A rare example of a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing was stolen from a hotel near the Nurburgring on August 11. The one-off Mercedes, which was in town to participate in the Old-timer Grand Prix classic car race, was sitting in front of the hotel when it was jacked by thieves that have yet to be identified. According to The Sunday Times, the theft occurred sometime between 1:30 A.M. and 10 A.M. on August 11 and there are now growing concerns that the car will be stripped down and have its parts sold individually. Yikes.
This is the kind of theft that can shake the whole industry to its core. Not surprisingly, that’s exactly what’s happening as news of the stolen Mercedes 300SL have been met with shock and concern from car enthusiasts all over the world. That’s usually what happens when a car of the 300SL’s status is jacked.
Mind you; this isn’t just any other 300SL Gullwing, either. According to reports, this particular 300SL Gullwing with chassis number “198040 5500434” is just one of 30 steel-bodied Gullwings that were outfitted with the desirable NSL high-performance engine. More to that, this particular unit has undergone heavy customization, including having its roofline lowered and bumpers re-profiled. Side exhausts have also been added, and it also features a ‘double bubble’ roofline and has an interior that’s bathed in fine ostrich leather.
In other words, this is one of the most unique Mercedes 300SL Gullwings in the world. It even carries the ‘California Outlaw’ nickname, an ode to its status and heavily customized appearance.
Unfortunately, the culprit or culprits are still at large, and there’s growing concern that as the days pass and no developments happen, the 300SL Gullwing is going to get closer and closer to being in the wind. It’s bad enough that such an iconic car will be stripped down and sold for parts — that’s the likely fate considering that selling it on the market would make it easier to track — it’s worse when the car in question is reportedly worth around £1.5 million, which converts to around $2 million based on current conversion rates.
It’s no wonder that the owner of the stolen 300SL Gullwing is offering a reward of €250,000 ($284,000) for the safe return of his prized exotic. Hopefully, this story has a far happier ending than the ones we’ve gotten accustomed to when it comes to stolen cars.
Further reading
Read our full review on the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy Gullwing.
Read more Mercedes-Benz news.