1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

A Superior Touring Machine

Factory build specifications

According to the Mercedes-Benz Fahrzeug-Daten (vehicle data) card, 300 SL Roadster chassis 198.042-7500680 was fitted with engine number 198.980-7500711 and body number A 198.042-7500606 under order number 890 087. The paint is recorded as 608/40, Light Ivory with a black hardtop, and the upholstery as “2/Leder rot 1079,” red leather, a subtle yet distinctive original combination.

The card also lists transmission 759, rear axle 717, front axles 701 (left) and 700 (right), and DB steering 715. The Roadster was specified with 5 K × 15 wheels, 6.70 × 15 Michelin tires, sealed-beam headlamps for the American market, and a Bosch battery. The selling dealer is noted as South Bend.

Earliest history

Chassis 7500680 was delivered new on August 4, 1959, to its first owner, Leonora M. Dietrich of 42 West Scribner Avenue, DuBois, Pennsylvania. Her Owner’s Service Policy booklet survives in the history file. It was issued and signed by Rictor Motor Sales & Service, the authorized dealer at 138 East 12th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania, and records chassis 7500680 and engine 7500711. The dealer is thought to have kept the Roadster for marketing purposes, which may explain why it was delivered nearly two years after production.

The car’s first title was issued just eight days after delivery. A later Pennsylvania title, dated February 1, 1979, was issued to Alice Short. She is believed to have been Mrs. Dietrich’s daughter, since the address on that title matches the one in the booklet. According to the Gullwing Group Registry, the car then passed to Harry D. Toryen of Reading, Pennsylvania, and next to Warren Whittman of New Jersey. In 1990 it was sold to the family who kept it for the next 34 years, until the present owner bought it in 2024 on the advice of Scott Grundfor Company.

A rally car built with purpose

That family’s three decades of continuous improvement are recorded in a handwritten notebook that remains in the history file. Its entries range from major overhauls to fine-tuning the fuel mixture for high-altitude rallies.

By 1994 the car was already a rally veteran. It had completed the Copperstate 1000 in each of the three previous years and the second California Mille in 1992. The notebook records an engine rebuild before the 1994 Copperstate 1000, keeping the stock piston size and fitting oversized connecting rod and main bearings. Knock-off wheels followed. A June 20, 1994, letter from Stanley Leibel shows $20,000 spent on five Rudge-style wheels, two front hubs with dust covers, two axles, four brake drums, four knock-off nuts, a spare wheel mount, and hardware.

The notebook describes the 2010–2011 work as done to “restore (the) car.” The brake, fuel and ignition systems were gone through, the valves set and the timing chain adjusted. A new water pump was installed, and the generator and starter were cleaned and reinstalled. In 2011 the car was repainted in its current Anthracite Grey Metallic, with the wheel centers color-matched, and a Pertronix ignition followed in 2012. In 2017 the electric fuel pump and injection pump diaphragm were replaced, new Mercedes-Benz kingpins were fitted, and special front knuckles lowered the stance and added camber. The final entries, from 2021, record a rebuilt brake booster, a new oxygen sensor, and an overhauled brake master cylinder.

Today the Roadster has an overtly sporting character. Its bumpers are removed and the mounting holes neatly covered, for cleaner lines and less weight, much like Paul O’Shea’s 300 SL Roadster in the 1957 SCCA Championship. For high-speed cruising, a five-speed manual transmission from a later 300-series Mercedes-Benz has been fitted and since refined by both Mercedes-Benz Classic and Scott Grundfor Company. The original numbers-matching four-speed transmission comes with the car. A stainless-steel sport exhaust exits just below the signature air vents on the right side, and an original exhaust system is included for the purist.

Recent work, 2024–2026

When the present owner bought the Roadster in 2024, it went to Scott Grundfor Company of Arroyo Grande, California. Work there ran from August 19 to September 29, 2024, with invoices totaling $34,230.43. The car was given a safety inspection, road tests, refinement, and long test drives to confirm reliability and performance. The new owner liked the car’s rally capability, but many of the previous owner’s personal details were returned to a more stock configuration.

Further work followed at Mercedes-Benz Classic, with invoices totaling $218,322.36 between November 15, 2024, and April 28, 2026. A factory hardtop was fitted to the body, given new rear glass and a new headliner, and color-matched and refinished to the standard of the rest of the car. The original chromed bumpers were refitted on newly made brackets and irons with a new tow hook. They are off the car, which is presented bumperless, but are included in the sale. The side-exit exhaust was overhauled, including refinishing the right-hand rocker panel, and the fuel filler door was refitted to work as intended. Five new Rudge wheels were spline-fitted, painted to match the body, and mounted with Avon 205/70VR15 tires and tubes.

Mechanically, the car received a new Roadster fuel tank and fuel sender, corrected camshaft timing, and a serviced and adjusted injection pump. All six brake wheel cylinders and the brake hoses were replaced. The aftermarket lowering springs were replaced with factory Roadster springs and the car was aligned. Seat belts and a new battery, on a proper mounting frame with a battery tender, were also installed.

Together, the two invoices document $252,552.79 of work since 2024, with all receipts in the history file.

A 300 SL Roadster built to be driven

Chassis 7500680 represents more than 30 years of dedicated work toward the ideal rally 300 SL, and the last two years have raised the standard of this proven car further. Its appeal is broad: it is a meticulously prepared, matching-numbers 300 SL Roadster rally car with exceptional presence. Its original configuration is well documented, and the factory components needed to return it to stock come with it, so its touring upgrades add to the car rather than take away from it. The Roadster has completed numerous Copperstate 1000s and Colorado Grands, as well as many other events with the Gull Wing Group, and is ready for more with its next owner.

The history file includes the rarely seen original Owner’s Service Policy booklet, the factory data card, early title history, and the handwritten notebook kept through three decades of the car’s longest ownership. The 2024–2026 Scott Grundfor Company and Mercedes-Benz Classic invoices show the most recent owner’s commitment to correctness and performance. The car also comes with the freshly chromed original bumpers fitted by Mercedes-Benz Classic, the original steering wheel, the factory steering gearbox, the numbers-matching transmission, the original exhaust, and other original parts. For the collector who wants a matching-numbers 300 SL Roadster with a documented ownership chain, a proven record of care, and a clear account of how it came to be, chassis 7500680 offers entry to the finest touring and rally events worldwide, and to the camaraderie that comes with them.

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Drew Grundfor

Mercedes-Benz Specialist

Contact - 805.474.6477