Miguel Sánchez
It is not the first time that has happened, nor is it the first Mercedes 300 SL that appears forgotten under layers of dust in Cuba. But the discovery of such a car reactivates the emotions of anyone. Even more so when, discovered after decades of oblivion, it tells us about a time of intrigue, races by the sea, historical motorsport, kidnappings and revolution.
In 2014, a photograph jumped to the front pages of the motor world: a Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing lay under the banana trees in the courtyard of a house in Cuba. Or rather, what was left of it, since the body was in a sorry state and the engine ... there was no trace. That time it was the car photographer Pyotr Degler the person responsible for the find, while doing research for his book Cuba cars. In this video you can see the status of that finding:
The discovery of Cogetucarro.com
Now the website cogetucarro.com just announced the discovery of another 300 SL Gullwing, hidden this time in a barn. As we can see in the photos and video available on their website, the condition of the body is really worrying. The engine, we even know if it still exists. Still, these scraps could fetch a high price on the classic car market: recreating a 300 SL Gullwing from an original bodywork is an especially juicy challenge for any collector conscious of having one of the most iconic sports cars of the XNUMXth century in their hands. . Even more so knowing that, possibly, this unit was the protagonist of some of the races that were held in Cuba until the arrival of the Revolution.
THE SHORT -AND INTENSE- GRAND PRIZE OF CUBA
During the 50s, and in the heat of Batista's dictatorial regime, Cuba became one of the favorite destinations of the upper class in all of America. Under the Caribbean sun, businessmen and wealthy people of all kinds would meet, seeking to close deals or enjoy a vacation away from their offices. Villas, luxury hotels and exclusive events of all kinds flourished thanks to the proximity to the United States. Also sports car racing. Aware of this, and to further publicize this type of tourism on the island, the Batista government devised in 1957 the Cuban Grand Prix for Motor Racing.
The setting could not be more spectacular: a urban circuit on the famous Malecón in Havana, open to the Caribbean Sea. With these credentials, the first Grand Prix was a whole congregation of aces, winning the race the mythical Fangio followed neither more nor less than Carroll Shelby y Alfonso of Portago. However, the following year's edition would not be so happy.
Despite the appearance of luxury and celebration of the Americans on the island, Cuba was experiencing a revolutionary upheaval against the Batista dictatorship. The day before the 1958 Grand Prix Fangio, who had come as a member of the Maserati team, was kidnapped from his hotel by members of the July 26 Movement, embryo of the future Cuban Revolution. Nevertheless, the competition continued. A competition stained with blood after Armando García Cifuentes crashed his Ferrari against the public, killing 6 people and injuring 30.
In 1959 the Grand Prix was canceled due to political instability and in 1960, with the revolution already in power, the last of the Cuban Grand Prix was held, which was won by Stirling Moss at the controls of a Maserati.
Far away were the races, the luxury cars, the convertible sports cars in the Caribbean sun ... the Cuban and American millionaires who enjoyed the island came out in droves, abandoning a good part of their magnificent cars in their flight.
ONE OF THE FORGOTTEN
This Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing is undoubtedly one of the luxury cars forgotten during that sudden exodus. It may be part of the history of the races that we mentioned before, that is to be investigated. What is clear is that it belongs to the history of motorsport.
With its elegant design and iconic “gull wing” doors, the 300 SL is one of the quintessential classics., yielding 215 hp thanks to its engine of almost 3.000 cubic centimeters. It is perhaps the most charismatic Mercedes and it is also one of the first supercars to be produced in series: with more than 3.000 units since it was presented at the International Motor Sport Show in New York in 1954.
With the sale of cars already liberalized in Cuba, the sale portal cogetucarro.com presents us with this finding that, as if it were a time capsule, takes us to a time of excesses, races, changes and revolution.
