Supreme Sophistication: The 1959 Mercedes 300SL Roadster – A Masterpiece of Luxury and Elegance

For the past few generations, Mercedes models have become more and more streamlined. They are keeping that big, elegant presence, but they are showing a different kind of refinement and sportiness than the models of the past.

Cars like the W124 and the W116 are prime examples of the Mercedes-Benz style. They make you move out of the way subconsciously when you see them in your rear-view mirror. You break your neck looking at them when you spot them out in the wild. These creations are timeless and built to last longer than time itself.

Now, the first thing that might pop into your head when you think about Mercedes is some big, ultra-luxurious limousine. While yes, they made some fancy landyachts, their heritage doesn’t stop there.

Mercedes has always been pretty big on racing, and after World War Two, their first all-new racing car was the 300SL. It was the first Mercedes model to bear the Super Light (SL) name, and it was brilliant, both in the looks and engineering department.

Be it a Roadster or the legendary Gullwing, every angle on this car is breathtaking. Even when standing still, it looks like it’s going flat-out, while still being elegant and dignified. It has swooping lines that morph into each other seamlessly and just the right amount of chrome accessories.

The 300SL was born in 1954, and it was advanced for its era, with a fuel-injected straight-six under the hood. The Hollywood-dream-filling Roadster variant arrived in 1957, ensuring that if you had deep pockets, you could enjoy the best top-down experience money can buy.

They are extremely rare nowadays, and you’d be hard-pressed to find one for sale. With that said, they do pop up from time to time, and now, RM Sotheby’s listed a beautiful example for an upcoming action – and you will still need those pretty deep pockets.

This particular 300SL is the Roadster variant, in US spec. It features that iconic 3.0 liter (183 ci) fuel-injected straight-six that makes 222 horsepower (225 ps). But power shouldn’t be your concern because this isn’t the car if what you’re looking for is spirited driving.

No, this Roadster is all about cruising and looking legendary while doing it. And it certainly provides in the looks department, with light blue paint, dark blue fabric top, and white interior.

We don’t know the price as of now, but you should expect it to go pretty high, with 700,000 dollars going into the restoration alone. Now, if you have that kind of money, keep your eyes peeled, as this car will be up at auction in Paris in February 2023 – and if you can afford it, you should buy it, in my humble opinion.