1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing for Charity

This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL is one of 1,400 Gullwing coupes built during three years of production and was completed in January 1956 before being delivered to Hamburg, Germany, as dealership inventory or for demonstration use. One month later, chassis 5500869 was returned to the factory for the addition of radio equipment and a windshield washer before being shipped to Montevideo, Uruguay, where it is said to have been displayed at the International Automobile Show of Montevideo. The car was then delivered to its first private owner, a member of Uruguay’s Terra family, who is said to have retained it until its 1973 sale to a Uruguayan collector and vintage racing driver. A subsequent refurbishment performed over 30 years with the same owner is said to have included an overhaul of the 3.0-liter M198 inline-six to NSL specification, the addition of 15” Rudge wheels, conversion of the rear axle to a 3.64:1 ratio, removal of the bumpers, a color change to silver, and the installation of a mahogany and aluminum steering wheel. After being imported to the US in 2002, the car was purchased in 2005 by marque specialists Rudi & Company, who performed further refurbishment work including an additional repaint in silver, the application of blue decals in the style of a period factory team livery, and a re-trim of the interior in blue vinyl and plaid cloth. It was then purchased in 2008 by its current owner, who has since driven it in events including the Drive of Champions benefiting the Calgary Police Youth Foundation. Additional features include Bosch direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication, a four-speed manual transmission, servo-assisted hydraulic drum brakes, and four-wheel independent suspension with a rear swing axle. This W198 is now offered at no reserve by the seller, a BaT Local Partner , on behalf of its owner in Calgary, Alberta, with copies of its factory data cards, invoices from current ownership, a two-piece matching luggage set, and Alberta registration