Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance 2019: Mercedes-Benz 300 SL twins in Florida. Chassis 43 was left in a garage in Florida from the mid 60s until 2018, and chassis 44 restored by Mercedes-Benz Classic in Irvine

Successive chassis numbers at the 24th Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Two vintage models of the 300 SL "Gullwing" (W 198) with successive chassis numbers on display. These twins of the Mercedes-Benz super sports car from the 1950s present themselves rather differently, however:

Chassis number 43:
 the coupé is in "barn find" condition, pulled from a garage at the end of 2018.
It was originally shipped to Miami in 1954 and was only registered for ten years.

 The vehicle is completely original. The body, for example, the glass components, the grey leather interior, the drivetrain, the wheels — even the "Englebert Competition" tires are all as you would have found them on the car decades ago. The only modification was to the body finish.

Originally painted mid blue, the coupé was at some point sanded down and primed. What most likely happened was that the vehicle was taken out of service in the mid-1960s to be repainted and had been prepped, but never actually repainted.

Chassis number 44:
Mercedes-Benz Classic in Irvine completely restored this 300 SL to the exact condition of a vintage 300 SL Coupé built in 1954.

Included among the special features are handcrafted components such as the Mercedes-Benz star, the exhaust manifold, the "gooseneck" gearshift lever and a valve cover with magnesium paint.



https://frenchcurious.tumblr.com/page/300
https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite/en/instance/ko/Amelia-Island-Concours-dElegance-2019-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing-twins-in-Florida.xhtml?oid=42744387

Thanks Stiffspeed Steve! 

4 comments:

  1. Two separate cars Jesse. Chassis 43 and chassis 44. More info here and scroll down for more pics, including the cars together: https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite/en/instance/ko/Amelia-Island-Concours-dElegance-2019-Mercedes-Benz-300-SL-Gullwing-twins-in-Florida.xhtml?oid=42744387

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww hell. The images tell no story, and were not captioned with even a source link. I just went with what seemed obvious. Well, thanks for the link and the info!
      Say, which Steve are you? Vegas Steve? Stiffspeed Steve? Massachusetts Steve? Or another?
      Just curious

      Delete
  2. I thought the same as you when I saw the pics. It kind of lulls you into believing a 'before and after' scenario.
    Stiffspeed Steve :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahh! Compliments on your excellent facebook page and website!
      yes, the side by side from behind photos? That's quite the deception, but, of course, also illustrates the comparison of the twins as well. Damn, when people don't caption, or link to the source, it's annoying for us inquiring types who don't have the time to reverse image search everything

      Delete