1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer

Marketed as the Type 300d, the car was not only equal in both features and price to the competing Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud but was also superior in the performance to the Rolls as well. Favored by statesmen and business leaders alike, Mercedes made features like glass partitions, VHF mobile telephones, and dictation machines all available as options. Equipped with a fuel-injected 3.0L inline-six motor, the Type 300 was thought of as a driver’s car, and coincidentally the Type 300 did in fact share a wealth of design ideas and components with the slightly more popular, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.

The pale-yellow exterior to this Model 300 is clean. A basic walkaround reveals no major damage to the exterior of the vehicle. Glass around the car is clean and free of chips and cracks. The chrome hubcaps are tidy, and the tires look to have a decent amount of tread left although we always recommend a new set. The rest of the chrome around the car is clean and straight aside from the front bumper which does appear to be wrinkled in several areas. Neatly hidden behind the front bumper, on the driver’s side of the grille, the paint is starting to crack although this is difficult to observe when looking at the car in person. There are also some hairline scratches that can be found along the hood of the car. The roof seems to have fallen victim to these “chicken scratches” as well. The rear bumper also has some wrinkles of its own, and one section has a small chip which reveals some corrosion, but it doesn’t appear to be spreading. Mercedes’ excellent build quality can be easily observed when examining the panel gaps which all look evenly spaced out. Overall, this Mercedes has been well kept, but it is not perfect. The exterior needs no immediate repairs, but something might have to be done about the chicken scratches before the car would be competition ready.

The red leather interior of this Model 300 has its share of marks, but overall condition appears to be solid. The red leather bench up front features white piping which really makes the red pop. The driver’s seat has more creases than the passenger, which is expected, but neither seat shows any holes or tears in the material. The rear bench has the same beautiful piping and has even less creasing than the front seats. The bench also shows no damage. Down low, red carpets show minimal damage and lay flat in all their respective locations. The wooden dashboard is highly glossy, shows no chips or scratches, and all of the gauges mounted within are clean and easily readable. The black Bakelite steering wheel does have some scratches, but the inner chrome wheel needs resurfacing. The enamel over the Mercedes logo in the center has also been cracked. The perforated whit headliner hangs tightly in place, but also has several stains. Speaking of stains, three out of the four red leather door panels is suffering from at least one or more stains, all of them are fairly large. It’s unclear to us what could have caused these stains, but we believe they need further investigation. Condition of the wooden inlays on each door panel is mixed. The inlays on the passenger side of the car appear to be cleanest, with the driver’s door unsurprisingly showing the most wear.

We are pleased to report that the underside of this Model 300 harbors no major damage. The frame and floorboards are solid, suspension components are all in order, and the exhaust shows reasonable discoloration. Under the hood, everything appears to be in order, and all the components appear to be clean and in their proper locations.

Based on the documents available to us, we believe the seller took ownership of this vehicle in August of 2012.

The Mercedes-Benz Model 300 comes from ancient times in Mercedes’ history that even predates the existence of AMG. Think about that for a moment, young timers. The Model 300 comes from a time where quality and comfort were the primary cornerstones for almost every automotive brand in existence. Once the public discovered that the Model 300 outperformed the contemporary Silver Cloud in almost every category, Mercedes made a path-altering shift. The Model 300 was introduced in 1951, and three years later in 1954, the 300 SL was born. The Model 300 helped Mercedes realize they were superior designers, and the marriage they created between luxury and high-performance was what ultimately made Mercedes the highly recognizable, global powerhouse they are today. The Model 300 we offer today is in great shape. Out of the box, the car is ready for any non-intensive adventures. There are some bumps and bruises to be dealt with both inside and out, but once they are, the winner will be left with a spectacular automobile. Fantastic preservation of this Model 300 makes us at The Market by Bonhams highly confident this car will have little issues reaching its $20,000 - $30,000 estimate.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL BIDDERS

It should be noted that this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

Please note that the title for this vehicle is in transit.