300 SL Gullwing find: Museum or New School Restoration?

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Arguably the ultimate Merc collector's dream: finding one of the very-very last unspoilt one owner 300SL Gullwings. More than that it is in the rare and highly desirable livery of black paint with red leather interior. Now, what will be the fate of this car after its sale by Gooding & Company in Scottsdale, 17 & 18 January which without any doubt will produce an amazing sum. Close to or - righteously - considerable more than a fully restored example.  Pristine automotive objects like this are getting more hard to find than a Cadillac on the moon.

Chances are high it will go to a museum or private collection without being touched, which is fine for history, but a bit boring don't you think? A car is made to run, and this one was made to run fast. So let's hope a true afficionade will have the courage to choose the more difficult and in our view only good option. Get the car technically recommissioned by the very best specialists like Kienle or similar without changing the cosmetics of the machinery,  and further disturb the current the outer looks as little as possible. The car , which was never restored, is black all over so it needs no paint. A highly professional cleaning and preservation job of what's there already will suffice. For the fabulous  time-signed interior there are very good options to rejuvenate/soften up the leather and patch up the parts that really need so. This is far more costly and time consuming than a new interior but it will pay off in the end. 

 The worst what can happen is that the car will fall into the hands of somebody who looks at the car as a 'good restoration basis' and will destroy everything what makes it stand out from the 'the crowd' of the standard restored gullwings. We wish wisdom to the next caretaker. 

(photos by kind permission of Gooding & Company)

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