This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ Could Fetch $1.55 Million

While it’s claimed that Enzo Ferrari referred to the Jaguar E-Type as “the most beautiful car in the world” when it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, many would argue that a model from the previous decade is equally deserving of such praise—the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” Coupe. As far as the classic-car market is concerned, Jaguar’s E-Type may have an iconic aesthetic, but its value is dwarfed today by that of the German marque’s original 300 SL, which has become a bona fide blue-chip collectible. The enduring allure of the bygone-era “Gullwing” will be evident when one such example is soon made available to the public through Bonhams.

“We are incredibly pleased to offer the extraordinary 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe at The Quail Auction, 15 August,” says Adrian Durban, senior specialist at Bonhams. “This Gullwing tells a story as compelling as its design, factory-built for the Geneva Auto Show, touched by a Swiss industrialist, and cherished in Mexico for over five decades.”

Revealed at New York’s International Motor Sports Show in 1954, the production version of the 300 SL (“Super Light”) was based on the already renowned 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL race car, internally designated as the W 194. Built on a tubular spaceframe, the race-specific model competed that year in such fabled gauntlets as the Mille Miglia, the Carrera Panamericana, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing first and second at the latter. It was famed U.S. importer Max Hoffman who took notice of the commercial potential of these successes and had the vision to foresee a stateside demand for a W 194 in road-car form.

A 2021 media release from Mercedes-Benz, outlining the history of the 300 SL, cites the official notes from a meeting of the automaker’s board of management on September 2, 1953, regarding Hoffman’s suggestion: “Mr. Hoffman is confident [ . . . ] that big business cannot be expected in the U.S. without enhancing the range by models that are more than suitable for the local market. [ . . . ] In the U.S., it is expected from Mercedes-Benz—as a company with a particularly good reputation—that, whatever happens, they develop a sports car that can evolve to become the sole basis for the dealership organization’s survival.”

As it turned out, the 300 SL was pivotal in having Mercedes not only survive but thrive stateside. That same press-release retrospective goes on to state: “In 1954 and 1955 alone, 85 percent of the 300 SL Coupe models (850 of 996 vehicles) produced over this two-year period were exported to the United States of America.”

The example crossing the auction block through Bonhams, chassis No. 6500024, was built in 1956 and fit with a 2,996 cc inline six engine—with Bosch mechanical fuel injection—paired with a four-speed manual transmission. With an output of roughly 212 hp, the car has its speed scrubbed by four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

Chassis No. 6500024 was initially exhibited at the 1956 Geneva Motor Show. Its first owner was Hürlimann Traktoren, a Swiss manufacturer, who, Bonhams reports, was involved in an accident with the car, but had it repaired by the marque. The next known steward was Georgina Garcia Conde, who acquired the vehicle for $1,500 in 1969 from a dealer in San Antonio, Texas, and subsequently moved it to Mexico. By 1986, it was in the collection of Carlos Hank Rohn, where it remained until 1995, when the family now consigning the car took ownership and had it restored.

“With its numbers-matching engine, period-correct restoration, timeless Silver over Red livery, and chassis 6500024, this is more than just a collector’s piece,” says Durban. “It’s a passport to the most prestigious rallies, and a cornerstone for any serious collection.” As for the price of such a coveted ticket and trophy, it’s estimated to fall between $1.35 million and $1.55 million.

Click here for more photos of this 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” Coupe.