By the standards of 1950s automotive engineering, the lucky first customers and members of the press who test drove the 300 SL Gullwing might have likened it more to a spaceship than a sports car. Instantly recognisable with its vertically lifting doors, which were made possible by the pioneering W198 platform’s revolutionary “birdcage” frame, the Gullwing packed a performance punch to match its stunning looks. The 3.0-litre straight-six M198 engine offered some 212 horsepower at launch, considerably more than alternative sports cars from the likes of BMW or Jaguar that had once set the benchmark for the era. The car’s lightweight construction—dubbed Super Leicht in German, from which the “SL” part of its name is derived—made for the ultimate concoction of both form and function.

Of course, Mercedes-Benz engineers did not begin designing the 300 SL from a standing start. Both the Gullwing coupé and subsequent Roadster were based largely on the earlier W194, the competition-ready predecessor to the roadgoing car. The United States was seen as a critical market for expansion and Mercedes-Benz launched the 300 SL Gullwing at the 1954 International Motor Sports Show in New York, notably becoming the first car from the marque ever shown overseas before being revealed in Germany. The example offered here, chassis number 4500086, is one such Gullwing to have been ordered at the height of the Three-Pointed Star’s newfound fame in the United States.

Marked as complete by the Untertürkheim factory on 6 December 1954, the car was destined for the New York-based distributor for Mercedes-Benz, with its first owner noted as one CD Jones, a resident of Buffalo, New York. From new, the 300 SL was finished in the attractive shade of Light Blue Metallic over a Light Grey interior. Subsequent ownership resulted in the Gullwing moving from the East to West Coast as it was acquired by one Ed Jansen of Temple City, California at an unknown date. In 1992, the Gullwing joined The Blackhawk Collection based in Danville, California. At some point, the car was finished in its current configuration of black over a black leather interior. Its last recorded owner in the United States, who had acquired the 300 SL in January 2001, was a resident of Chatsworth, California.

The Mercedes-Benz finally joined The Stuttgart Legends Collection in 2010, at which point it was repatriated to its native Germany. The 300 SL was soon presented to the Mercedes-Benz specialist workshop Mechatronik of Pleidelsheim, near Stuttgart. Over the course of 2010 and 2011, the vendor spent in excess of €140,000 with the garage—for which invoices are available to view on file—with key jobs including general recommissioning, removal and reinstallation of the engine and gearbox, an overhaul of the braking system, and more. While the body, chassis, and engine are verified to be matching-numbers components, the gearbox appears to be a 1954 replacement unit.

A genuine racer-turned-road car, the 300 SL Gullwing boasts a compelling backstory. With its desirable factory specification that its next owner might be tempted to revert to, this example would be a fitting addition to any esteemed collection.