Max Hoffman had a knack for telling Stuttgart exactly what American buyers wanted, and the 300 SL Roadster was one of his better calls. A fully matching-numbers example from the model's first production year is heading to Broad Arrow's Quail Auction with an estimate of $1,350,000 to $1,500,000.
Hoffman had pushed Porsche toward the 356 Speedster and prodded BMW into building the 507, and when the Roadster debuted at the 1957 Geneva Salon, it delivered exactly what he'd asked for: an open Gullwing built for the road. Engineers reworked the tubular space frame aft of the windshield to accept conventional front-hinged doors, and a low-pivot swing axle tamed the coupe's snap-oversteer tendencies. A revised camshaft added roughly 20 horsepower over the Gullwing, while roll-up windows and an external fuel filler made it noticeably more livable day to day.
Chassis 7500233 was completed for U.S. delivery in October 1957, one of 618 Roadsters built that first year, and its factory Data Card confirms it left Sindelfingen in White over Blue leather. The Gull Wing Group Register traces ownership from an early Salt Lake City owner through stops in Florida, North Carolina, and Nevada, including a restoration before the car crossed the block at the World Classic Auction founded by Don Williams and Richie Clyne. Its current Texas-based owner acquired the car in 2021, and it is finished today in Black over Black leather.
Every major mechanical component, from the engine and transmission to the rear axle and front spindles, remains original to the car per its factory documentation, a level of matching-numbers originality that's increasingly rare among 300 SLs that have passed through decades of ownership. It comes with its color-matched hardtop and reproduction luggage, and remains eligible for tours like the California Mille and Colorado Grand. You can view the full lot details and photo gallery over at Broad Arrow Auctions.
