor number is stamped into the right hand side of the cylinder block, and repeated on the alloy plate attached below.

Chassis number prefix:

• 300SL / 194 010: Racing/Works SL
  

• 300SL / 198 040: Production Gullwing
  
• 300SL / 198 042: Production Roadster
  
• 300SL / 198 043: Alloy Body Gullwing

With the Gullwings and a few of the early Roadsters you can tell the year by inverting the first two numbers. In the following example 4500038 is 1954 (also stamped below) and body number 38 produced in that year. With the later Roadsters it becomes more complicated and they lose the date in their number. The engine in a very early car may have the same number as the chassis, however I have not seen this. Most of the time they are a many engines ahead of the chassis. In this case the engine is number 39 produced in 1954.

Main Chassis Plate:

Chassis Plate #2:

Paint Plate:

Motor Plate & Stamp:

If the number plates match the stamped numbers then you should have a matching car. The only way to cross-reference this is to look at the factory build sheets, which are available to the owner of the car in question. You can order them from the factory if you do not already have the sheet. Notice the type of screws used in the alloy plates on the firewall, these are often incorrect and should be Slotted (flat) screws, not Phillips (cross) or Robertson (square) headed screws. Cars with incorrect screws have, evidently, been restored, or worked on, by a shop that is not obsessed with minor, correct details. For example on this paint plate:


Exterior and Interior:
The Gullwing came standard in Metallic silver grey (paint code DB 180), with LI: Blue-checked (plaid) gaberdine combined with blue Tex-leather, lined with grey cloth, and with blue bouclé carpet.

*Tex-leather is the MB version of vinyl. You could have real leather with the checked gaberdine at an extra cost.
*Bouclé describes the looped yarn threads in the carpet.

MB had three standard upholstery options including LI described above. LII: red-checked gaberdine, cream Tex-leather, light-beige cloth lining, and beige bouclé carpet. LIII: green-checked gaberdine, green Tex-leather, green-grey cloth lining, and green bouclé carpet.

The official leather options, at a cost, were: Red (1079), Black (953), Green (1073), Blue (333), Cream (1060), White (1097), Steel blue (979), and Light grey (955).

The optional exterior paint colours, at a cost, were: Graphite grey (DB 190), Blue grey (DB 166), White grey (DB 158), Ivory (DB 608), Fire engine red (DB 534), Metallic strawberry red (DB 543), Black (DB 40), White (DB 50), and Medium blue (DB 334).

Pritchard notes that "many cars were sold in colours and trims outside of the official list" (p. 136). For example, Mercedes-Benz sold approximately 64 Gullwings with Light (silver) blue metallic paint (DB 353), which was not an official 300SL paint option (p. 138). Those who bought a Gullwing or Roadster from the factory had access to the whole range of paint colours available in a given year.

These are some additional colours that I have seen (probably many more):
Interior: Burgundy leather.
Exterior: Light silver metallic (DB 274), Sea green (DB 824) or Moss green (DB 834), Dark grey (DB 164), Dark blue, and Light yellow.

Mirrors:
The wing mirror was an option on the Gullwing. They never had two mirrors and many owners today have incorrectly installed one Roadster mirror or worse, a pair of Roadster mirrors because they cost less and are easier to find. This is often overlooked at concours, but in my opinion, ruins the aesthetic of the Gullwing.

Gullwing Wing Mirror:

Roadster Mirror:

Gullwing with Roadster Mirror:

Headlights & Bumpers:

Roadster with European headlights and with the optional Bumper Overriders:

Gullwing with the UK Lucas round fog lights and with no Overriders:

Roadster with US headlights and with Overriders:

Roadster with European headlights, UK fog lights, and no bumpers:

A 300SL Gullwing with no bumpers or rally lights looks like the 300SL Gullwing prototype and similar to the1952 Carrera Panamerica racing version:

(photos from www.eMercedesBenz.com)

I prefer a Gullwing or European Roadster without bumpers or fog lights. Many people find that unappealing or prefer the US headlights on a Roadster. It is a matter of personal taste. Neither is incorrect or less desirable on a car. On a lesser note, the grill of a 300SL Gullwing changed over the years. Early models had a very desirable concave one-piece grill, while later models had two and finally three-piece grills.

