Mercedes-Benz 300SL Brings Big Bucks at Silverstone
After an exhaustive restoration, this Mercedes-Benz 300SL dominated the charts at a famously strong auction in the U.K.
Each year, the Silverstone Classic Sale offers up an array of some of the rarer and more expensive vehicles on the planet. 2018 proved to be no exception to that rule. But the undisputed star of the show was this stunning 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. In fact, according to The Irish Sun, the rare roadster hammered for an astounding £860,625, or $1.13 million dollars. The price was nearly double that of the second place finisher, an incredibly rare 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS.
This particular Mercedes-Benz 300SL is one of only 1,858 built and has lived a fascinating life. It was sold new in the U.S., but imported to the U.K. in 1999. It was then that the car was treated to an extensive restoration that was fully documented in both pictures and print. In fact, it was Ron Waghorn himself, one of only two factory-trained Mercedes 300SL technicians, who rebuilt all the mechanicals.
Waghorn wasn’t the only notable name to leave his mark on this gorgeous car, either. Former McLaren engineer Kerry Adams took care of the frame and body rails. APR Cars of Ruislip then performed a bare metal respray. By 2001, the restoration was completed. But despite what you might think, the new owner didn’t just stick it in some climate-controlled building somewhere.
In the following years, he drove his Mercedes-Benz 300SL all over Europe, racking up 9,000 miles across multiple countries. Given how famously finicky they are to drive, that’s really saying something. The car now shows a mere 89,000 total miles. And of course, meticulous maintenance has kept it in exceptional condition over that time span. Enough so that the car netted one impressive price at auction, something we’re pretty used to seeing from the Mercedes-Benz 300SL these days.
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