Used 1959 Mercedes-Benz 300SL for sale in Costa Mesa, CA

This beautifully restored 300SL Roadster was delivered new in 1959 to official North American Mercedes-Benz importer, Max Hoffman, in New York City. According to Gullwing Group records, its first-known owner was a Mr. Leonhardt of St. Louis Missouri. Mr. Leonhardt owned the car until 1983 at which time it had accrued 53,000 miles since new. The second owner, also of Missouri, was a Mr. Schwent who reportedly chased the car for several years and ultimately was able to buy it from Mr. Leonhardt. Over the next two years, the Roadster was restored and given a very 1980s color scheme of Fire Engine Red with a red interior and a black top. Strangely, after chasing the car for so many years and then restoring it, Mr. Schwent sold the car in 1985 to car collector, sports-team owner and business turnaround specialist, Floyd Hall. The transaction was facilitated by John Olson of the SL Market Letter. Over the next 28 years of ownership, Mr. Hall added just over 20,000 miles to the odometer. In 2013 when Mr. Hall's car was advertised via Olson's SL Market Letter, the roadster had just received a full mechanical rebuild that included the brake system, engine and gearbox. After the car was purchased from Mr. Hall, it was stripped to bare metal and given a full cosmetic restoration that returned it to its very desirable factory livery of DB 040 (black) over a Red Leather interior and a black soft top. The work was entrusted to world-renowned 300SL expert, Rudi Koniczek, of Victoria, B.C. During the lengthy and careful restoration, "blackie," as it was called in the shop had all of its chrome re-plated, a complete new interior installed, the gauges were rebuilt and restored. The convertible top assembly was restored as well and the engine and gearbox were removed, serviced and detailed and re-installed with a new clutch. The 300 SL's cosmetic presentation is to concours standards and looks today just as it did when the work was completed in 2014. It has been lightly exercised over the past few years and just as one would expect with a restoration done by a specialist, no problems have appeared.