This Moldy Mercedes-Benz Could Be Worth $1.5 Million, Here's Why
After sitting stagnant in the back of a Jacksonville, Florida, dealership since at least 1960, an old Mercedes-Benz classic car has a new purpose.
According to Fox News Auto, Mercedes-Benz has bought back a 1954 300 SL gullwing coupe with just 35,408 miles on the odometer.
The vehicle is full of dust and mold after six decades of being parked in the back of a dealership before moving to a local storage facility about 10 years ago.
Classic car aficionado Bill Warner, who grew up in the Jacksonville area, remembered the car from his childhood. Warner has been around cars his entire life and is the powerhouse behind the annual Amelia Island Concours classic car event in Florida, which took place this year from March 7-10.
Warner was the one to notify the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center about the car, and the company tried for years to purchase the run-down classic.
According to Fox News, Mercedes-Benz came to an agreement with the vehicle’s owner to purchase the car for an undisclosed amount.
The vehicle was the 43rd car of just 1,400 that were produced from 1954 to 1963. At the time, the 300 SL was priced at $11,000 dollars, but today, a perfectly restored 300 SL is worth approximately $1.5 million dollars.
According to Michael F. Kunz, the manager of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA, the vehicle has provided helpful information about original construction methods which his team will be able to replicate on other restorations.
Number 43 has some showing off to do as a piece of classic car history in its original condition. The car’s original metallic blue paint job had been sanded off in a long-ago attempt to restore the vehicle, but aside from that, everything is in its original condition.
After making an appearance at the Amelia Island Concours classic car event, number 43 is going back to Germany where it was originally constructed.
It will be displayed at the Techno Classica vintage car show and then return to its first home in Stuttgart, Germany.
Kunz said they are still deciding if they will restore the car or preserve it, but a full restoration would take approximately two years.
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