A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing will be heading to the auction block next year – by all means, feel free to start thinking about what you can sell to afford it. Now, a quick history while you ponder your finances. Following the success of the 300 SL racing car in the early Fifties, a Mercedes’ North American dealer told Benz bosses that a road-going version was needed. Mercedes agreed, and the Gullwing was the result.
It was arguably the world’s first supercar, the SL boasting the highest top speed of any production car at the time, and a daft set of doors to match. This particular car on offer – chassis no 5500272 – has been completely restored and boasts a rare white paintjob.
The price? This one is estimated to sell for up to £1.1m (€1.6m).
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
There’s also a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. The 550, don’t forget, was originally inspired by the 356 and built to go racing. It ended up becoming one of Stuttgart’s finest-ever sports cars which boasted proper racing pedigree. James Dean used to own one, calling his ‘little b****rd’. Gary Oldman’s got one too.
This particular model is chassis number 550-0068, and is the very car Porsche displayed at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show. It then went on to an ‘illustrious competition career’ and with success on the US motorsport scene through the late Fifties.
The price? It’s estimated to sell for up to £2.5m (€3.6m).
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder
Now, imagine for a moment – you had the cash, which would you go for?
