Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Barn Find
There are still moments that you can hardly imagine. Especially as a car fan every now and then you dream about opening an old barn or storage facility, just to stand in front of an old, long forgotten car. Fittingly, those vehicles are known as ‘Barn Finds’. On YouTube, there is an occasional program called ‘Barn Find Hunter’, in which the moderator Tom Cotter travels through the United States on behalf of Hagerty’s, tracking down old cars by rumors and stories of local people – often with great success. In the course of the broadcasts, he came across some Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, a Pegaso and various American classic cars. In May 2018, in the 32nd episode, he together with Bill Warner, the founder and organizer of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, opened a storage room in Ponte Vedra/Florida, which wasn’t entered for the last ten years at least.
Warner already knew what was hiding in that room, because he has known the owner and the stored vehicle for the last 60 years. Thus it isn’t ultimately the classic image of a barn find, but still an absolute rarity, which was brought back to daylight here. The owner, who wants to remain anonymous, bought this vehicle new in 1954, drove it apparently for only eleven years and just more than 35,000 miles, then decided to restore it, removed the original paint, primed the body and then put the car in storage. Why it stayed in this condition for the next more than 50 years until today is a question, that probably also the owner can’t answer anymore. But the attached rear license plate indicates, that it was last licensed in 1965, to the 400th anniversary of the state of Florida.
Our headline and the picture gallery probably spoiled it: the car found in the storage room isn’t just any old daily driver with a little sentimental value, but an absolute legend on four wheels, which today is an important part of any major car collection worldwide. We are talking about the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’, which was the first supercar from Germany and caused a stir for its power and performance. Also it set a design statement with its gullwing doors. Well-preserved or restored it achieves prices in the seven-digit range with ease. No wonder, as only 1,400 copies have ever been produced. The car, that re-appeared in Ponte Vedra, is chassis number 0043, a particularly early vehicle.
Despite the thick layer of dust, the hard-rotten tires (which amazingly still were able to hold some air) and the very gregarious interior due to the damp climate in Florida, the bodywork hardly shows any damage or rust. All chrome parts were stored wrapped inside the car. Windows, engine and gearbox are still original from factory. Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center from California was able to arrange a purchase of the 300 SL and will show it during the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in March before starting to restore it. At the Concours it will meet the sister car with chassis number 0044 for the first time since the production in 1954.
Images: Mercedes-Benz Classic Center California
