One to Buy: 1 of 1 ex-Luigi Chinetti / Rudi Klein Aluminium-bodied 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
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Of the myriad options Mercedes-Benz offered for the W198 300 SL Gullwing, nothing came close to the prohibitively expensive aluminium body package created for those customers that wanted to use their car in competition.
In addition to a lightweight body which saved 130kg over a comparable steel-bodied variant, these rarely seen Leichtmetallausführung Gullwings also came with Rudge knock-off wheels, Plexiglas side and rear windows, competition springs / dampers and the normally optional 240bhp Sonderteile motor as well.
Despite this intoxicating mix of uprated parts, only 29 of the 1400 Gullwings produced between 1954 and 1957 were completed in Light Metal Version trim and today these cars rank among the most sought after Mercedes-Benz products of all time.
With such a low production number, opportunities to acquire an Aluminium-bodied 300 SL Gullwing on the open market are extremely rare. However, one is set to go under the hammer as part of the remarkable Rudi Klein Junkyard collection with RM Sotheby’s in Los Angeles on October 26th.
Ordered new by 1950 Le Mans winner and North American Ferrari distributor, Luigi Chinetti, chassis 043.5500872 was delivered via the Milan Mercedes-Benz agent Saporiti and then dispatched to the USA. Uniquely, 043.5500872 was the only Aluminium-bodied Gullwing configured in the spectacular colour scheme of Black with Red leather upholstery.
Luigi Chinetti retained his Gullwing until 1976, at which point the by now silver car was purchased as the jewel in Rudi Klein’s collection.
Today, this one-of-one unrestored Aluminium-bodied Gullwing is being offered with its full complement of matching numbers equipment.
