A Mercedes 300 SL Roadster from the Gene Ponder collection is up for sale at an auction organised by Sotheby’s auction household on 22-24 September.
Picture: Sotheby
In 1956 gross sales of the Mercedes 300 SL Coupe began to decline and Mercedes made the decision to generate a roadster variation of the 300 SL. The Mercedes 300 SL Roadster was offered at the Geneva Motor Clearly show in March 1957. The roadster was not quite as uncommon as the coupe, with a little bit additional illustrations made: 1,858 as opposed to 1,400 for the coupe. But the Mercedes 300 SL Roadster is a sought-just after collector’s auto and its price tag is approaching 2 million USD.
The product offered at Sotheby’s auction is section of the Gene Ponder assortment, which contains 120 automobiles, motorcycles and boats in the East Texas city of Marshall. His selection also incorporates, among the other autos, a 1956 Porsche 350 A 1600 Speedster, a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC and a 1960 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder plus mascots, typical signage, juke boxes and gas pumps.
The Mercedes 300 SL Roadster offered at auction was delivered on 25 March 1960 to the Orbis Investing Business, the Mercedes importer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Whilst it was delivered to Ethiopia, the motor vehicle has United states of america specification with Dunlop tyres, Becker Mexico radio, 3.89 ratio axle, instrument cluster with speedometer in miles, sealed beam headlamps and white material roof furthermore hardtop which was available as an choice from September 1958. The car was painted white and had purple leather-based upholstery.
The history of the auto in Ethiopia is not recognised but it is assumed that it was shortly exported to the Usa. In 1988 it was purchased by classic motor vehicle racer Roy Walzer who took it for a total restoration to noted specialist Paul Russell and Business in Essex, Massachusetts. But listed here it was noticed by one of Russell’s shoppers, Ervin “Bud” Lyon, who confident Roy to market it to him.
The car was stored at Russell’s garage from 1988 to 2009 and in 1995 it was restored according to Lyon’s very own specification. The car was painted darkish pink and Cognac leather-based upholstery replaced the old purple leather-based upholstery.
Afterwards, the car or truck was offered to 300 SL collector Monthly bill Kling of California and in August 2018, it turned aspect of the collection of Gene Ponder who experienced owned various Mercedes 300 SL Coupe products above the a long time.
Ponder participated with this roadster in numerous Gullwing Team meetings as properly as the Copperstate 1000 race. Ponder stated he likes the two styles but the Roadster is “a great deal cooler in Texas. You just can’t conquer the Germans for engineering. I did the 300 SL Rally very last 12 months in this car or truck without having just one flaw”.
The automobile was serviced to the car’s requirements and no less than $14,000 was spent to keep it in ideal rally-all set problem.
The motor vehicle is shipped with the very same Cognac leather baggage, spare wheel, original resource kit
the estimated promoting value is concerning 1,7 and 1,9 million USD currently being justified by the fantastic problem of the automobile.