Rare 1955 Gullwing set to sell for $2.6m at auction
The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing was the first car the collection. Photos: Collecting Cars
UPDATE: A remarkably rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, often dubbed ‘the world’s first supercar’, is coming to auction in the UK and is expected to sell for over £1 million (NZ$2.6m).
The 1955 Gulwing is part of an incredible collection of performance icons that span every decade from the 1950s to the 1990s. It is one of only around 1,400 examples built.
The ‘Gullwing’ model is part of a carefully curated assembly of landmark automobiles known as The Silver Bullets & Red Arrows Collection, comprising some of the greatest-ever sports cars and supercars. This special selection of nine vehicles is presented for sale by the Collecting Cars online platform, with auctions running until Sunday 23 June.
The owner of this collection was inspired by the ‘poster cars’ of his formative years.
There are nine cars up for auction in the UK.
The 1955 300 SL was one of his first acquisitions, purchased via a leading specialist in the United States. After briefly enjoying the car in unrestored condition, it was sent to Switzerland in 2009 for a £250,000 (NZ$517,000) restoration.
Given the 300 SL’s rarity, crowd-pleasing ‘Gullwing’ doors, and a top speed of just over 160mph (256km), enthusiasts often considered this 1950s model to be the ‘world’s first supercar’. They are now extremely sought-after by collectors.
The Silver Bullets & Red Arrows Collection comprises iconic cars that span five decades of automotive history, including:
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’
1964 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2 Roadster
1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’
1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB
1980 Ferrari 308 GTB
1985 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Sport Targa
1986 Ferrari Testarossa ‘Monospecchio’
1991 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Cabriolet
1998 Ferrari F355 Spider
While some cars in the collection are the result of as much as two years spent trying to track down the best examples, others were acquired on the spur of the moment.
Having taken around 20 years to bring together this impressive assembly of machines, the owner no longer has the time to enjoy all of them.
The Gullwing sold at auction for £1.105 million (NZ$2.27m).