The iconic Mercedes 'Alloy' Gullwing

To many collectors and enthusiasts, the 300 SL Gullwing Coupe is considered to be the sports car of the century and the most iconic of all the post-war sports car designs. Representing the peak of the model’s roadgoing development is the Leichtmetallausführung, or Light Metal Version, produced in aluminium. Commonly known as the Alloy Gullwing, it is unequivocally the ultimate production version of Mercedes-Benz’s most celebrated creation.

The Alloy Gullwing boasts a special, competition-bred configuration, which differs in many ways from the standard steel-bodied production car. These incredibly rare and historically significant Alloy coupes were purpose-built for competition and the changes resulted in an overall weight reduction of almost 100 kgs thus making the Alloy Gullwing especially competitive against the best of the competition. The cars also featured race-bred, high-performance NSL engines tuned to deliver in excess of 215 horsepower. Rudge centre-mount wheels came standard, as did special vented front brake drums. Finally, the suspension was revised with exclusive springs and shocks, which provided better high-speed handling. Mercedes-Benz commenced production in 1955, and factory records show just 29 examples were made available to private customers.

The car featured here is the 13th of the 24 Alloy Gullwings produced in 1955. Originally ordered by official Mercedes-Benz agent Joseph F. Weckerlé of Casablanca, Morocco, it was fitted with all the requisite lightweight equipment and finished in Silver Grey Metallic over a blue interior.

Early in its life, the “Weckerlé Alloy” was imported to the United States. By 1975 the car was in the hands of Jack F. Bryan Jr. of Dallas, Texas. Bryan immediately submitted the car to the world’s foremost 300 SL restoration facility, Paul Russell and Company in Essex, Massachusetts for a complete restoration. Notably, damage to Alloy Gullwings is remarkably common as the aluminium is notoriously thin, and most examples were raced extensively in-period.

Today, it retains its original lightweight body and numbers-matching 3.0-litre NSL engine and currently exhibits significant attention to factory-correct features throughout, befitting its provenance and near-exclusive maintenance by Paul Russell’s famous workshop since 1975. This incredible 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing is available at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Arizona auction held on 27 January 2022. It’s estimated value is between $7m-$9m. Photos: Karissa Hosek © Courtesy of RM Sotheby's