THE mid-1950s was a pivotal era for Mercedes-Benz.
Dominant on both road and racetrack, it stunned the world with the W194 300 SL coupes and later the legendary W198 300 SL Gullwings, which introduced fuel injection and space-frame chassis to road cars.
Although Mercedes-Benz withdrew from factory racing after the 1955 Le Mans tragedy, privateers carried the torch – especially in the US, where several Gullwings found success.
One such car, chassis 198.040.5500278, left the Sindelfingen factory in April 1955 and is up for auction with RM Sothebys.
Finished in Feuerwehrrot (Fire Engine Red) with black leather and fitted with coveted Rudge wheels, sealed beam headlights, and US-calibrated instruments, it was shipped to New York and is believed to have been sold by Washington dealer Jack Pry Limited.
Pry entered the car into America’s booming SCCA racing scene with driver Charles Wallace, a skilled racer and DC hairdresser. Wallace had already made his mark at Sebring and with Cunningham’s Jaguars and Porsches.
In 1956, Pry and Wallace switched from Jaguars to the 300 SL, debuting with a win at Walterboro, South Carolina.
Wallace contested that year’s Sebring 12 Hours but withdrew pre-race to avoid oil surge issues.
Throughout 1956, Wallace scored podiums at Cumberland, Eagle Mountain, and Elkhart Lake, where he headed a Mercedes 1-2-3-4 finish. At Beverly Airport, Massachusetts, he famously defeated factory-supported ace Paul O’Shea in a head-to-head Gullwing duel. Despite skipping later rounds, Wallace finished runner-up in the national Class D Production.
In 1957, Pry sold the car to Leonard “Chick” Butscher, a Florida restaurateur and amateur racer. Butscher campaigned it against names like Carroll Shelby, Richie Ginther, and Don Yenko, securing class wins and a career-best second place at Marlboro, Maryland, before replacing it with a Corvette.
After years out of sight, the Gullwing resurfaced in Massachusetts in the 1970s, later passing through European collections.
In 2015, forensic research revealed its true identity: original chassis, body and engine, competition upgrades, and even traces of its Fire Engine Red paint beneath later silver respray. Period photos and unique features confirmed it as the Pry/Wallace Gullwing.
Today, chassis 5500278 stands as one of the most significant steel-bodied Gullwings.
Eligible for historic racing, rallying, and concours events, it embodies the spirit of an era.
Source: rmsothebys.com/auctions/gw25/lots/r0001-1955-mercedesbenz-300-sl-gullwings
