With a documented 29,482 original kilometers on the clock, this diamond of a 300SL Roadster retains its factory-original DB 608 elfenbein paint along with factory-installed German Roser 1079 rot leather, just as it left the factory in late 1959. This Euro spec W198 was delivered new to Madrid with immediate import to the Eastern United States by first owner Ramfis Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic. Rare original accessories include red leather Karl Baisch suitcases and original Hickok dealer installed seatbelts. A comprehensive history file and accurately documented mileage accompany the car. One of the most original and elegant 300SL Roadsters to be found anywhere in the world.
Highlights
- Spectacularly preserved 300SL
- 29,482 original km from new
- Delivered new to Madrid, Spain
- Ordered by Ramfis Trujillo, Dominican Republic
- Factory paint and leather
- Meticulous history documentation
- ‘Numbers matching’ example
- Chassis no. 198042.10.002438
- Engine no. 198980.10.002487
- Body no. 198042.10.00160
- Factory DB608 elfenbein paint
- Factory 1079 rot leather interior
- Factory 1079 rot leather Baisch suitcases
- Becker Brescia Radio
- European headlights
- Soft top (black)
- Dealer Hickok safety lap belts
- Books, tools and jack
- Copy of factory data card
“This Car Is Not A Gift From Trujillo”
Delivered new on November 17, 1959, chassis 2438, is an outstanding preservation‑class 300SL Roadster retaining its factory‑applied DB 608 Elfenbein paint and original 1079 red German Roser leather interior, including carpets and trim. Showing just 29,482 documented kilometers from new, it remains one of the most authentic, low‑mileage 300SL Roadsters known.
Originally ordered with Euro headlights, European instruments, Becker Brescia radio with Reims shortwave adapter and a cast‑iron engine block paired to drum brakes, this 300SL was special‑ordered new for Ramfis Trujillo, son of Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. Delivered first to Madrid for Trujillo, it was immediately imported to the United States, a place he spent much of his time and where his lavish lifestyle combined with his habit of gifting cars to Hollywood starlets inspired the famous bumper sticker “This Car Is Not A Gift From Trujillo.”
Chassis 2438’s chain‑of‑ownership is exceptionally well documented from new. After Trujillo’s U.S. import of the car and a paper sale in early 1960 to B. Earl Wenger of Maryland, Trujillo appears to have retained access to the car until formally releasing his interest in 1963. Wenger’s ownership continued after 1963 through to 1972, followed by long‑term stewardship by Bob Wurtz of Upper Marlboro, Maryland until 1995. The car then passed to Arnold Gardemann in Wasel, Germany and visited the Mercedes‑Benz Classic Center in 1999 for inspection, before joining two further prominent European collections. In 2023, the car was acquired by the current US –based collector whose penchant for top‑tier, highly original Mercedes‑Benz and Porsche sports cars drew him to Trujillo’s exceptionally well-preserved low mileage 300SL Roadster.
Cosmetically, the car presents today as a benchmark for unrestored originality. The still vibrant DB 608 paint shows subtle and correct factory “orange peel” texture along with consistent paint meter readings that help confirm it indeed retains its factory‑applied original paint. Panel fit, including the precise alignment of the original two‑piece rear bumper and the satisfying, vault‑like door closure, underscores the absence of accident damage and the car’s careful, indoor storage over more than six decades. The original 1079 red leather and carpets remain remarkably well preserved, with excellent color, suppleness, and minimal evidence of UV exposure.
Highly desirable original factory and dealer installed accessories remain with the car today. These include a rarely seen performance upgrade in the form of dealer‑installed “cold weather curtains,” operated by levers beneath the dash to control airflow over the radiator and oil cooler. Also present are matching original 1079 red leather Karl Baisch suitcases in the trunk space which are original to the car as documented on the factory data card. Dealer‑installed Hickok seatbelts and the original Bosch Euro‑spec headlights are still in place, as is the original Becker Brescia radio that the car came with when new.
Mechanically, this 300SL has been maintained by recognized marque specialists for many years and is fully sorted for both touring and preservation‑class showing. It retains all of its major data‑card‑correct components as installed by Mercedes-Benz upon construction in 1959, including original chassis (2438), body (180), engine (2487), transmission (2618), front axle (2493/2493), and rear axle (2472 with 3.64 ratio). Under‑hood and undercarriage presentation sync perfectly with the car’s overall low‑mileage, unrestored character, with only limited cosmetic freshening in those areas occurring where necessary to support reliable road use.
The comprehensive history file accompanying the car today includes copies of original titles, the factory data card, entries from the Official Gullwing Group Roadster Registry, and a continuous paper trail of mileage as well as ownership from new. Supporting documents also include period press coverage and tabloid articles surrounding Ramfis Trujillo’s Hollywood exploits and in particular his relationship with actress Kim Novak, reinforcing the colorful backstory that surrounds this particular car.
Delivered new to one of the era’s most notorious playboys and preserved as it left the factory with extraordinary care ever since, chassis 2438 is an exceptionally well‑documented, highly original 300SL Roadster suitable for the world’s top preservation‑class concours events and also immediate grand touring use. This classic Mercedes-Benz car is, in every meaningful respect, one of the finest unrestored, low-mileage 300SL Roadsters in existence today.
