Mercedes-Benz 300SLS homage set to pull in €2,500,000

Recreation of legendary race car to go up for auction
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This Mercedes-Benz 300SLS is a recreation of a legendary 1950s’ race machine – and even though it’s not the original model, it’s stlll anticipated to sell for a cool £2.5million when it goes under the auctioneer’s hammer later on this year.

The car is a faithful homage to one of the pair of alloy-bodied 300SLS Competition Roadsters built by American racing driver Paul O’Shea back in 1957. It is set to be auctioned at the Bonhams’ Chantilly Arts & Elegance sale, to be held in northern France on 10 September.

Built following Mercedes’ official withdrawal from racing after the disaster at the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours that killed 84 people and injured some 120 more, O’Shea’s original SLS Competition Roadsters were based on two factory-fresh 300SL Roadsters. He totally stripped and re-bodied both cars in aluminium, shedding huge amounts of weight, while also heavily modifying them to increase power. He campaigned them as a privateer in the Sports Car Club of America’s D Production class, with much success; he took the title in the very same year.

The famed SLS spec has spawned many recreations in the decades since, and this 1957 example was built by Georg Distler. His friend Albrecht Lorenz – a Mercedes technician of 50-plus years – had discovered O’Shea’s meticulously detailed plans in the marque’s Stuttgart archives, which kickstarted the project. The homage incorporates the classic aluminium bodywork, lightened seat frames, a Gretrag five-speed gearbox and dual side-exit exhausts among other modifications.

The recreation was entered into the 3500km Carrera Panamericana – one of the world’s toughest historic rallies – two years after it was begun. Despite the lack of a support vehicle, he finished in an impressive 11th place overall.

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