RSS Reader
01-19-2013, 06:35 PM
Filed under: Classics (http://www.autoblog.com/category/timewarp/), Coupe (http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/), Performance (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/), Auctions (http://www.autoblog.com/category/auction-action/), Mercedes-Benz (http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/), Celebrities (http://www.autoblog.com/category/celebrities/), Specialty (http://www.autoblog.com/category/special-limited-editions/), Luxury (http://www.autoblog.com/category/luxury/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-barrett-jackson-2013/)
How much extra value does previous celebrity ownership add to of a car? Really, there's no way to know until the car in question hits the auction block and bidders start raising their hands. In the case of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (http://autoblog.com/tag/300sl/) you see above, the celebrity owner is none other than Clark Gable, who purchased it new. After Gable's death in 1960, the car changed hands a few times before settling with Charles Wood in 1975.
A high-dollar restoration was performed in 1989, and period accessories added by Gable himself were kept in place, including the Rudge knock-off wheels and Nardi steering wheel. Any Mercedes-Benz (http://autoblog.com/mercedes-benz/) 300SL is worth a big chunk of money. In the case of Clark Gable's old Gullwing, the bidding stalled at $1.9 million here at the 2013 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. As one of the 5000-series cars, this 300SL carried a reserve, and a bit of after-the-fact dealmaking saw the car change hands for $1.85 million.
You can see our high-res image gallery above, and the car's official auction description below (http://www.motorgen.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/#continued).
*UPDATE: Video added below (http://www.motorgen.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/#continued).Continue reading Clark Gable's 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing doesn't sell, then does sell for $1.85 million [UPDATE: w/video] (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/)
Clark Gable's 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing doesn't sell, then does sell for $1.85 million [UPDATE: w/video] (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20433825/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2013/01/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-barrett-jackson-2013/)
How much extra value does previous celebrity ownership add to of a car? Really, there's no way to know until the car in question hits the auction block and bidders start raising their hands. In the case of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (http://autoblog.com/tag/300sl/) you see above, the celebrity owner is none other than Clark Gable, who purchased it new. After Gable's death in 1960, the car changed hands a few times before settling with Charles Wood in 1975.
A high-dollar restoration was performed in 1989, and period accessories added by Gable himself were kept in place, including the Rudge knock-off wheels and Nardi steering wheel. Any Mercedes-Benz (http://autoblog.com/mercedes-benz/) 300SL is worth a big chunk of money. In the case of Clark Gable's old Gullwing, the bidding stalled at $1.9 million here at the 2013 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. As one of the 5000-series cars, this 300SL carried a reserve, and a bit of after-the-fact dealmaking saw the car change hands for $1.85 million.
You can see our high-res image gallery above, and the car's official auction description below (http://www.motorgen.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/#continued).
*UPDATE: Video added below (http://www.motorgen.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/#continued).Continue reading Clark Gable's 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing doesn't sell, then does sell for $1.85 million [UPDATE: w/video] (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/)
Clark Gable's 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing doesn't sell, then does sell for $1.85 million [UPDATE: w/video] (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20433825/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/19/clark-gables-1955-mercedes-benz-300sl-gullwing-doesnt-sell-th/)