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Chassis:
The first alloy bodied 300 SL completed in 1956, this is the sole example that was finished in black. This distinct exterior colour was complemented by a red leather interior. Like all aluminium bodied Gullwings, this example was fitted with Rudge knock-off wheels. Once it was completed, it was dispatched to Milan where it was delivered to Luigi Chinetti. A Le Mans winner, he famously was Ferrari’s East Coast distributor and reportedly ordered the alloy 300 SL to compare it with the Ferraris he sold. Chinetti would retain the 300 SL through to the mid-1970s by which time it had accrued over 45,000 miles. He sold the Mercedes-Benz to Los Angeles based scrapyard owner and collector Rudi Klein. After taking delivery in 1977, Klein put the alloy Gullwing in a corner in the central building of his scrapyard. Although 300 SL historians were aware of where the car was, it was not seen until it was offered with the rest of the Rudi Klein Collection by RM Sotheby’s in the fall of 2024. Like the rest of collection, it was in rather derelict condition but it was complete and bids far exceeded the top estimate with a record-breaking sales price of $9,355,000.
| Chassis details |
| Manufactured in |
January 12, 1956 |
| Engine number |
198.980.5500868 |
| First owner |
Luigi Chinetti |
| Most recent auction(s) |
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300 SL Alloy 'Gullwing' Coupe
