Few vehicles are as iconic in history as the
sinuous Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe. From its successes in
racing with the SLR variants to its place as a status symbol of the
1950s and still today, the 300SL car requires no introduction; it is
therefore no surprise that some would try to emulate the "Gullwing"
design. What we have here is a uniquely Californian creation - a hot
rod Gullwing special that exudes the style of the original, but
underneath lies a very serious and potent road racing machine.
The story goes that, back in 1958, an unidentified racer pulled a mold
off of a 300SL, perhaps with the idea of emulating the success of
Chuck Porter's SLS, which was well-known in SCCA road racing circles,
or Ak Miller's Pikes Peak Special. One body shell was supposedly
completed before its builders were threatened with a lawsuit from
Mercedes-Benz; they promptly scrapped the project and left the
completed shell abandoned in a San Gabriel valley backyard, where it
languished for 55 years. When discovered by Dave Wolin, it was
surrounded by bushes and weeds and had a tree growing through it! For Sale
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