In March 1957, Mercedes-Benz introduced the 300 SL Roadster, employing a host of mechanical advancements and stylistic revisions in creating a new open-top version of the successful 300 SL Gullwing. Chief among these were a new rear-axle design that improved high-speed handling and modified space-frame chassis, which allowed for conventionally hinged doors. These features were further complemented by the addition of optional fitted hardtops in 1958, four-wheel disc brakes in 1961, and the implementation, in 1962, of lightweight aluminum engine blocks fitted to the final 210 Roadsters.

Mercedes-Benz built 1,858 examples of the 300 SL Roadster, steadily improving them until production ceased in 1963. Only 26 were built during the SL’s last year of production, with the final six completed in the first week of February. Thanks to the efforts of Gull Wing Group member Dr. Frank Spellman, these late-production Roadsters have all been carefully documented with factory- and owner-supplied records. These final cars represent the culmination of the extraordinary 300 SL project – the most advanced and sophisticated expression of an iconic and groundbreaking model.

The 300 SL presented here is among this exclusive group of Roadsters built in February 1963. According to a copy of its factory data card, chassis 3255 was completed on Tuesday, February 5, making it the fourth-from-last car assembled. When new it was elegantly finished in White Gray with a Graphite Gray hardtop and black leather upholstery, a unique specification among this rare breed. Equipped for the European market and delivered to France, the 300 SL was sold to its first owner in May 1963.

The car’s second owner was American actor Robert Horton, best known for his role in Wagon Train, a Western series that aired from 1957 to 1962. Outside of his entertainment career, Mr. Horton was an accomplished pilot and is believed to have been an early member of the Gull Wing Group. He owned the car for approximately 10 years before selling it to Joseph Watson of Pennsylvania.

In 1985, Mr. Watson sold 3255 to Gordon A. Beck, a respected Mercedes-Benz mechanic and 300 SL specialist based in Ambler, Pennsylvania. The rare alloyblock, disc-brake Roadster remained the centerpiece of his collection for over two decades. After Mr. Beck’s death in 2006, the 300 SL was acquired by a West Coast collector who commissioned a high-quality cosmetic restoration and then sold the car to Aaron Hsu. For a time, Mr. Hsu owned both 3255 and a factory-equipped Rudge-wheel roadster – an ideal pairing representing the best bookends of the model.

The car’s next owner, a discerning East Coast collector, kept 3255 in a stable with another ultimate 300 SL – an Alloy Gullwing – and entrusted its maintenance to renowned Mercedes-Benz specialist Paul Russell and Company. Invoices on file document a rebuild of the engine, gearbox, and differential, as well as a chassis service and engine bay detailing. Following completion of this work, the Roadster took part in the inaugural 300 SL Classic Rally in 2018.

Dutifully maintained in two private collections in recent years, this 300 SL Roadster continues to present beautifully in all respects. Finished in its attractive original color scheme and properly equipped with its preferred European lighting, 3255 is outfitted with some of the most sought-after options and accessories available for the model. Included with the sale is the optional factory hardtop, tool kit, original Hepco luggage, serial-numbered Alfred Baisch seat belts, and ultra-rare Rudge-style hubcaps produced in period by Bullock Accessories International of California.

A copy of the Mercedes-Benz data card confirms that 3255 retains its matchingnumbers engine – a rarity among alloy-block 300 SLs – and its history file contains recent invoices from Paul Russell and Company, as well as an issue of the 300 SL Star Letter featuring Dr. Spellman’s definitive article “Six Days in February: The Final Chapter,” which documents these special late-production Roadsters.

Of all the 300 SL Roadsters built, a few special examples stand apart in the minds of connoisseurs. The car presented here is among the best of the highly collectible disc-brake, alloy-block models – one of the very last examples built, unique in specification, and equipped with its original engine and “hen’s teeth” period accessories. Its history is well established, and its presentation is second to none, having been owned by knowledgeable collectors and prepared by one of the foremost marque specialists.

The pursuit of a finer 300 SL Roadster would be a long and challenging endeavor.