A SPORTS car that is just one of just 27 ever made has gone up for sale with an eye-watering price tag.
The model is so rare that nearly all the other examples are in private collections and almost never go up for sale.
The Mercedes 300SL is considered one of the most desirable classic cars of all time.
It was based on the German firm’s legendary W194 racecar, which formed the basis of Merc’s motorsports exploits that culminated in its eight consecutive F1 World Championship wins from 2014-2021.
The aim of the 300SL was to capture the essence of the W194’s track performance and express it in a visually beautiful, road-legal package.
And most petrolheads would probably agree it was mission accomplished, with a gorgeous chrome and silver body housing a powerful straight-six engine.
Its 163mph top speed made it the fastest production car on earth when it was initially released in 1954 as a gullwing-doored coupe.
That model ran for just three years before it was supplanted by the 300SL Roadster.
Only 1,858 of these were made between 1957 and 1963 and one of the first examples has now gone up for sale in the US.
However, this offering is particularly special as it boasts a set of “knock-off” PZ Rudge wheels, plus a spare.
These were a special option at the time of release but less than 1.5% of 300SL Roadsters feature them, amounting to 27 cars in the whole world.
Inside, it is decked out in striking red leather trim which, like the bodywork, remains in supreme condition.
It even comes with matching suitcases which slot discreetly into the boot for ease on long journeys.
The car is being listed through Gullwing Motor Cars Inc with no time limit on the sale.
The ad states: “This W198 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster is 1 of just 27 examples delivered new with Rudge ‘knock-off’ wheels while retaining its factory applied original DB 180 Silbergrau Metallic paint and 1079 Rot leather.
“Having never before been exhibited on a concours showfield in the United States, this exceptional W198 Roadster checks all of the boxes of a preservation show winner with unusual rarity throughout and is mechanically a star, fully sorted for long-distance touring use.
“From a collectibility standpoint, the “Factory Rudge” designation is indeed the rarest and most coveted original option for the W198 Roadster model, and by a significant margin.”
However, its immense rarity and pristine condition do, understandably, make it very expensive.
It is currently listed with an asking price just a tick under £2 million (US$2.6 million).
The sale comes after a one-off chrome supercar that was so rare there were “doubts it even existed” was offered for auction.
