Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Gullwing' (1955)

Unquestionably the most iconic sports car of its era, Mercedes-Benz’s 300 SL Gullwing was a car far ahead of its time. Tracing its origins to the W194 race car which saw success at events including the Mille Miglia and 24 Hours of Le Mans, U.S. distributor Max Hoffman convinced a road-legal version of the W194 could be lucrative.

Built on a spaceframe chassis constructed of welded tubular steel, the construction of the chassis itself necessitated its characteristic roof-hinged doors, which became a staple of the car’s design. At its heart was a 3.0-litre OHC straight-six engine making 240 bhp at 6,100 rpm fitted with fuel injection, making this the first fuel-injected road-legal automobile. Boasting a 161 mph top speed, it was the fastest production automobile of its time.

Thanks to the car’s incredible performance and styling, Hoffman’s intuitions proved to be right and the 300 SL Gullwing was an instant hit. For the ‘in’ crowd, it was the ‘in’ car and 300 SLs found homes not only with celebrities and barons of industry, but also a handful of racing drivers, once again proving the 300 SLs performance credentials. Owners included the Shah of Iran, Sophia Loren, Briggs Cunningham, and John von Neumann and many more.

The story of this 300 SL puts in on a pedestal above many of its contemporaries. This car was supplied new to close friend of Juan Manuel Fangio; Edouardo Kovacs. The car would find its residence in Valparaiso, Chile with Kovacs ahead of their competition in the 1956 Buenos Aires 1000 km. Ordered new in DB166 Blue-Grey over special-order Steel Blue leather, this example would see Rudge ‘knock-off’ wheels in anticipation of competition.

• Special paint finish (high-gloss)
• DB 166 BlauGrau
• Special upholstery
• DB 979 Leder Stahlblau
• Disc wheels with Rudge hubs
• Becker 'Le Mans' radio with Reims adapter and Hirschmann antenna
• Windshield washer system
• 1 set of rear suitcases
• 1 kg of paint

The car was further ordered with one spare engine and ten spare tyres. Just five spare tyres would make the steam ship accompanying the car, with the engine retained by Mercedes until required.

In order to make the start of race, Kovacs and his co-driver Raul ‘Papin’ Jaras Fleischmann would make the journey over the Andes by (mostly dirt) roads, in the very same 300 SL. The 1,700 km journey would see the duo reach heights of 3,200 metres, as high as any ski run in Europe.

The race itself was significant, the season opener of the 1956 Worlds Sportscar Championship. Ferrari and Maserati were there in force, running the latest and fastest sports racers at the hands of the very best drivers. Maserati brought with them both the 300S and 150S and there was an abundance of Cavallinos present too; the 860 Monza, 857S, 500 Mondial, 225S and 410 Sport. Moss paired with Menditéguy, Gendebien with Hill, Froilan Gonzalez with Behra. Fangio, Castellotti, Musso, Collins were also on the grid.

With the withdrawal of Mercedes from all competition following the Le Mans tragedy the previous year; Fangio had persuaded Kovacs to enter his car so they could compete wheel to wheel in South America.

Kovacs agreed and Mercedes flew a technical crew with parts to support. The team asked if they could fit their latest sports exhaust, but as reported in the Motorsport Magazine at the time, Mr Kovacs declined, stating that he would then not be able to hear the radio!

At the end of the thousand kilometres, the Maserati 300S of Moss and Menditéguy took the chequered flag from the Ferrari 857S of Hill and Gendebien, in 6th place was the Gullwing of Kovacs and co-driver Raul Jaras, one lap ahead of the race favourite and close friend Juan Manuel Fangio in the Scuderia Ferrari 410 Sport with co-driver Castellotti. The result for the 300 SL was also the highest placing non-factory entered car.

In placing 6th, Edoardo Kovacs secured the first and only point for Mercedes Benz in the 1956 Sports Car championship. This feat would be acknowledged by handwritten letter and personal gift from Alfred Neubauer, the Director of Sport at Daimler-Benz. This letter remains with the car to this day.

Beyond his endeavour in Buenos Aires, Kovacs would retain the car for 24 years.

• 1955 Supplied new to Edouardo Kovacs-Jones
• 1956 Buenos Aires 1000KM
• 1958 Campo de Marte Ciudad de Luna
• 1959 Gran Prix International Ciudad de Lima
• 1960 Playa Ancha Road Circuit
• 1964 Barrancas Circuit
• 1964 Gran Prix Ciudad de Limache
• 1964 Santiago Arica Grand Prix – El Morro

In 1957 Kovacs won the “Gran Premio Tres Provincias” in central Chile in that same car. In 1959 Mr. Kovacs took the Gullwing to Perú, and won the “Gran Premio Internacional de Lima”, the most important grand prix in Peru. In 1964, with the MB he was the winner of a local race in Limache, Santiago, and obtained a second place in a circuit in Valparaiso. At the end of the year, during an international race in the city of Arica, in the northern border of Chile, he was running in first place the car left the road, fortunately he and his young son, who would become a famous driver and champion were not hurt. The car was damaged, so Kovacs decided to send the car back to Germany, to have the car repaired by Mercedes Benz at the factory. It is understood that Mercedes optioned to fit the spare engine to the car at this time. The car had competed for the last time and once the car returned to Chile, it would be used by Kovacs only as a road car for the next 18 years.

In 1979 the 300 SL would find custodianship with its next keeper, John Crawford Jeffords III of Arizona after transport by Delta steamship ‘Santa Mariana’ to Los Angeles. Crawford would have the car restored and would retain the car until 1998.

Residing within a prominent German collection for two further decades, the 300 SL would see maintenance works carried out by marque specialists H.K. Engineering in 2011. Imported into the UK by a serial 300 SL collector, the car would later receive works by Martin Cushway Engineering. Sold by DK Engineering to its current custodian in 2022, this example has since seen sparing use on UK roads.

• Thought to be 1 of just 4 examples finished in Blue-Grey
• 1 of 4 examples supplied new to Chile
• Delivered new to Edouardo Kovacs in 1955
• Ordered with the intention of competing in the Buenos Aires 1000km
• Factory Rudge knock-off wheels
• Achieved 6th OA in the 1956 Buenos Aires 1000km alongside Moss, Fangio, Gendebien and Hill