1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster 5-Speed BMW F32 4-Series

This 1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL is one of 1,858 roadsters built during a six-year production run and is one of 211 examples manufactured in 1959. Chassis 9500060 was delivered new in the US via New York on June 19, 1959, and is said to have spent its first three decades in Illinois and Indiana before residing in Arizona and East Coast collections through 2011. The car was then purchased by its most recent prior owner, who sent it to HK Engineering in Germany for a refresh that included the installation of a Getrag five-speed manual transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, and a 300 Adenauer steering box. Finished in Cement Gray over black leather, the car is powered by a 3.0-liter M198 inline-six that features Bosch mechanical fuel injection and dry-sump lubrication. Additional features include four-wheel independent suspension with a low-pivot rear axle equipped with a 3.89:1 ratio as well as chrome 15” steel wheels, a dark gray hardtop, a black soft top, and a Becker Mexico radio. This W198 is now offered by the selling dealer with removed parts, copies of its factory delivery note, service records, a tool kit, and a clean California title. The roadster variant of the 300SL entered production two months after its debut at the March 1957 Geneva Motor Show, superseding the coupe model as the final Gullwings left the factory. Construction incorporated a reconfigured version of the coupe’s tubular space frame with the sill trusses lowered to accommodate conventional doors and the rear segment revised to create usable trunk space. Like its predecessor, the roadster featured steel bodywork with aluminum utilized for the hood, trunk lid, door skins, sills, floors, and bulkhead. Originally finished in Cement Gray (186), this example is said to have been repainted in red earlier in its life before receiving a repaint in its factory shade during a refurbishment performed in the early 2000s. The car is accompanied by a contrasting dark gray removable hardtop with 300SL pillar badges and is equipped with a black soft top that was installed during the 2011 refurbishment work. European-specification headlights were also installed in 2011, and additional features include bumper guards at front and rear, a driver-side mirror, pivot-out door handles, and fender louvers framed by grooved accent lines that extend onto the quarter panel doglegs. Chrome-finished steel wheels wear matching trim rings and hubcaps with dark gray centers and are wrapped in 205/70R15 Michelin Harmony tires. Four-wheel ATE disc brakes were added in lieu of the factory drum brake setup during the HK Engineering refresh, which also included the installation of a steering box sourced from a 300 Adenauer. The cabin features bucket seats trimmed in black leather along with matching upholstery over the door panels, dash, sills, center tunnel, and aluminum top cover. Gray square-weave carpeting covers the floors and seatbacks, while additional features include Schroth four-point harnesses, roll-up windows, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, a dash-mounted ashtray and cigar lighter, a locking glovebox, and a Becker Mexico radio. The black steering wheel is accented by a chrome horn ring and frames VDO instrumentation including a 160-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, and a rectangular combination gauge with English lettering. The five-digit odometer shows 67k miles. The 3.0-liter M198 inline-six was carried over from the fixed-roof 300SL to the roadster variant and shares its canted orientation, Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication, and aluminum cylinder head. Revisions for the roadster include a standard competition camshaft, dual point/dual coil ignition, and various fuel system refinements. An updated contactless ignition system was fitted to this example during the 2011 HK Engineering refresh, which also included the installation of a 55-amp alternator, a micronic oil filter, and an electric cooling fan as well as a rebuild of the oil cooler and replacement of the radiator, oil pump, and cylinder side cover. Engine number 198980-10-9500079 is shown stamped on the block and matches the number listed on the factory delivery note. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a Getrag five-speed manual transmission that was installed during the HK Engineering work, while a 3.89:1 rear axle ratio was specified from the factory. The roadster’s four-wheel independent suspension utilizes a single-pivot rear axle with a compensator spring for improved stability over the coupe’s double-pivot design. A collection of removed parts includes hubs, drum brake components, a rebuilt steering box, ignition and fuel components, and US-specification headlights. The lieferschein lists original delivery to New York along with the original colors, component numbers, and options including: Order number: 9 705 2705 Type and construction: 300 SL Roadster Paint: DB 186 (Cement Gray paint) Interior: 953 leder schwarz (black leather interior) Delivery day: June 19, 1959 Soft top: 872 schwarz (black) Chassis number: 198042-10-9500060 Engine number: 198980-10-9500079 Body number: A 198042-9500060 947-198 chrome wheels with polished rim; 10013-198 USA specification; 10152/1 – 3:89:1 rear axle ratio for Roadster with speedometer in miles; 55154/4 Becker Mexico radio; 55318/1 hardtop in Cement Gray (186) Serial number 198-042-10-9500060 is shown stamped into the firewall above, and the VIN on the California title is listed as 109500060. Filed under: sl, w198