The Mercedes-Benz has long been a classic car favourite, boasting sleek lines and finishes that are iconic even today. In true classic car fashion, a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster fetched an astonishing €1,127,000 at a recent Bonhams auction held alongside the Spa-Classic meeting at the Spa-Francorchamps motor racing circuit in Belgium. Originally estimated at €600,000 to €800,000, it is the only model to have broken the €1 million mark.
The 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster was part of a prestigious collection of 12 cars recently discovered in a Swiss château. All of the models were snapped up, for a total of more than two million euros. As well as the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, the collection included a 1969 Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9-Litre Coupé (which sold for €174,800), a 1980 Aston Martin V8 Volante Convertible (€172,500) and a 1933 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Phantom II Roadster (€111,550).
Of all the lots in the sale, Porsche models reached particularly dizzying heights, with sales including a 1958 356A Super Speedster (€322,000), a 1989 911 3.2-Litre Speedster (€280,000) and a 1993 911 Turbo 3.6-Litre Type 964 Coupé (€195,500). A few Ferraris also changed hands, including a 2006 575 Superamerica F1 (€293,250) and a 1996 F355 Challenge Coupé (€158,500).
The next Bonhams car auction will be held at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, June 30, 2017.