This car here is an absolutely stunning example of a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, shown here at @mortonstreetpartners, where the car was being previewed for an auction that was held by @broadarrow_auctions in an exhibit called ‘Conservation of Speed’. The ‘Passion for the Drive: The Cars of Jim Taylor’ auction was the companies first ever single-owner offering, and all of the roughly 130 or so vehicles involved previously belonged to car collector, Jim Taylor. Founded by @tom_hale_tom_hale, @je_auerbach, and @midcenturymotoring, @mortonstreetpartners serves as a gallery/museum located on Morton Street in New York City which aims to merge fantastic automobiles with some of the world’s most impressive art by showcasing a variety of artists, designers and institutions. During the auction, this particular example shown here managed to surpass it’s pre-sale estimate at a final price of $1,820,000. This beautiful 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster is finished in a red exterior paint finish over a black leather interior, and is one of approximately 1,858 total 300SL Roadsters produced for the entire world from 1957-1963. A man named Max Hoffman, who was Mercedes-Benz's authorized United States importer at the time, suggested the idea of the 300SL at a director's meeting in Stuttgart, in 1953. After Mercedes used the W194 in a number of important races, Max Hoffman suggested the idea of creating a toned-down road-legal variant that was based on the W194 racer. At the time, General Director Fritz Konecke agreed to this idea, and the 300SL model was first ever born at the 1954 Frankfurt Motor Show alongside the slightly smaller 190SL model. There are a number of differences between the coupe and roadster, with the most obvious being the retractable roof on the roadster model.
How many made? A total of 1,858 300SL roadsters and 1400 300SL coupes we’re completed, making for a total of just 3,258 cars!
Engine: 2,996 cc (182.8 cu in) M198 Straight six with slightly more power than the Coupe model at 240hp.
Debut: Geneva Auto Salon, May 1957
Top Speed: around 146mph
0-60mph: around 9.3 seconds.
Photo credit: @am_media_ny
Research: @rarecarsonly