$1 Million Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster Unearthed After Owner Parked It for 40 Years

The story of this car apparently starts in the early 1970s, when an unnamed Midwestern man became infatuated with the 300 SL Roadster after driving one owned by his brother. Smitten, he hunted down an unsold example floating around Chicago, Illinois and purchased the car new in 1976, some 12 years after it exited production. Under his ownership, the car accumulated 14,558 miles before mysteriously going into storage in Indiana around 1980, going entirely untouched since then.

Following the owner's passing, this 300 SL Roadster sold via estate sale to its current owner, New York-based classic car specialist Gullwing Motor Cars. Upon deciphering the car's serial numbers, the dealer discovered that this 300 SL was once painted the exceptionally rare Blaugrau (blue-grey) color and upholstered in blue, though the car's erstwhile owner had it repainted in silver at some point and its interior, dyed black.

Despite these value-diminishing alternations made by the previous owner, this 300 SL Roadster is still among the most valuable cars on the market today. The 300 SL's regard as one of the greatest, most beautiful sports cars ever built is matched only by its rarity, with only 1,458 300 SL Roadsters ever built, and only 249 of them for the 1960 model year. Its low-mile, unrestored condition makes it something of a diamond in the rough, and a high-karat stone at that, because it carries an asking price of $1,095,000. It might sound hard to find someone willing to drop seven figures on a car that doesn't run, especially in this economy, but when it comes to a car as recession-proof as a 300 SL Roadster, a tough sell this ain't.

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h/t: Barn Finds