An elite sports car, the 300 SL was the street version of the successful and groundbreaking Mercedes-Benz competition car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1952. When Mercedes-Benz introduced the 300 SL Gullwing in 1954, its attention-demanding design and brilliant performance captured the attention of the automotive world. This impact was repeated in 1957 when the company debuted the striking and versatile 300 SL Roadster. Between 1957 and 1963, Mercedes-Benz built 1,858 roadsters, each a showcase of the German automaker’s exceptional engineering, styling, and build quality.

Throughout production, numerous improvements were made, including most notably, the addition of four-wheel disc brakes beginning with chassis 2780, and aluminum engine blocks beginning with chassis 3049. The disc brakes dramatically reduced unsprung weight, and those familiar with both drum- and disc-brake 300 SL Roadsters have noted that the latter cars are nimbler and offer more consistent stopping power. The aluminum engine block contributed a weight savings of approximately 50 lbs. over the front axle, further enhancing steering and handling response while improving front/rear weight distribution. The final 218 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadsters – now commonly referred to as the “disc-brake, alloy-block” cars – are, for good reason, the most coveted of all and have the distinction of being the last hand-built, body-on-frame Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.

According to a copy of its factory data card, this disc-brake, alloy-block 300 SL Roadster, chassis 003105, was constructed in July 1962, and was finished in Fire Engine Red (DB 534) with a black fabric soft top and a black leather interior. As is common with late-production roadsters, this car was originally outfitted with “Sport” wheels with polished alloy outer rims and Continental tires.

In 1982, this Roadster was purchased by Joan and Wolfgang Fuss from a Florida-based owner who had performed its restoration, including a refinish in the subtly darker shade of red that it still wears today. Mr. and Mrs. Fuss had been members of the California-based Gull Wing Group since the club’s early days in the 1960s, and the Alamo-based couple enjoyed their Roadster on countless Gull Wing Group rallies, shows, and events; they were a constant presence in the convivial atmosphere of the club. During their ownership, they added a set of European headlights, as well as personalized California license plates to the Roadster, which read simply “300 SL,” and these plates remain on the car today.

Wolfgang Fuss passed away in 2001, and Mrs. Fuss continued to attend Gull Wing Group events in California and drive the car on local tours, including the nearby picturesque wine country. In 2003, Mrs. Fuss sold the red Roadster to longtime friend and fellow charter club member Dr. Harry Love in nearby Palo Alto, California. Dr. Love was a connoisseur of 300 SLs, having owned multiple examples, including a completely original, low-mileage Gullwing decades prior. Around 2008, the interior was thoroughly renewed, including an expert leather and carpet re-trim, as well as a restoration of the dashboard aluminum by Richard “Stitch” Coleman of Fresno, California. Stitch also installed a new black canvas top, completing the refit. Acquired by the consignor earlier this year, the 300 SL is accompanied by manuals, a tool roll, and a factory hardtop that originated on a different Roadster.

As these magnificent, ahead-of-their-time sports cars continue to grow in popularity as the near-perfect touring cars that they are, many top collectors are looking for that one special example among the few available each year, and this matching-numbers, disc-brake, alloy-block Roadster is certainly a standout among this elite group. Having spent over 40 years in California, in the stewardship of two charter members of the Gull Wing Group, complete with an accompanying factory hardtop, and eligible for a host of international events, this 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster is quite possibly the ideal example of one of the most universally admired postwar sports cars of all time. By all accounts, this is an opportunity to be seized.

*Please note that this vehicle is titled 1964.