Wheels and Tires (or Tyres):

1. Painted Rudge wheel in Gullwing trunk:

2. Painted standard steel wheels on a Roadster:

3. Painted standard steel wheels on a Roadster:

4. Painted Rudge knock-off wheels on a Gullwing:5. Painted Rudge knock-off wheels on a Roadster:6. Chromed Rudge wheel in Gullwing trunk:

7. Other examples of wheels, painted and/or in polished chrome:

As you can see from the photos above, there are two basic types of wheels for the 300SL. You have the standard wheel and the Rudge-Whitworth knock-off wheel. The factory never sold all-chrome polished standard or Rudge wheels. They did use polished chrome Rudge wheels on the US, and perhaps other show cars in 1954, but it was not a factory option (too flashy; even today you will not often see chrome wheels in Germany).

The standard wheel came in alloy or steel, both had steel centres which are in most cases painted, although I have seen all chrome standard wheels. This was not how they came from the factory. Mercedes-Benz sold all the standard wheel cars with painted centres and rims, see examples above in images 2 and 3. Factory correct examples of Rudge wheels are in images 1,4, and 5; examples of polished chrome Rudge wheels are in images 6 and 7.
Mercedes-Benz fitted the 300SL with 6.5/6.7 x 15 Continental cross-ply tires; a few had Dunlop racing tires, but it was not an option. You can show your car with old tires, especially if you have some Continentals that still hold air, however you should not drive on tires older than 10 years, especially if you drive at high speeds. Today, most people recommend and use the Michelin XWX 185 x 15 tires (195 x 15 with 5 inch rims). However, we recommend and use the Pirelli P4000 VR rated SuperTour tires, which look very much like the classic Continental when on, give a comfortable ride, and are rated to over 145 mph.

Under the Hood:

Four photographs of a correct Roadster engine bay:

In the above set of photos notice the placement of decal, the number of decals, the type of paint used in the engine bay and on the motor, the types of hose clamps and cables, the texture of the intake manifold and general orientation of parts. The decals are not really a concern because you can get them today. However, they are often positioned in the wrong spot. The two most common mistakes with restorations are the type of paint used and the texture of the intake manifold. In the photos above, you will see a matte black paint on the engine bay and the same on the motor itself, and a textured, un-polished intake manifold; those are correct to factory specifications. Compare the above photographs to the set below. Also notice in the set below, which is also of a Roadster, that Gullwing hand-fasteners are used on the case instead of tool-fastened ones (see above for an example of the Roadster case, and the third set of photographs of Gullwing motors to see the difference).

Four photographs of an incorrect Roadster engine bay:

Three photographs of three different Gullwings: first correct, second not, third correct:

The above photographs are of three restored Gullwing engine bays illustrate the two commonly made restoration mistakes discussed above with the Roadster examples. Note the middle photograph shows both a glossy paint on the motor and the engine bay (which also means the undercarriage) and a highly polished intake manifold. Both of these errors are not easily correctable. You would have to take the car apart, strip it, and repaint it with a matte finish to correct the paint; once an intake manifold is polished, you can never bring back the former texture.

Steering Wheels:

The standard collapsible ivory white wheel:

The standard wheel fitted with the optional horn, (does not collapse):

The wooden Nardi wheel, not a factory option, it was an aftermarket addition:The MB Grand Prix wheel, not a factory option, but an authentic and expensive period addition:

The Nardi wheel, although nice to look at, is a nuisance when driving because it hides many of the gages. I find the standard wheel with the horn very attractive in the Roadster, while the Grand Prix wheel looks very good in a Gullwing, especially this early model with goose-neck shifter (like the prototype and race cars).

