The six-figure restoration cost is totally justified by the owner – a judge at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Many consider the Mercedes-Benz 300SL “Gullwing” as the pinnacle of the automotive industry, setting a new standard for European luxury sports cars in the 1950s. The exquisite design featuring gullwing doors is a marvelous piece of architecture, while the iconic straight-six engine showcased advanced engineering.
For that reason, the Gullwing has been a highly sought-after collector’s item for some time now. Automobile connoisseurs have been known to scourge scrapyards in the hope of finding one of those rare pearls and then painstakingly restore them to their original state.
Thornley Kelham, a specialist in classic vehicle restoration, recently completed one such restoration. Namely, the firm has rebuilt a 300SL Gullwing for the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, an exhibition that it specializes in.
The 1957 sports car arrived at the headquarters in decent shape. However, the car had non-stock vertical headlights installed after a first re-build.
Furthermore, years of storage has also taken a toll on several mechanical parts’ integrity, including the 3.0-liter straight-six engine.
Meanwhile, the owner specifically asked for a period-matching color that was not silver. In the end, he decided to opt for a beautiful Horizon Blue shade.
The interior features blue-plaid cloth upholstery, making it look just like it did in 1956.
Simon Thornley, the co-founder of Thornley Kelham, describes the restoration as a huge responsibility, given its future belonging in the garage of a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance judge.
Moreover, he said that every restoration job’s accuracy and the sourcing of original components were crucial to making it feel authentic. But we didn’t expect anything less coming from Thornley Kelham anyway.
For more pics of the build, check out Thornley Kelham’s website.
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