---
title: "F1 Champ Nico Rosberg Isn’t Afraid to Flog His 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL"
description: "Rosberg gives us a small but delicious taste of what it's like to push a 63-year-old Mercedes-Benz."
date: "2018-05-05"
modified: "2018-05-05"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/20653/f1-champ-nico-rosberg-isnt-afraid-to-flog-his-1955-mercedes-benz-300-sl"
categories:
  - "F1"
  - "Mercedes-Benz News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Racing"
tags:
  - "300sl"
  - "blog"
  - "Formula 1"
  - "Gullwing"
  - "Mercedes-Benz"
  - "Monaco"
  - "Nico Rosberg"
  - "video"
---

# F1 Champ Nico Rosberg Isn’t Afraid to Flog His 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/05/screen-shot-2018-05-05-at-11-31-31-am.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Nico Rosberg is a man of [many talents](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20021/formula-1-champ-nico-rosberg-to-make-formula-e-debut-in-berlin-e-prix>). Not only is he extremely gifted behind the wheel, but he's fluent in about four different languages and he's a total natural behind the camera. The latter truly stands out in the most recent episode of his YouTube blog, which sees him tackle the hills around Monaco at the wheel of his 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing.

This [video](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmM0Jwx-Bjo>) by the former Formula 1 world champion gets us as close as we could ever get to the one and only Mercedes-Benz Gullwing without spending a few million dollars to acquire one. The [1955 300 SL](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/10782/mercedes-benz-300sl-survivors-could-set-sales-record>) is finished in an exquisite white exterior with a red leather interior, which as you'll hear Rosberg mentioned during the video, is in original condition and actually shows plenty wear and tear due to actually being driven. *Shocker, I know.*

https://youtube.com/embed/lmM0Jwx-Bjo

The 11-minute-long video is full of unadulterated gearhead entertainment, but the coolest part is definitely when Rosberg arrives at the [twisty roads atop Monaco](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20355/watch-nico-rosberg-pilot-mika-hakkinens-mclaren-p1-around-monaco>), where he opens up the 3.0-liter straight-six engine and proceeds to drive it like he stole it. Another cool detail of the video is that the German takes the time to explain how several of the old-school functions of the 300 SL work, and doesn't attempt to mask the fact that it's a 63-year-old car with a few imperfections here and there.

Heck, Rosberg performs a [less-than-stellar shift](<https://www.thedrive.com/start-finish/16659/f1-champ-nico-rosberg-considering-move-to-formula-e>) while pulling out of the underground garage in Monaco. It simply goes to show that he's just a normal guy who happens to be a Formula 1 world champion and has a few cooler-than-average toys. Enjoy!

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)