Fitted Luggage:

Fitted luggage in two Roadsters:

Fitted luggage in two Gullwings:

Stitching, head-liner, seats, and radios:

It is often hard to tell a good interior from photographs, especially low resolution ones. To be contined...





Prices Today:

As of October 2009:

Lowest: 395,000 USD (Copley Motorcars, USA)
Highest: 905,000 USD (Oakfields, UK)

Average		$642,535	436,760 €
Roadster	19	$609,270	414,148 €
Gullwing	9	$731,243	497,058 €

(All conditions - from not running to concours perfect - so the actual average for a good car is significantly higher).

Works Cited:
Pritchard, Anthony. Gullwing: The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé. Standard Edition. London: Palawan Press Ltd., 2008.

no longer just cars - the classics are art...

Think about it.

Classic cars are works of art. No one is building cars like this anymore. Even the supercars of today are not the same. The technology is different, the skillsets and materials are different - yes I consider them works of art, but not in the same capacity. You cannot restore a Ferrari Enzo in the same way that you can a 250 GTO; or a 360 Modena, like you can a 246 GT Dino.

Why do I consider the great classic cars as art? For many people, when asked about art and artists, often the concept of mass-production, or a workshop environment does not come to mind. How could something be considered art if industry made it? Or, if a hundred people contributed to it... How is that original? How is that art?

The reality is that artists have worked in workshops, with other artists and assistants, on the same artworks. They even mass-produced a lot of their work. The art usually leaves the workshop with the maestro's signature, but many people were involved in the production and creation of the art.

I am by no means suggesting that all artists create in this manner, however many did and some still do today.

Take Dale Chihuly, who is arguably the world's greatest glass artist. He was injured and can no longer finish a piece of art by himself; he is the producer and the director; he is a master of his craft, and he leads a highly skilled workshop of artists.

Another older, and perhaps better known artist, Rembrandt, had a HUGE workshop to create hundreds of paintings and prints. Today there are literally teams of scholars trying to find out which of his paintings his hands actually touched. Many collectors do not think this matters - after all, the paintings are still Rembrandt's; they are all his creations, he was a master, a great painter and a capitalist. Films today are no different. They have large casts and crews, hundreds of administrative staff and post-production wizards. Yet at the end of the day, the film is known as a Woody Allen or a Stanley Kubrick or a Guy Ritchie film; the rest are left to the credits.

Enzo Ferrari was no different - he created, he produced, he conducted - and lead a workshop to create many beautiful works of art.

Yes, you could argue a car is a car - or that a painting a is painting. But is it that simple? And are they just cars or just paintings? I know this line of discussion leads to the infamous question "What is art/what makes that art?" and perhaps I will address that another time, but for now I want you to consider art in a very general sense. Creating it requires not only creativity, but also talent, and skill to produce it. The aesthetic value or feelings we get from experiencing the art is a result of this endeavour. It is a result of the skill and creativity of other people.

In the 16th century, the ruler of the Safavid Empire, Shah Tahmasp, employed entire cities to produce some of the finest and beautiful, and today the most valuable artworks in the world. The cities of Tabriz and Shiraz were inhabited by hundreds of miniature painters, calligraphers, and other artists and also to thousands of their assistants. In the 16th century, you had to grind and mix pigments to make paints; you needed workshops to make paper or cast gold, and cut precious stones. Safavid art was often signed by the master artist; and often the artworks were written about by the collectors, critics, and other artists. That practice is very similar to what happens today with art, and the same has occurred in the 20th century with automobiles.

With Ferrari, you have designers, like Pininfarina; body builders like Scaglietti; the engineers like Vittorio Jano; and the hundreds of highly skilled craftsmen who worked with them to create a and produce each car.

