This 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL is one of 1,858 roadsters built during a six-year production run and was delivered new on December 3, 1957, in the US, where it was purchased by a South Bend, Indiana, owner in 1958. Chassis 5700385 was sold in 1974 to an owner in Texas and later spent time with a Colorado owner who is said to have initiated a refurbishment in the late 1990s before his passing. It was then purchased from the Colorado owner’s widow in 2004 by marque specialist Scott Grundfor, who brought it to California and completed the refurbishment. Finished in its original shade of white, the car is powered by a 3.0-liter M198 inline-six that features Bosch mechanical fuel injection and dry-sump lubrication and is mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Additional features include servo-assisted finned drum brakes, four-wheel independent suspension with a low-pivot rear axle, chrome 15” wheels, a dark blue convertible top, dark blue leather interior upholstery, and a Becker Mexico radio. This W198 roadster is now offered on dealer consignment with a matching Taris Charysyn luggage set, a copy of its factory data card, a Mercedes-Benz Classic Certificate, invoices from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and Van Nuts Sports Cars dating back to 2007, owner’s manuals, a tool kit, and a clean California title listing the car as a 1958 model.
The roadster variant of the 300SL was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1957 and entered production that May as the final Gullwing coupes were leaving the factory. The convertible’s construction incorporated a reconfigured version of the coupe’s tubular space frame with lower sill trusses to accommodate conventional front-hinged doors and a revised rear design that facilitated usable trunk space. Like the coupe, the roadster utilized steel bodywork with aluminum panels for the hood, trunk lid, door skins, sills, floors, and firewall.
This example’s body is said to have been removed from its frame during the work initiated under previous ownership in the late 1990s before the car was purchased and completed by Scott Grundfor. The frame was reportedly sandblasted and powder-coated during the project, while the body was stripped to bare metal and repainted in its factory shade of white (DB 050). The brightwork was re-plated at that time. Features include US-market headlights, bumpers with guards, a driver-side mirror, pivot-out door handles, a locking fuel door, wide-profile rocker panel end flanges, and a dark blue convertible top. A paint protection film has been applied to the front end of the car. Imperfections in the finish are shown up close in the photo gallery below.
Chrome-finished 15″ wheels wear polished hubcaps with body-color accents and are wrapped in 205/70VR15 Michelin XWX tires that were mounted in 2022. A matching spare wearing Michelin rubber is housed in the trunk. Servo-assisted hydraulic brakes utilize finned drums all around, with duplex actuation at the front wheels. A 2017 refresh of the brake system performed by Rene Luteraan of Van Nuys Sports Cars in Sherman Oaks, California, included a rebuild of the booster, rotating of the drums, arcing of the shoes, and replacement of the master cylinder, wheel cylinders, lines, and hoses.
The cabin was re-trimmed during the refurbishment in dark blue leather over the bucket seats, door panels, dashboard, center tunnel, sills, and aluminum top cover. Additional features include gray square-weave carpeting, an ivory-color shift knob, roll-up windows, a clock, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, a lockable glovebox, a dash-mounted ashtray, and a Becker Mexico radio. The radio wiring was repaired in 2023, at which time the trunk carpeting was replaced.
The ivory-color steering wheel was fitted under current ownership and sits ahead of VDO instrumentation including a 160-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, and a rectangular combination gauge with English lettering. The five-digit odometer shows 88k miles. The gauges were refreshed during the 2000s refurbishment by Scott Grundfor.
The 300SL roadster model’s 3.0-liter M198 inline-six was carried over from the fixed-roof variant and shares its canted orientation, Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication, and aluminum cylinder head. The competition camshaft that was optional on the coupe was made standard for the roadster, which also gained a dual point/dual coil ignition system and various fuel system refinements. Service performed by Mercedes-Benz Classic in Irvine, California, in 2023 included re-sealing of the fuel tank and replacement of the fuel filter, fuel strainer, and fuel lines. Additional work at that time included replacement of the points, battery, battery cables, and cold start thermostat as well as adjustment of the timing.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. The roadster’s four-wheel independent suspension utilizes a single-pivot rear axle with a compensator spring for improved stability over the coupe’s double-pivot design.
A set of fitted Taris Charysyn luggage is wrapped in dark blue leather and lined in red, green, and yellow plaid cloth.
The factory data card lists the original colors and component numbers, as does the Mercedes-Benz Classic Certificate shown in the gallery. The composite photo above shows engine number 198.980-7500415, transmission number 7500420, body number 7500309, left front axle 7500389, right axle number 7500388, and steering box number 7500428. A 2006 letter from Scott Grundfor describing the car’s history and refurbishment can be viewed in the gallery.
