Visitors to the 1957 Geneva Motor Show had no shortage of fabulous automobiles to take in, from wondrous coachbuilt concepts and glamorous sports cars to stylish, if more quotidian, family transporters. Undoubtedly the most significant debuts came from Ferrari, which unveiled the slinky, Pinin Farina-bodied 250 GT Cabriolet Series I, and Mercedes-Benz, which showcased the production 300 SL Roadster—the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the benchmark 300 SL Gullwing coupe.

The 300 SL Roadster was above all a more refined car than its winged predecessor, and its premiere foreshadowed the increasing focus which the manufacturer would place on luxury cars over the ensuing decades. Yet there was no denying the 300 SL's mechanical performance, which had decidedly improved in the Roadster; the updated six-cylinder engine received the competition camshaft used in the NSL racing coupes, good for a lift of 20 horsepower.

Handling also benefited from a revised rear suspension with a lower axle pivot-point, minimizing the tendency for oversteer. Despite the added weight of chassis reinforcement required by an open model, the Roadster was every bit the performance car that the Gullwing had proven itself to be. The Roadster's overwhelmingly luxurious character, however, generally obscured its performance capabilities. With a convertible soft-top, the model was never subject to the uncomfortably hot cabin issues that bedeviled the Gullwing, and the Roadster's redesigned tube frame afforded lower door sills, facilitating far easier access than the Gullwing's challenging ingress and egress.

The new 300 SL Roadster was an improvement on the Gullwing in nearly every capacity, at least from a roadgoing perspective, and it has since evolved into one of Stuttgart's most collectable models, a darling of both concours fields and vintage rallies.

THE FIRST ONE

The car offered here, chassis number 7500037 and body number 7500001, is the first production 300 SL Roadster, and the very same car that first appeared before the enthusiastic crowds in Geneva. According to factory build records on file, this Roadster was first delivered on 1 March 1957, just weeks before the Geneva Motor Show opened. The car was finished in Fire Engine Red (DB 534) over a Black leather interior (953) with Red piping on the seats and door panels—a distinctive and particularly showy feature—and a Black soft-top. The steering wheel, company logo, and shift knob were all finished in black. It rode on chrome wheels with whitewall tires, as is clearly visible in a photo taken of the car on the Geneva show stand.

Notably, the final 300 SL Gullwing did not complete production until 15 May 1957, making this Roadster the first among a small subset of cars built while its coupe counterpart was still in production. As a result, it has interesting details such as metal grab handles on each door (which period photos show were wrapped in leather), not found on later production examples, as well as a round exhaust tip instead of the expected “fishtail” outlet—which research indicates was apparently not finalized until May 1957.

Following its show duties, the 300 SL Roadster returned to the factory for reconfiguration prior to its delivery to Roy T. Hurley, Director of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. In 1957, Studebaker-Packard had reached an agreement with Mercedes-Benz to become the US distributor of Mercedes-Benz automobiles; one imagines that priority access to new product was one of the better perks of the arrangement.

This reconfiguration resulted in the generation of a second factory build sheet dated 8 May 1957, a copy of which is on file, noting the fitment of instruments with English labeling, sealed-beam headlamps with separate parking lamps, and Becker Mexico radio with Hirschman antenna. Further, a new engine and gearbox were installed by the factory at this time, with a note to ship the initial transmission as a spare.

The car was later owned by William Combs of La Habra Heights, California, who reportedly began investigating a possible restoration of the car in the early 1980s, but deferred due to cost. He sold the car later that decade and a restoration commenced, though it is understood to have passed through a series of owners in an incomplete state. Finally, in 1997, the well-deserved refurbishment was completed by Scott Grundfor Co. of Arroyo Grande, California. At this time the car was refinished in its correct Fire Engine Red over a Black interior with Red piping and a Black cloth top, as it would have appeared on the Geneva Motor Show stand in 1957.

In 2001, this Mercedes-Benz was acquired by a significant collector in the Northeast, later joining the New Jersey-based collection of the present consignor. It still wears its prior high-quality restoration in its factory colors, which has remained in well-preserved condition throughout.

Prior to its sale, this 300 SL Roadster was inspected by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center USA in Long Beach, California. At this time, its engine oil, transmission oil, and differential oil were also changed, and its brake fluid and coolant were flushed. A report on file confirms the car’s status as the 1957 Geneva Motor Show car and its later delivery to its first private owner in the United States. It also indicates that the car retains its numbers-matching chassis, body, left and right front axles, and steering box, as well as the numbers-matching engine fitted prior to its US delivery.

The 300 SL’s historic significance and enduring desirability is beyond question. In addition to being an entry point to concours, club activities, and spirited rallying and touring events—for which the 300 SL’s open-top variant is particularly well-suited—this example is made all the more special by its role in debuting the production 300 SL Roadster to the public.

An extraordinary opportunity to acquire a 300 SL Roadster that is distinct even among its distinguished peers, this would be a tremendous addition to any serious stable of important sports cars.