8 November, Bishop’s Stortford: Hilton & Moss, world-class specialists within the restoration and gross sales of basic and status automobiles, put the lustrous shine again into considered one of German motoring historical past’s most stunning stars with a loving restoration of a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster.
Transformed from a rusting relic of glory-days gone by, to a concours-standard testomony to one of many automotive business’s true legends, the 300 SL Roadster is able to flip heads like again in its heyday – an ideal product of Hilton & Moss’ 30-plus years’ expertise in Mercedes fashions. All work was undertaken at Hilton & Moss’ devoted restoration facility in Bishop’s Stortford.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster pedigree
Like its iconic 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ coupé sister, the stunningly elegant 300 SL Roadster discovered its origins within the crucible of sportscar racing with the W194. The genesis of the 300 SL legend started with this extraordinary racing machine, incomes a string of exceptional victories in its first season of competitors. The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Nürburgring Jubilee Grand Prix, and the three,100-km Carrera Panamericana throughout Mexico: the W194 was victorious in all of them – even regardless of a collision with a vulture and a damaged windscreen within the latter at a pace of 135mph.
An prompt star on the racetrack, the W194 had actually earned its stripes within the eyes of 1 Max Hoffman – Daimler-Benz’s official importer within the USA, who satisfied the board of the enterprise to transform it right into a roadgoing coupé in 1954. Everything the 300 SL represented resonated strongly with rich Americans, resulting in the 300 SL receiving an additional dose of the California spirit with the Roadster’s debut in 1957.
True to its American origins, Hilton & Moss’ 300 SL Roadster began its life within the USA, earlier than making its strategy to Germany and finally the UK. With its UK proprietor desperate to channel the preventing spirit of the W194 and restore the 300 SL Roadster to its former lustre, the automotive was delivered to Hilton & Moss to be handled to a full structural, inside and mechanical restoration.
Despite earlier accident harm and in depth corrosion within the automobile’s underbody, the Hilton & Moss staff leveraged their in depth information of heritage Mercedes-Benz fashions to rework the automobile to a concours-standard stunner.
Following a full strip-down of the automobile, the staff set about repairing the unique panels to the exact manufacturing facility specification, with extensively corroded panels changed with real Mercedes-Benz components flown in from Germany.
Not to be outdone by the lustrous exterior, the inside additionally acquired a loving restoration – bringing out the brightness of the red-hide leather-based cockpit to glow once more within the sunshine. Masters of element and originality, Hilton & Moss’ inside trimming staff took nice care in making ready new leather-based to seamlessly match the steel dashboard body, mitigating cracking points that may plague unloved fashions and futureproofing it for many years to return.
Mirroring the meticulous restoration of the automobile’s construction and inside, its mechanical parts have been subjected to an entire overhaul, with each component and the three.0-litre straight six powerplant stripped down and refurbished to as-new situation – primed to seamlessly propel the wide-eyed driver in the direction of the horizon as soon as extra.
“Right from the very beginning of its story in 1952, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL established a legend that has resonated through generations of petrolheads. It’s the perfect embodiment of the allure of classic motoring, from the looks to the analogue yet smooth driving experience. The 300 SL Roadster allowed drivers to experience that in its rawest form, and the whole Hilton & Moss team were delighted to restore our example to the perfect condition in which it was meant to be enjoyed.”
Hilton Group Founder, Peter Hilton
Further showcasing the enterprise’ experience in 300 SL work, the Hilton & Moss staff are set to embark on one other loving restoration venture with a superbly unique 1956 ‘Gullwing’ – with the beautiful instance to be restored to the brand new proprietor’s exact specification.
More element on Hilton & Moss’ restoration providing and experience may be discovered here.
Posted by Hilton Group on Newspress
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