The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was a hit the instant it rolled off the show room floor in 1954, and Mercedes has been keen to keep the Gullwing alive and flapping. And now one of the rarest examples is going up for auction.
AMG was tasked to tastefully retrofit the beautiful 1954 300 SL you see above.
The story goes that the car-crazy Sultan of Brunei asked Mercedes to modify this specific 300 SL and five others. Mercedes-Benz agreed and also had five more requests for AMG to retrofit Gullwings of old, eight coupes and three roadsters to be exact, with new internals from 1996 to 2009.
This particularly beautiful and rare 1954 300 SL retained its original chassis and body but AMG doubled the displacement of the 3.0-liter straight six with a 6.0-liter V8. The V8 vastly outperforms the straight-six by providing 380 horsepower and 427 pound-feet of torque.
Additionally, the swing-arm rear suspension had to be replaced with a modern five-link to handle the power. AMG also improved the Gullwing’s drivability with Bilstein shocks and AMG alloy wheels. Modern disc brakes were fitted as well. And the four-speed automatic transmission combined with power steering should make the 1954 300 SL handle like an SLS AMG.
The interior was entirely redone in Nappa leather and Aclantara trim. To top it all off a Hans-Werner Aufrecht (HWA) steering wheel was installed along with carbon fiber protective panels and a Sony CD changer. All original gages were kept but electrically modified to monitor the thumping V8.
A steering-column lock is also included but this Gullwing would be more secure in Fort Knox. With an expected bid of over $1 million set to win this amazing piece of automotive history … it should be locked down tight. The auction will take place at RM Auctions in Manaco, on May 10th.