1955 Mercedes SL Gullwing just sold

SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Ok, so this is in Mint condition, must have been in a collection, but oh my god, what a car

Sold for just over $5m

rmsothebys.com

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing | Monterey | RM Sotheby's

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing for sale at RM Sotheby's Monterey
rmsothebys.com

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robin h 25

robin h 25

Well-known member
That a beautiful looking car, but the thing that makes me sad about it, It's what is known as a "garage queen" having only done 1620 miles on the clock,
I couldn't have a car like that, no matter how rare it is and not drive it, having a car like that, locked away in a collection or garage not to be driven, in my eyes, it's a crime,
But i also see the flip side to it, That it's rare/old and parts will be a nightmare to get a hold of if anything was to ever happen to it and that the risk of driving these old rare cars as to why most people don't, and it's a shame not to see these old beauty's on the roads

A beauty like that is a home on the open roads, not locked away in some garage for it's entire life.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
robin h 25 said:
That a beautiful looking car, but the thing that makes me sad about it, It's what is known as a "garage queen" having only done 1620 miles on the clock,
I couldn't have a car like that, no matter how rare it is and not drive it, having a car like that, locked away in a collection or garage not to be driven, in my eyes, it's a crime,
But i also see the flip side to it, That it's rare/old and parts will be a nightmare to get a hold of if anything was to ever happen to it and that the risk of driving these old rare cars as to why most people don't, and it's a shame not to see these old beauty's on the roads

A beauty like that is a home on the open roads, not locked away in some garage for it's entire life.
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100% agree, this thing would be like silk on the roads, it needs to be driven. I'm like you with everything, the only thing I actually collect is records, and some of those are worth several hundred pounds, se of which I've bought still sealed although 20 years old. First thing I did on receiving them was rip off the cover and play them. Otherwise what's the point.

In 1974 apparently it was worth $5600, which adjusted for inflation would be around $35000.

Just goes to show, some of the cars we take for granted in the last 15 years will be worth a fortune in 30.
 
Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
robin h 25 said:
That a beautiful looking car, but the thing that makes me sad about it, It's what is known as a "garage queen" having only done 1620 miles on the clock,
I couldn't have a car like that, no matter how rare it is and not drive it, having a car like that, locked away in a collection or garage not to be driven, in my eyes, it's a crime,
But i also see the flip side to it, That it's rare/old and parts will be a nightmare to get a hold of if anything was to ever happen to it and that the risk of driving these old rare cars as to why most people don't, and it's a shame not to see these old beauty's on the roads

A beauty like that is a home on the open roads, not locked away in some garage for it's entire life.
Click to expand...
Years ago, myself and a mate used to mechanic for a local guy who used to race a Lotus 20 and many of the races we used to go to were run by the historic sports car club, and it was quiet a sight to see some of those guys driving things such as 1930's 3 1/2 litre Bentley's, the way they were meant to be driven.

1661150206014.jpeg

Lotus 20
 
T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Martinr36 said:
Years ago, myself and a mate used to mechanic for a local guy who used to race a Lotus 20 and many of the races we used to go to were run by the historic sports car club, and it was quiet a sight to see some of those guys driving things such as 1930's 3 1/2 litre Bentley's, the way they were meant to be driven.

View attachment 34494
Lotus 20
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Totally agree.

I much prefer to watch the historics/vintage/classis being raced & driven as they should than any of the modern supercar/GT3/GT4 series.
  • Oulton Park Gold Cup
  • Silverstone Classic
  • Nurburgring Old-Timer / Classic
  • Spa Classic
  • Goodwood Revival
Every car has different characteristics, which means they all have their advantages & disadvantages at certain parts of the circuit (e.g. power vs weight, handling vs grip, performance vs poise, straight-line vs cornering).
 
Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
TonyCarter said:
Totally agree.

I much prefer to watch the historics/vintage/classis being raced & driven as they should than any of the modern supercar/GT3/GT4 series.
  • Oulton Park Gold Cup
  • Silverstone Classic
  • Nurburgring Old-Timer / Classic
  • Spa Classic
  • Goodwood Revival
Every car has different characteristics, which means they all have their advantages & disadvantages at certain parts of the circuit (e.g. power vs weight, handling vs grip, performance vs poise, straight-line vs cornering).
Click to expand...
Yeah watching someone DRIVE a 3 1/2 Liter Bentley through a chicane at somewhere like Cadwell Park.........
 
T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Martinr36 said:
Yeah watching someone DRIVE a 3 1/2 Liter Bentley through a chicane at somewhere like Cadwell Park.........
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When I was working a 3-day week, I used to marshal at Oulton Park, Silverstone, Donington, and Anglesey...mainly so I could get as close as possible to the machinery...whether on track or in the paddock or pits.

Favourite memory was at a Gold Cup where there were 4 or 5 4.5L Bentley Blowers up each other's chuff...all completely sideways through Druid's...the next lap a Bugatti T37 spun in front of them and they all simply flicked the cars the other way and drove round it...and there was me still thinking they were on the edge of control in the first place!!!

Even the 60s/70s/80s tin-tips are more exciting than BTCC or Porsche Carrera Cup...but when you marshal, you really have to show willing and attend the ones you don't like (and are under-marshalled), so that you get a good chance of being selected for the ones you do like (such as the F1 and Goodwood) that are on an application basis.

I was on 'pit lane in' when this happened in the Legends series...you can see my leg running across the track at about 47 seconds :)
 
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Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
I also used to mechanic on Karts with the Zip Hermetite team, below is a video from the 1982 Kart Grand Prix, at 1:55 I'm push starting Simon Mercers 125 International (I'm the one in orange overalls, also removing a left front wheel at 3:47

 
T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
AgentCooper said:
This leg?

View attachment 34498
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Yes, and I can only tell because it's the fatter of the two. My fellow marshal is no longer with us after a battle with cancer, but until about a week before, he still turned up every Saturday/Sunday.

There was another angle shown, but I can't recall whether it was MotorsTV or a private recording...as this is some years back.

Was also on the other side of the track when Hunter Abbott tangled with another car and flipped his Ginetta G50 and burst into flames as he rolled along the armco. I don't make an appearance in this one though.


However, never seen an SL Gullwing racings (SLs, yes, but no gull wings). But do remember feeling physically ill when you see an Aston Martin DBR1, Lister Knobbly, or Bizzarrini go into the tyres/barriers or go up in flames...although speaking to one gentleman, he said the original body was in storage and he just had 6 replica bodies for racing (a couple in GRP and a couple aluminium, for different race regs).

Forgot to mention, I also do sprint & hill-climb marshalling at Aintree, Loton Park and Prescott:
 
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