Abandoned 300SL Gullwing Expects Millions at Auction

One of only 29 ‘Alloy’ models, this abandoned 300SL Gullwing is expected to pull a scorching seven-figure price at auction.

In a world where every other clickbait YouTube title or article headline touts a “barn find” that isn’t much of a find and was never in a barn, it’s easy to yawn away something like the title of this article. However, we assure you that this one is legit. The thought of an abandoned 300SL Gullwing is, on its own, almost laughable. A car worth north of a million dollars sitting silently and rotting away is most certainly a bunch of BS, right?

Wrong. This 1956 300SL Gullwing has been sitting for nearly 50 years at a wrecker in Los Angeles, just begging for someone to give it the home that it deserves. Now, it has a chance, thanks to RM Sotheby’s upcoming auction. What’s even more remarkable about this car is that it’s an “Alloy” model made from aluminum instead of steel. One of only 29, RM Sotheby’s expects over $4.5 million for this beautiful forgotten time capsule.

Le Mans Heritage, but Not How You Think

Beyond the alloy body, this car has quite a backstory. RM Sotheby’s reports that this car was purchased new by Luigi Chinetti. Chinetti was a famed racing driver who had won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Furthermore, he went on to become Ferrari’s North American importer. Rudi Klein, the late owner of the shop where the car currently resides, purchased the car from Chinetti in 1976 for $30,000. According to the CPI Inflation Calculator, that works out to about $164,000 in today’s money.

The car left the factory as the only example ever painted black. However, at some point during Chinetti’s ownership, he had the car refinished in silver. That’s a bit of a shame because the beautiful red interior would look absolutely stunning if it were still wearing its original black paint to this day.

Klein’s sons state that the 300SL may well have been the only truly prized possession among their father’s vast collection of vehicles. That’s quite a prestigious position. Especially when you consider the fact that there are multiple Lamborghini Miuras and dozens of Porsche 356s in that same collection, so, that makes it all the more tragic that it had to go down in history as a true abandoned 300SL Gullwing.

The Last of the Litter

According to RM Sotheby’s, this is the final unrestored alloy Gullwing. It’s been sitting at “Porche Foreign Auto” in Los Angeles for nearly five decades. Now, it’s in search of a new home. It’s notable that the company name is not a typo. It was intentionally misspelled to avoid legal issues. The auction website says they expect between $4.5 and $6 million for the final hammer price.

We’ll definitely be keeping our eyes peeled to see what kind of numbers it brings.

Photos: RM Sothebys

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