The car was an innovation. It gave people freedom and it served a purpose, not entirely dissimilar to four-legged predecessor; the horse. The horse is a good analogy for this discussion. They were carefully bred for different purposes; to race, to pull, to fight, to hunt, and for leisure. The breeders also considered aesthetics, symmetry, strength, and endurance. You would not and the designers and clients of the early automobiles pushed the limits of design and technology to create beautiful and powerful works of art. The desire to compete - to race and to win - and the equal desire to create and possess beautiful things is within all of us. This is where these cars came from. Today, things have changed; most of us suffer from the stigma of seeing an old car as simply a "used car". We now associate "used" and "old" with disposable. They make each model of car, except supercars or track cars, by the thousand today. The first cars were built like aircraft; using new technology and incurring massive research and development costs. They pushed boundaries we no longer seek to break. Those days are over. The cars today are built to conserve, to use alternate fuel sources.

Yes, the world is experiencing a huge economic crisis, we are exhausting our limited resources and polluting our environment. I think that most people are aware of the trouble we are in and to escape it all; carpe diem. Some of us live every day as if tomorrow could be the last. There is nothing wrong with enjoying life, however we need to stop behaving like escapists. It is our duty to think our way out of a situation we clearly thought our way in to - but that is another post. For art, and for cars, this escapist and capitalist way of living creates huge demand for beautiful distractions. Many of us want to live life to the fullest; for some that means putting pedal to the floor every day.

So why do I keep talking about classic cars as art - and what does this mean about their value?

Many people have realised that these cars are works of art. They are tangible - real - investments in something that took thousands of skilled hours and incredible creativity and artistry to produce. Real estate is tangible, and has been one of the greatest places to put your money. However - and in most cases - buying real estate serves only to protect your cash assets from inflation. Do not consider it an investment unless you actively make it one; by renting, or renovating, or developing.

Another example, which we are all too familiar with is the stock market - which is now so globally connected it falters at even the slightest hick-up. Recently, gold has been a great place to put your money - but it is nothing to look at and you certainly cannot drive it. The insurance for keeping gold in your home is higher than insuring a rare classic.

The prices for many great classics have slipped a little, but that is only because a good portion of enthusiasts had to liquidate assets to save the mortgage or get the kids through college. The prices are holding firm now. The ones that keep dropping are usually poor quality "deals of the century". The real buyers and collectors are out there, and they are looking carefully.

The reason many people assume classics will devalue further is because of the free-falling prices, high supply, and low demand for modern cars. In November '08, my friends at Auto-Salon Singen in Germany, said they've bought back almost half of their leased newer cars - Ferrari & others. But noticed that the classics held price and position. The odd client had to sell off something special, but it was not as common as with the newer cars. The economic downturn hit a lot of people, and they need to liquidate some asset that still holds value - and that is usually the car.

So do not be fooled - and don't be a fool, the prices for classics will not hit the floor - like every good with a monetary value - they dropped relative to the global economy, but when you take that into consideration the prices are on track and show no signs of dropping further. Right now, it is a good time to buy smart. Just be careful - the costs for servicing and restoration have not dropped - so if you are going for a deal that looks too sweet, it probably is - and you'll probably pay for it a few months down the road.

I know that these great classics will be worth a fortune one day soon - all the cars produced up until the 70s were limited in production; today, fewer and fewer are proper and correct - or are being restored to factory specifications. As others realise the value in owning one, demand will increase and the supply is very limited.

My favourite part is that you can DRIVE this art - it is a pleasure just to get into the driver seat - and then to drive is literally to go back in time - roaring down curvy country lanes. Nothing beats that feeling - and as a lover of all types of art - on occasion I enjoy sitting for an hour or so in front of a painting or a sculpture - but 99% of the time you are not allowed to touch, let alone or lift or feel or take apart and put back together.

The photos for this post are all Ferrari:

1. the engine from a 250 TR - itself is a piece of art
2. a detail of the left side of a 246 GT Dino - a stunning Pininfarina design
3. the rear end of a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta