50 // MECUM.COM During the late 2000s, the venerable Gullwing received a meticulous body-off restoration by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, with final fit, finish and service work completed in 2022 by the Mercedes-Benz marque specialists at Scott Grundfor Co. in Arroyo Grande, California. Displayed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Collection periodically from 2015-2020, the Gullwing was also shown as part of the museum’s fascinating Basement Collection, when not displayed on the main floor. Retaining the original, matching- numbers, rebuilt, 3.0L, fuel-injected, inline 6-cylinder engine, the Gullwing’s painstaking restoration included thermal cleaning of the engine with cylinders bored and honed by Schmidt Automotive Machine Shop of Indianapolis in 2007, as well as a rebuild of the all-important fuel-injection pump performed by Pacific Fuel Injection of San Francisco in 2008. Of course, a 4-speed manual transmission delivers the engine’s factory-rated 225 HP to the road. The Gullwing’s stylish interior compartment is handsomely reupholstered in beige leather upholstery sourced from Landwerlen Leather Co. of Indianapolis, including the seats, dash pad, transmission tunnel and sills. The green-painted dashboard, proper square-weave carpets and correct black rubber floor mats appropriately finish off the Gullwing’s interior. Fine details abound, from the Gullwing’s durably powder-coated frame by Indy Powder Coating of Speedway, Indiana, to the new body and window seals, polished brightwork and refinished chrome accents, sealed-beam headlamps, refinished engine bay and new rubber suspension components. Body-color steel wheels, mounting chrome hubcaps with body-color accents and period-correct Michelin X radial tires, appropriately finish the Gullwing off. Accompanied by a copy of the factory Wagenkarte (build sheet), this stellar early 300SL Gullwing includes restoration photos and documentation, correspondence between previous owners and service receipts from Scott Grundfor Co., plus the original belly pans and spare parts, tools, and a correctly mounted spare wheel and tire. Now, nearly 70 years since it debuted, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing continues to rank, along with the 300SL roadster that succeeded it for 1957-1963, among the most profoundly influential sports cars ever produced. Virtually timeless in appearance and capable of electrifying performance, even by today’s jaded standards, the 300SL Gullwing’s technical sophistication and specifications remain advanced. Of course, with its sensuous, wind-cheating body design and adventurous, avant-garde flair, the 300SL also continues to evoke vivid images of adventure, speed and victory—even while standing still. Coveted from new, the 300SL Gullwing continues to weave its magic today as an unqualified icon that no serious sports-car collection can be without. Then again, what else could anyone possibly expect from Mercedes-Benz? Mecum Glendale 2023 will mark an opportunity for sports car enthusiasts to experience this stellar example of the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing themselves, and then to get ready to bid and make it their own.