In photos: Gullwing Mercedes with Canadian roots sells for $2.65-million

globe drive

Published December 21, 2015

A 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, which spent most of its life in British Columbia, sold for $1.9-million (U.S.) last week. RK Motors Charlotte, which sold the gullwing supercar, believes it is the highest price paid for a 1954 since 2012, when one sold in a Barrett-Jackson auction for $2.2-million (U.S.). "The '54 Gullwing brought this ... price because of its pristine condition and flawless mechanics," said Joseph Carroll, president of RK Collection, in a statement. The vehicle originally ended up in Vancouver because of Leopold Poldi Bentley. Bentley fled Vienna with his family in 1938, landing in British Columbia. He founded a furniture and panelling company called Pacific Veneer that later become Canfor Corporation, the largest exporter of softwood lumber. Bentley saw a market for Mercedes in the growing city and opened a dealership in downtown Vancouver. He ordered a fully loaded silver-on-red 1954 300SL as a showcase example. Bentley sold it in 1956 and that owner drove the car to his summer home, where it stayed for more than 50 years. The car has only 45,887 original miles on the odometer. In the early 1990s, the Gullwing was restored with new paint and interior improvements by Rudi Koniczek, but remains mechanically original. Koniczek's team at Rudi and Company have since kept the car in original running condition. The Gullwing was sold with its original tools, books and optional Nardi steering wheel.

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