Miguel Sánchez
PHOTOS MERCEDES 300SL GULLWING «CALIFORNIAN OUTLAW» STOLEN: RÉMI DARGEGEN PHOTOGRAPHY
Just as the mastery of fire brought about cooking food, the notion of property inevitably led to the appearance of theft. It's sad to think about it, but as much as we cling to enlightened theories like that of The noble savage... It seems that humans have a certain natural inclination to crime, whether out of greed, need, envy or desire for power over others.
Obviously not all robberies are motivated by the same, nor are they equally spectacular. That next to our house they have stolen an old car to use it in an assault ... It is something that only worries us after a sigh of "Thank goodness they didn't do anything to my VWGolf", but that in the vicinity of Nurburgring has been stolen one of the rarest and most exclusive Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, with an appraisal of about 2 million euros ... It is another matter.
And that is precisely what happened last August at the door of the Dorint Hotel, a particular accommodation where everything is geared towards the enjoyment of a passionate motoring clientele. In fact, the four floors of rooms look directly onto the track as if it were a circuit grandstand, making it one of the most recognized hotels with a car theme in all of Germany.
Obviously This place is visited by a clientele that, many times, is mounted on cars of the kind that usually attract both the attention of fans and clever thieves thirsty for the hit of their lives. So imagine what happened when the owner of this 300SL left it - sinful of an enormous excess of confidence - outside the hotel when the parking lot was full.
UNIQUE AMONG THE RARE: 300SL GULLWING “CALIFORNIAN OUTLAW”
Any 300SL is, in itself, a piece as exclusive as it is iconic in the world of motorsports, but the chassis number 198040 5500434 also has some specifications that make it even more specific. Assembled in 1955, its characteristic black color gives it a very special touch, this paint resting on the metal that hides one of 29 NSL engines mounted on 300 SL Gullwing models, most of them of pre-production since in their mass production the chosen mechanics was finally another.
These -available in both steel and alloy- mounted a more competitive camshaft, and Injection and distributor improvements in the spark plug ignition system, all resulting in an increase in 15CV in the final power of the car.
In addition, this model nicknamed - we do not know the reason - as "Californian Outlaw" It has characteristic bulges in the upper area of its doors to increase the height at which passengers can position their heads, as well as a set of fog lights and a dashboard covered in ostrich leather!
MERCEDES 300SL NSL: WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH IT IF YOU ARE THE THIEF?
The truth is that this same question is the one that often arises when an iconic work of art is stolen. In short, they are objects so identifiable that… You cannot go around offering them with joy. Many times these thefts are made to order, but would that make sense in this case, forcing you to pay a million for a car that you will even be able to bring to light?
The most normal thing is that, if it is not recovered in time, this Mercedes is lost in pieces in the mists of time. Although, given the scarce and documented nature of the model, it also seems difficult to sell it broken down, since for certain important parts it is almost impossible to hide its origin and history.
In any case the owner is offering 250.000 euros reward, an eighth of the value of the vehicle and a not short sum to try to unravel what, without a doubt, is one of the most expensive recklessness in motorsport in recent years. Now they sell alarms with GPS tracking, but the old solid steel anti-theft device fitting the steering wheel with the clutch pedal… It is still a good ally, at least in the face of a hasty parking lot.
