‘A dream of a car’ – The 1960 Mercedes Benz 300 SL auctions in Salzburg

The same marque which famously took 1st and 2nd at the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans is up for sale

Dorotheum's cars auction on October 2 at the Salzburg Classic-Expo will include a rare and very investible Mercedes Benz from 1960 - described as "a dream of a car" by the contemporary press of its era.

The 300 SL Roadster boasted innovative and finely-tuned technology upon its release. It was the first time fuel injection and lightweight design were applied to a Mercedes series model.

As a result, the car's performance guaranteed a top speed of 260 km/h. This example still has its original coat of white paint, as shown in the below photograph.

The 1960 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster

Incidentally, it was also a Mercedes 300 SL that took first and second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1952. The 300 SL auctioning in Salzburg is set to race to further success, carrying a pre-sale estimate of €400,000-450,000.

Dorotheum's sale comes during a period of considerable optimism in the classic cars markets, according to the auction house's expert Michael Gross.

"Record results at international auctions - only recently, California hosted one of the world's largest auctions - indicate that the market for vintage vehicles continues to become more solid," he said.

And another winner: the Renault Alpine 110 from 1972

Of course, Renault was equally successful in motor sports with its Alpine 110, and Dorotheum's auction duly features a rally proven model from 1972.

With the typical blue paint that earned its drivers the nickname "Blue Riders", the car in question has a FIVA certification and is valued at €100,000-110,000.

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Images: Dorotheum