Mercedes sl gullwing

[STUNO]

A bit off the usual shite for us, something rare has turned up on a farm in NZ

 

Just a 1956 gullwing with an aluminium body (SL) body no. 5500027, no 27 of 29 built. No.27 was the only one painted white when delivered.

Stirling Moss "bought" a white 56 SL gullwing while a works driver for Mercedes. The car had been stored in a damp container for 25 years and is apparently in a mess, but is currently being restored. It has been authenticated by Mercedes archives. The current owner spent 10 years trying to buy it without letting on to anyone he new where it was!

No photos were published so cannot put any up here!

[trigger]

Gullwing Merc's are one of the most beautiful cars ever made, I can't see it being a cheap restoration though!

[messerschmitt owner]

they made about 1400 gullwings IIRC

[seth]

they made about 1400 gullwings IIRC

 

Wikipediea says that 29 were aluminum (so it must be true!)

 

The 300SL's body was mainly steel, except for the aluminum hood, doors and trunk lid. It could also be ordered with an all-aluminium outer skin at tremendous added cost, saving 80 kg (176 lb).

 

Another ultimate barn find I suppose.

[Tayne]

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[Barry Cade]

Funny this post should come up- I saw an old guy getting the papers from the paper shop in Glenrothes the other day, in a white SLS.. Not an everyday spot up here!

[Vin]

To be honest I've never really been a fan these, they look too 'clumsy' in my eye. I'm sure one appears in one of the cannonball run films, with a yank V8, or similar, in it.

 

I also remember seeing in Popular or Practical Classics (can't remember which...) a picture of one of these Gullwing Mercs abandoned for scrap, behind a Yorkshire pub in the early Seventies......

[STUNO]

To be honest I've never really been a fan these, they look too 'clumsy' in my eye. I'm sure one appears in one of the cannonball run films, with a yank V8, or similar, in it.

 

I also remember seeing in Popular or Practical Classics (can't remember which...) a picture of one of these Gullwing Mercs abandoned for scrap, behind a Yorkshire pub in the early Seventies......

 

That was never "abandoned". The owner had a few drinks in the pub and could not work out how to get into it after he got the door open. Then could not remember next day which pub it was parked behind, and the landlord ignored it because it wasn't a Jaguar.

The owner of the car above has the money and the car is being very well restored along with a 300sl roadster that came with it.

On the same track Beacham Jaguar are in the final stages of restoring a Rolls Phantom 111 for a German client, sounds like will be quite something as the owner wanted it to be able to keep up with modern traffic. Fuel injection and disc brakes are just two of the subtle mods, with apparently plenty more. so next time you are driving through Germany at 180 kph and a 1937 Phantom passes you at 200+ do not be suprised.