This beautifully finished, high quality 300SL Roadster is a matching numbers example well sorted for regular driving or long distance touring. A wonderful Mercedes-Benz W198 with serious integrity that has all the hallmarks expected of a car with only 59,753 miles.
Highlights
- Chassis no. 198042.9500105
- Engine no. 198980.9500106
- Body no. 198042.00105
- Matching numbers
- Presented in DB568 signal red
- Tan leather interior
- Desirable Euro headlights
- Becker Mexico radio
- Original books
- rare original service booklet
- jack
- 59,753 original miles
300SL Roadster History
According to the factory data card that accompanies the car today, this US specification special order 300SL was delivered new in the rare 300SL color of 270 blue-green with a hard top delivered in the crate. Upholstery was originally done in 953 black leather and there was a Becker Mexico radio installed. The car was imported via South Bend, Indiana.
According to the original service booklet remaining with this 1959 300SL Roadster, the car had its first service performed at Daimler-Benz A.G. in Stuttgart on August 8th, 1959 with 359 miles noted upon entry. By September 29, 1959, the car had made its way to New York with it’s first servicing in the United States marked at a mileage of 3,621. While it is not known with certainty who the first owner of this roadster was, according to the Gullwing Group Roadster Registry, early owners of the car include Pete Brown of Pompano Beach, Florida, and renowned collector Bob Bahre of Oxford, Maine.
By 1975, John C. Coons of Camden, Arkansas had acquired the car and in 1979 the 300SL transferred into the possession of vintner, pilot and all around renaissance man Koerner Rombauer, founder of Rombauer Vineyards in Napa, California. Rombauer would own and enjoy the car for the next 12 years, with his son, KR III, taking it to the prom among other notable events during the ownership tenure. In the Rombauer ownership history, service records indicate 58,722 miles on the odometer at the time of sale.
In 1988, Rombauer sold the car to Thomas Taffet of Hermosa Beach, California. Taffet would own the 300SL Roadster for several years, having it serviced, sorted and maintained by Walter’s German Car Repair in Costa Mesa, a German mechanic of high credibility at the time in Southern, California. In 1992, Scott Restorations of Van Nuys, California brokered the sale of chassis 9500105 300SL from Taffet to the current owner, a resident and long time customer of Scott Grundfor Company based out of Miami, Florida. Since purchasing this 300SL, the current owner has put just over 1,000 miles on the car while, otherwise, it has spent the majority of its days in a car specific climate controlled “vault” where it was well maintained despite the low amount of road use over the past 30 or so years.
Today, after a lifetime of well cared for ownership and use, this 1959 Roadster is best described as a well sorted and authentic high quality driver grade 300SL Roadster that seems to have lived a rather leisurely life. While the color change from blue-green to signal-red along with other cosmetic restorative efforts took place in the early 1990’s prior to the sale of the car to the present owner, due to only 1,031 miles of use since, along with a professional maintenance and storage regimen, the car retains a fresh appearance remaining in a beautiful driver quality condition suitable for regular road use.
The exterior painted surfaces of the car remain vibrant and in lovely condition throughout. The wheels are chromed with red centers and the euro-style headlights give the car a very desirable roadster overall appearance. The tan leather interior is in very good condition with seats appearing almost unused as one would expect of a car with such limited use since being re-upholstered. The car retains its original Becker Mexico radio in great original condition with correct carpeting for the model. The soft top is black while the trunk is finished as cleanly and correctly as the cabin with a authentic carpeting and finish.
The engine bay is a fitting match in quality for the exterior and interior with surfaces finished in the correct gloss and matte sheens with everything having been done in the pursuit of quality and authenticity. With regards to the underside of the car, the chassis maintains a very clean appearance and upon inspection shows no signs of prior accidents. Displaying a very good mechanical pedigree of care, the driving experience is precise and presents as a 300SL with a particularly responsive feel. The car is accompanied by receipts from Walter’s German Car Repair, providing further explanation for the good mechanical condition. Walter’s is a name veterans of the Southern California vintage Mercedes scene will remember as a trusted source of true expertise in the marque going back to the 1970’s. Importantly, and as further testament to its authenticity, this “matching numbers” 300SL retains all of its factory original stampings and all original tags throughout.
This 300SL Roadster is a true driving delight and has always been a good car retaining a very original feel to this day. With beautifully rendered cosmetics and a mechanical state well suited for long distance touring events or daily driving, this Mercedes-Benz Roadster holds great future adventure on the open roads for its next enthusiast owner.
