Not every day does a car roll into Jay Leno’s Garage with this kind of history. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is the very last one ever built. Back in 1954, Mercedes took racing tech and turned it into something roadworthy. By 1957, production was done, and this final W 198 model marked the end of an era. But speed wasn’t the only thing that made it stand out. The gullwing doors were unlike anything else, turning the SL into an instant icon. Even after seven decades, it still looks futuristic. There’s a reason collectors go after cars like this—not just because they’re rare, but because they represent something bigger. Read More This Is the 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance, and It Just Got Pricier The Last of Its Kind: A Historic 300 SL Gullwing On May 15, 1957, the final chassis, number 7500079, rolled off the production line, marking the end of the Gullwing era. A few months later, on September 27, it arrived in the US, where it would become a collector’s dream. It still looks just as it did back then. The DB 534 "Fire Engine Red" paint isn’t a restoration choice—it’s the same color it wore when it left the factory. Even the hose clamps in the engine bay match what Mercedes originally used. Inside, the cream leather seats add to its classic feel, a nod to the luxury options available at the time. Underneath, the 3.0-liter straight-six M198 engine puts out 240 horsepower and 217 lb-ft of torque. That might not seem like much today, but in the 1950s, it was serious power. It was also the first production car to feature fuel injection, which helped it reach a top speed of 162 mph (260 kph)—numbers that put it in a league of its own back then. But the Gullwing wasn’t just fast. It was smart. The steering wheel folded down to make climbing in and out easier. A 34-gallon fuel tank meant fewer stops on long trips, and a full dashboard of gauges, a wind-up clock, and twin fuel pumps blended function with style. Mercedes only built 1,400 Gullwings, and just 29 of them had aluminum frames. This final one, the very last of its kind, now has a permanent home in Jay Leno’s Garage. With the gullwing doors lifted, it still takes up plenty of space—visually and historically. No wonder Leno calls it “the first supercar.” A Collector’s Dream with a Racing Soul Few cars come with a past as rich as this 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. It made an impression right from the start, appearing at the 1957 Poznan International Trade Fair before spending decades in private collections. Its most recent chapter? A $2.4 million sale at RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas auction, with every dollar going to charity. This Gullwing has seen plenty of road. It passed through four owners, one of whom spent 25 years restoring it by hand. When the work was finally done, the car made its way to Pebble Beach in 2004, earning 3rd in Class at the Concours d’Elegance. It still carries its original chassis, engine, body, gearbox, and front axle. Even the rear axle (7500024) is believed to be factory original. Read More Novitec Unveils Widebody N-Largo Kit for Ferrari 296 GTS Unlike museum-kept models, this one rides on 15 x 5.5-inch Kronprinz wheels, a setup Mercedes later carried over to the Roadster. Jay Leno knows the challenge well—he owns a 300 SL Gullwing himself. His, though, was used as a race car, making it a little rougher around the edges. “I like that it’s meant to be a driver,” he says. “It’s not one of those concours things where you know any miles deduct another $1,000. These cars are meant to be driven.” It still delivers where it counts. “It doesn’t feel like a 1957,” Leno adds, noting how well it holds up compared to modern performance cars. And collectors agree—when it hit the auction block, it sold for nearly $1 million more than recent Gullwing sales tracked by Classic.com. According to Hagerty, a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is valued at Good ($1,500,000), Excellent ($2,000,000), and Concours ($2,400,000). This one landed right at the Concours-level mark, securing its place as one of the best-preserved Gullwings around. Nearly 70 years later, it’s still a head-turner—and still built to be driven. Source: Jay Leno's Garage | YouTube
