In 1956, the Mercedes-Benz factory in Stuttgart produced 311

　　hand-built 300SL Gullwings. This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

　　is a European market car, originally delivered through the

　　Mercedes-Benz distributor Mario Morescalchi in Rome, Italy. Based

　　on the initial Mercedes-Benz 300SL racing cars of 1952 that utterly

　　dominated European sports-car competition, including 1-2 at the 24

　　Hours of Le Mans, plus another 1-2 victory in Mexico's deadly

　　Carrera Panamericana, the road-going 300SL "Gullwing" of 1954-57

　　was never meant to be. That is, until famed New York automobile

　　importer Max Hoffman successfully lobbied the Daimler-Benz board of

　　directors to authorize limited production. Introduced at the

　　February 1954 New York International Motor Sports Show alongside

　　the touring-oriented 190SL, the glamorous 300SL was mostly

　　hand-built and immediately recognized as an object of automotive

　　desire for the world's business, entertainment and social

　　luminaries. Today, the unforgettable 300SL ranks among the most

　　collectible and valuable of all postwar sports cars. Development

　　and engineering of the roadgoing 300SL fills many excellent and

　　authoritative volumes. The 300SL's features, engineering and

　　immense performance remain advanced and relevant. Featuring an

　　ultra-lightweight spaceframe chassis, the 300SL's highlights seem

　　modern even today, including direct fuel injection, a 3.0-liter

　　SOHC inline 6-cylinder powerplant, dry-sump engine lubrication,

　　fully independent suspension and, of course, upward-opening

　　"Gullwing" doors. Most of these brilliant and potent performers

　　carry fascinating provenance and this stellar example from 1956 is

　　certainly no exception. Order #823298 left the factory on October

　　30, 1956. It was finished in DB180 Silver Metallic Gray over a Blue

　　333 leather interior, and featured a Becker-Mexico radio, Hirchmann

　　antenna and an outside mirror. It ended up in Pennsylvania by at

　　least 1993 and was in the collection of Roger S. Gallet by 1995.

　　Gallet owned many classic cars, including a 1962 Mercedes-Benz

　　300SL roadster that he bought in 1981. The current owner acquired

　　this Gullwing from Gallet's estate in 2020 and brought it back to

　　300SL restorer Coachwerks in Victoria, BC, Canada. Overall, the

　　Gullwing was in very good condition but had obviously been unused

　　for several years. Over the past 3 years Coachwerks completely

　　disassembled and stripped down the body, chassis, engine and all

　　mechanical components to perform a nut-and-bolt, frame-off,

　　concours-quality restoration. Every mechanical component has been

　　restored or replaced. This Gullwing is in better-than-new condition

　　and there is an extensive file documenting the restoration. The

　　Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre in Long Beach, CA, has verified this

　　300SL retains its matching-numbers body, engine, transmission, rear

　　axle, a front spindle and the steering box. It is presented in the

　　correct DB 180 Silver Gray Metallic and trimmed with a natural

　　leather interior and two sets of seats; green cloth inserts and

　　full leather. It rides on Rudge wheels, comes with fitted luggage

　　and is documented by thousands of photos and all invoices.