And Mercedes-Benz Classic made a dream come true for all visitors of the 24th Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Two vintage models of the 300 SL Gullwing (W 198) with successive chassis numbers were on display in a separate exhibition area of the Concours Field at this exquisite automotive classic event. These twins of the Mercedes-Benz super sports car from the 1950s presented themselves rather differently, however.

Chassis number 43 is in barn find condition as found by Mercedes-Benz Classic in a garage at the end of 2018. It was originally shipped to Miami in 1954 and was only registered for ten years. The vehicle is completely original. The body, for example, the glass components, the grey leather interior, the drivetrain, the wheels – even the Englebert Competition tyres are all as you would have found them on the car decades ago. The only modification was to the body finish. Originally painted mid blue, the coupé was at some point sanded down and primed. What most likely happened was that the vehicle was taken out of service in the mid-1960s to be repainted and had been prepped, but never actually repainted.

Chassis number 44: Mercedes-Benz Classic in Irvine, California completely restored this 300 SL Gullwing model. During this time, the car was restored to the exact condition of a vintage 300 SL Coupé built in 1954. Included among the special features are handcrafted components such as the Mercedes-Benz star, the exhaust manifold, the “gooseneck” gearshift lever and a valve cover with magnesium paint. Chassis number 43 still has the same basic design and layout as its twin, however.

This year, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance also honoured racing and rally driver Jacky Ickx with numerous vehicles on exhibition. One of these was the faithful replica of the Mercedes-Benz 280 GE that the motorsport legend used to win the 1983 Paris-Dakar long-distance rally together with his co-driver Claude Brasseur.