This 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster was sold new to a US serviceman in Germany and later imported to the US.
It is finished in Papyrus White with a green soft top over a green leather interior, and power comes from a fuel-injected 3.0L inline-six paired with a four-speed manual gearbox.
Features include body-color Rudge wheels, aluminum drum brakes, and a Becker Mexico AM/FM radio.
The 3.0-liter M198 inline-six features Bosch mechanical fuel injection, a first for a road car when it debuted.
The iron block is leaned over at an angle of 50° and equipped with dry-sump lubrication.
A fuel injector pump service was in preparation for sale.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission.
The chassis plate lists the type, chassis number, and that the car was constructed in 1960.
The VIN on the title omits the leading “1” from the chassis number.
The collection of spares include: A gray hardtop in a factory shipping crate, Five painted bolt-on wheels, Four body-color hubcaps, A spare wheel hold down spindle, Two front wheel hubs, Two rear axle shafts, Brake drums, Two US-market headlight assemblies, A spare steering wheel and horn ring, Karl Baisch fitted luggage, Tonneau cover, Tools, Factory books, Records and correspondence from 1972 to present.
The white two-spoke steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and frames VDO instrumentation including a 7k-rpm tachometer, a replacement 160-mph speedometer, and gauges for fuel level, water temperature, oil temperature, and oil pressure.
The US-spec speedometer was installed in May 2015.
The five-digit odometer to have been converted from kilometers to miles at that time and now shows just over 58k miles.
The removed metric speedometer is included in the sale, and its inset odometer shows 84,464 kilometers (~52,483 miles).
An invoice from from January 2015 lists the 84,464 kilometer reading alongside a mileage note of 52,790 miles.
Equipment includes a dash-mounted ashtray, a clock, a locking glovebox, lap belts, a fire extinguisher mounted in the passenger footwell, and a Becker Mexico AM/FM radio, the latter of which has been fitted with an auxiliary input.
The body-color 15″ Rudge wheels feature two-eared knock-off hubs and were fitted under previous ownership. Michelin XWX tires measuring 205/70 are fitted at all four corners.
A matching spare wheel is fitted under the trunk floor. The W198 roadster features an independent double-wishbone front suspension along with a revised rear swing-axle setup when compared to the Gullwing coupe.
Braking is handled by Alfin “big drum” aluminum units that were offered from mid-1960 to early 1961.
This example was repainted in its factory Papyrus White (DB-717) in July 1986 and features polished chrome bumpers with overriders, blade-style door handles, dual Talbot-style mirrors, and European-market headlights.
The green soft top features a plastic rear window and was installed in February 2016.
