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A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing headed to Pebble Beach is forcing collectors to look past the doors and study the option sheet. Gooding Co. estimates the silver coupe at $2.5 million to $3 million, a range that reflects a rare combination of factory performance equipment, matching numbers, and long-term stewardship. Photo credit: Gooding Co.
Chassis 198.040.5500517 is not one of the 29 coveted aluminum-bodied Gullwings. In several important ways, however, it was configured like one. Its factory record lists the NSL-series engine, sport suspension, and Rudge knock-off wheels—the hardware that turned an already extraordinary road car into something much closer to Mercedes-Benz’s competition intent.
A Steel Gullwing With the Right Options
The matching-numbers 3.0-liter inline-six carries the NSL designation. Its high-performance camshaft, modified fuel-injection pump, and recalibrated distributor reportedly added about 20 horsepower. Shorter, stiffer springs and special shock absorbers lowered the car slightly, while the center-lock Rudge wheels completed the purposeful specification.
That distinction matters because alloy Gullwings live in another part of the market. Motorious previously covered a 1955 aluminum-bodied example that sold for $6.8 million. Those 29 lightweight cars pair the same general performance formula with thin-gauge aluminum panels and plastic windows. This car offers much of the mechanical character in a more durable steel body.
Its colors are equally correct: German Racing Silver, paint code DB 180, over red upholstery with plaid seat inserts. The Gullwing also retains dated Rudge wheels, belly pans, original-style Karl Baisch luggage, tools, a jack, and the knock-off hammer. Gooding says the body-on restoration was completed by Bob Smith Coachworks in 1994 for an owner who kept the car for more than three decades.
Why the Estimate Sits Above a Typical Gullwing
The current Hagerty Valuation Tools guide gives useful context. As of July 2026, it places a standard 1955 300 SL Gullwing in #3 “good” condition at $1.35 million, down 3.6 percent. Hagerty separately lists a $100,000 adjustment for Rudge wheels and $20,000 for fitted luggage. Its valuation page for the 1955 Gullwing underscores how individual specification can move the number well beyond a base condition rating.
Even so, accessories alone do not bridge the gap between $1.35 million and Gooding’s estimate. The premium here is tied to the whole package: a matching-numbers NSL engine, factory sport suspension, desirable original colors, specialist restoration, and three decades of stable ownership. A similarly equipped NSL-and-Rudge Gullwing sold for $1.416 million in 2020, while a more conventional restored 1955 coupe brought $1.49 million in 2025. Those results make the $2.5 million lower estimate a test of how aggressively bidders will reward a steel car that checks many alloy-car boxes.
The 300 SL market also prizes originality in different ways. Earlier this year, Motorious examined an unrestored 1956 Gullwing with multimillion-dollar expectations. The Pebble Beach car takes the opposite route: it has been restored, but its factory identity, major components, rare options, and documented configuration remain central to the appeal.
A Subtle Specification With Serious Stakes
Visually, chassis 5500517 is restrained. Silver paint and red leather are classic Gullwing choices, and only the lower stance and polished-rim Rudge wheels hint at what sits underneath. That understatement may be its strongest quality. It is not pretending to be one of the 29 alloy cars; it is a steel-bodied Gullwing ordered with a remarkably similar performance brief.
The car will cross the block as Lot 52 at Gooding Christie’s 2026 Pebble Beach Auctions. The catalog notes that it is titled as a 1956 and under the shortened chassis number 5500517. If bidding reaches the estimate, the result will say as much about the value of a great factory specification as it does about the enduring pull of the Gullwing itself.
