This 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster is one of 1,858 roadsters built during a six-year production run and is among 250 examples manufactured in 1961. Chassis 002844 spent the latter part of the 1960s domiciled in Virginia and, later, Massachusetts. It was purchased by the selling dealer in 2023 and subsequently underwent a refurbishment by Coachworks Restoration of Victoria, British Columbia, that was completed in 2025 and included a rebuild of the 3.0-liter M198 inline-six and overhauls of the driveline, four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes, suspension, and exhaust system in addition to a repaint in metallic blue and the installation of replacement tan leather upholstery. Additional features include Bosch mechanical fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication, chrome 15” steel wheels, a body-color hardtop, a blue soft top, and a Becker Mexico radio. This W198 roadster is now offered in Monterey, California, with a window sticker, a copy of the data card, factory literature, tools, service records from the 1960s to the present, over $393k in refurbishment records, and a clean Arizona title.
The roadster variant of the 300SL entered production two months after its debut at the March 1957 Geneva Motor Show, superseding the coupe model as the final Gullwings left the factory. Construction incorporated a reconfigured version of the coupe’s tubular space frame with the sill trusses lowered to accommodate conventional doors and the rear segment revised to create usable trunk space. Like its predecessor, the roadster featured steel bodywork with aluminum utilized for the hood, trunk lid, door skins, sills, floors, and bulkhead.
Previously finished in White Gray (DB-158 G), this example and its removable hardtop were repainted in metallic blue during the refurbishment. Bright trim was replated, and new body seals were also installed at that time. Additional equipment includes front and rear bumper guards, North American-specification headlights, a fender-mounted driver-side mirror, pivot-out door handles, a retractable antenna, a blue soft top, and quarter panel-mounted reflectors.
Chrome 15″ steel wheels are accented by body-color hubcaps along with chrome trim rings, and they are mounted with 205/70 Michelin Defender tires. A matching spare wheel is stowed beneath the carpeted trunk floor along with a tool kit. Four-wheel servo-assisted Dunlop disc brakes were introduced in 1961, beginning with chassis 002780, and the system was disassembled and overhauled during the refurbishment.
The cabin features bucket seats that were retrimmed in tan leather during the refurbishment along with matching upholstery that extends to the door panels, dash, sills, center tunnel, and aluminum top cover. Sound insulation was also installed at that time, and color-keyed square-weave carpeting covers the floors and seatbacks. Additional features include lap belts, roll-up windows, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, a locking glovebox, a dash-mounted ashtray and cigar lighter, and a Becker Mexico radio.
The ivory-color steering wheel sits ahead of VDO instrumentation, including a 160-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, and a rectangular combination gauge with English lettering. The five-digit odometer shows 66k miles, approximately 250 of which were added by the selling dealer.
The 300SL roadster model’s 3.0-liter M198 inline-six was carried over from the fixed-roof variant and shares its canted orientation, Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication, and aluminum cylinder head. The competition camshaft that was optional on the coupe was made standard for the roadster, which also gained a dual-point/dual-coil ignition system and various fuel system refinements. This example is equipped with a cast-iron engine block, and it was rebuilt in 2024. Invoices detailing the work performed are presented in the gallery below.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. The roadster’s four-wheel independent suspension utilizes a single-pivot rear axle with a compensator spring for improved stability over the coupe’s double-pivot design. The suspension was overhauled along with the driveshaft and the exhaust system during the refurbishment.
The included window sticker notes that the car was imported through Jacksonville, Florida, and carried a total suggested retail price of $11,123.
Over 100 pages of records from the refurbishment totaling over $393k are presented in the gallery along with service records dating from the 1960s to the present.
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