It’s recently come to MotorMartin’s attention that a right-hand drive 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer Cabriolet, once thought to have been the most expensive car in the world, is to be offered at auction at Silverstone Auctions’ Salon Privé Sale on 2nd September at Blenheim Palace. Outstanding.
Friends of MotorMartin, Silverstone Auctions, have explained that an example of one of the world’s most exclusive automobiles, the fast and elegant, high-performance luxury car is one of only seven Mercedes built in right-hand drive during 1953 and 1954, and is believed to have been the most expensive car in the world at the time.
Custom built by Mercedes-Benz’s most experienced craftsmen, they say and luxuriously appointed with materials of the highest quality, the cross-braced, oval-tube chassis features a lavishly equipped interior with supple leather upholstery, beautiful burr walnut trim and chromium-plated dashboard instrumentation and precision made switch gear.
It’s no real surprise then that such is the comfort and speed of the 300 that it became the car of choice amongst government officials in Germany, as one of the very few contemporary vehicles capable of carrying six passengers in comfort at sustained high speeds. It was for this reason that the 300 was given its unofficial name as the ‘Adenauer’, named after German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Mercedes-Benz’s most high-profile customer at the time.
Silverstone Auctions’ sales manager Will Smith explained to MotorMartin recently that: “The 300 is a historically significant car as one of Mercedes-Benz’s first all-new designs of the post-war era. Its arrival re-established Mercedes-Benz in the front rank of prestige car manufacturers, marking a return to the marque’s tradition of building high-performance luxury automobiles of the finest quality.”
This particular 300b Cabriolet D was built in late 1953 to be delivered to London and has recently undergone a fastidious, bare metal restoration over a four year period. True to the ethos of retaining original parts throughout, almost every part of the car was carefully restored and refurbished, with the exception of metal floor panels sourced from a 300 Saloon donor car and the roof covering made from original materials by Mercedes specialist in the United States.
Today the car presents in exceptional condition, finished in fabulous, lake deep, gloss black with a red leather interior and will be offered at auction with a pre-sale estimate of £325,000 to £375,000.
“Not only does this car represent the beginning of the end of many years of hostility and the start of sixty years of a growing relationship between two great industrial nations, it is a fantastic example of sleek German style and advanced Teutonic automotive engineering. It’s a beautiful, show-stopping car and we expect a great deal of interest on auction day,” concluded Will Smith.
To find out more about the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer Cabriolet at the selection of cars for auction at Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace, MotorMartin certainly recommends that you visit www.silverstoneauctions.com/1954-mercedes-benz-300-b-cabriolet and start to plan your dream garage. Just make sure that your pockets will be deep enough.
Where will you go?