Bring a Trailer's Own Mercedes Gullwing Sold for $1,234,567 through Its New “White Glove” Service
A 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing with only 32,276 miles is up for auction on the Bring a Trailer online auction site with no reserve.
A genuine three-owner car, the Gullwing comes from the Bring a Trailer company's own private collection.
This Graphite Gray example is a near doppelgänger for the 300SL Gullwing that John Fitch drove to fifth place overall and first in class at the 1955 Mille Miglia.
UPDATE 6/6/19: At the conclusion of the 21-day auction, Bring a Trailer's 300SL Gullwing has sold for the visually pleasing sum of $1,234,567. That makes it one of the most expensive successful BaT auctions of all time. Seventeen bids were placed in total, and over 1100 comments were logged by viewers of the auction.
When Randy Nonnenberg and Gentry Underwood first began visualizing what would become the auction website Bring a Trailer, it was, by Nonnenberg's own admission, "pretty hokey." More than 10 years later, it has evolved into one of the premier internet automotive sites for the business of buying, selling, and generally gawking at and discussing vintage and interesting vehicles. Now, to announce the arrival of its new Premium Services and attendant Premium Page listings, BaT is offering up a company-owned 1956 Mercedes -Benz 300SL Gullwing at no reserve. (At this writing, the top bid is $1 million, and there are 20 days to go before the auction closes.)
A genuine three-owner car, the 300SL Gullwing was special ordered new in the spring of 1956 by prominent importer Max Hoffman on behalf of client George Sterner of York, Pennsylvania. Sterner's family retained ownership for 22 years, selling it to Edward C. Falk and his son, Richard, in 1978 with a reported 10,000 miles on the odometer at the time. After the elder Falk died in 2013, the car was sold by his estate to Bring a Trailer, Inc.
After a few years of light use but mainly storage, 2016 brought a thorough reconditioning under BaT's direction, including a complete rebuild of the engine to factory specs, a transmission overhaul, a rebuilt injection pump, a recored radiator, new fuel and oil lines, and complete brake and suspension system overhauls, among other items.
While every 300SL is desirable, this particular Graphite Gray example held special appeal for the Bring a Trailer gang as it closely resembles the #417 Graphite Gray Gullwing that John Fitch drove to fifth place overall and first in class at the 1955 Mille Miglia. While that car is owned by Mercedes-Benz and will likely never be released into the general population, BaT understandably leapt at the opportunity to acquire this similar car. BaT acknowledges that given the initial price of the car and its extensive restoration, the sale may not reflect its best financial interests, but the car's documented history and freshness make it the right vehicle to launch the new premium service.
BaT's new Premium Services offer two levels of upgrade, Plus and White Glove. Plus offers the same services as the original plan-list your car for a $99 fee-but adds the dispatching of a professional photographer to photograph your car for $249. White Glove Service provides comprehensive services for significant automobiles or collections; pricing is available on request.
('You Might Also Like',)
