1963 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster

Chassis No. 198.042.10.003246
Engine No. 198.982.10.000215

Owing to Mercedes-Benz's enduring commitment to delivering the most refined motor vehicles to its customers, the incremental improvements made over the 300 SL “Gullwing” coupe's production run continued with the open 300 SL Roadster of 1957. The process of transforming the W194 300 SL racer into a comfortable, production tourer was one of continual development, which began with modifying the space frame to accept conventional doors, adopting a low-pivot swing axle rear suspension geometry, and raising the Gullwing's 215 horsepower output to 240 horsepower through a competition camshaft. Major mechanical improvements over the following years included an electromagnetic shut-off valve in the mixture controller to prevent overrun (1958), Dunlop disc brakes on all four corners (1961), and most significantly, replacing the iron block with an aluminum engine block from chassis number 003049 (1962).

Production of the 300 SL Roadster continued into the 1963 model year, for which just 26 examples were produced – these cars representing the final development of the nearly decade-long production run of the 300 SL. The Roadster on offer, chassis number 003246, is one such example of the final 26 and the 13th-to-last car ever produced. According to its Mercedes-Benz Classic Certificate, the late-production Roadster was completed on 25 February 1963 and dispatched to a Mercedes-Benz distribution agency in the Netherlands, originally finished in Light Blue (DB 334) over Burgundy leather (DB 202).

Prior to joining the current owner's stable in 2017, chassis number 003246 was the subject of a concours-quality restoration by Jürgen Kassen in Oerlinghausen, Germany to its current, period-correct Pearl Green (DB 213) exterior and green leather finishes. The monumental undertaking also saw the Roadster receive numerous mechanical upgrades and modern convenience features including an improved cooling system and a diaphragm spring clutch, power windows, a Becker Mexico radio with GPS, an air conditioning system, and a highly coveted removable body-color hardtop. Complementing its unique specification are Pearl Green wheel covers and a matching two-piece set of green leather-covered fitted luggage in the luggage compartment.

One of the final 300 SL Roadsters to leave Sindelfingen, now offered in striking colors, chassis number 003246 is without a doubt one of the finest late-production Roadsters currently available. With fewer than 1,300 kilometers (approximately 808 miles) traveled since the completion of its exquisite restoration, this disc-brake, aluminum-block 300 SL Roadster offers its next owner an opportunity to own and experience the pinnacle of 300 SL development.