There’s something about barn finds that can be more desirable than perfectly restored classics. Maybe it’s the patina, the stories embedded in every scuff, or just knowing you’re looking at a literal piece of history.
Coming up for auction at Artcurial in Paris later this month is a dust-coated 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing that might be the absolute pinnacle of preservation-class collecting embodies all of this, lineage and all.
An Icon Sitting Still
The 300 SL traces its lineage directly back to Mercedes’ dominant W194 race cars that swept Le Mans and the Carrera Panamericana in 1952. When American importer Max Hoffman convinced the factory to build a road-going version, Mercedes engineered the first production passenger car with mechanical direct fuel injection, wrapped it in a tubular spaceframe chassis, and the iconic gullwing doors. The high side sills from the chassis structure meant conventional doors were off the table.
This particular example left Stuttgart on January 26, 1956, finished in Graphitgrau over Natural leather — one of just 106 cars in that color combination. More importantly, its first owner, Claude Foussier, checked every performance box available. The NSL engine package bumped output from 215 to 240 hp through a specially ground camshaft and higher compression. Add in the sport-tuned suspension, centerlock Rudge wheels, and a lengthened steering column for Foussier’s 6’2″ frame, and you’re looking at what was essentially the Black Series of 300 SLs a full decade before AMG existed.
The Coca-Cola Connection
Foussier wasn’t just some wealthy industrialist ordering a fast car. As the European importer for Coca-Cola and a two-time Olympic clay-pigeon shooter (Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964), he had both the means and the competitive spirit to spec out this Gullwing properly. He kept the car until 1961, when it passed through legendary Parisian dealer Roger Loyet before landing with Jean Piger, another industrialist who held onto it for 53 years. From 1961 to 2014, it was owned by one one person, tucked away in a château alongside a Ferrari 500 Mondial and a Bugatti 57 Atalante.
When the car finally sold in 2014, it hadn’t run in 11 years. But after adding six spark plugs, a battery, and some fresh fuel, it fired right up. The new owner took it to Germany, placed it in a climate-controlled bubble, and never touched it. Nine years later, it returned to Paris, where the current owner lives at — wait for it — the exact same address where Foussier originally garaged the car in 1956. You just can’t write this stuff.
Numbers Don’t Lie
A recent evaluation by specialist Klaus Kukuk confirmed this car’s extraordinary originality. Nearly all the paint is factory-original (just two small touch-ups over seven decades), and every single number matche, from the chassis and engine, all the way down to the keys. The odometer shows roughly 21,300 miles, and unlike most barn finds that get the full restoration treatment, this one has been deliberately preserved in as-found condition, dust and all. Only around 60 Gullwings were built with this exact specification (NSL engine, Rudge wheels, sport suspension)putting it in the same league as the 29 ultra-rare aluminum-bodied cars.
Spec Sheet
Model: Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” Chassis 198040-6500019
Model Year: 1956
Engine: 3.0L inline-six with NSL performance package
Power: 240 hp (vs. 215 hp standard)
Top Speed: 150+ mph
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: ~21,300 original miles
Color: Graphitgrau (DB 190) over Natural leather
Options: NSL engine, Rudge wheels, sport suspension, fitted luggage
Production: One of ~60 built to this specification
Pricing & Availability
This 300 SL crosses the block at Artcurial’s Paris sale on January 27, 2026, with an estimate of €2–5 million (roughly $2.3–5.8 million) with no reserve. For context, restored Gullwings have been selling in the $1.5–2 million range. The car also comes with an automatic invite to the Concours d’Elégance at Chantilly and will likely become a fixture at preservation-class events worldwide.
Recap
Unrestored 1956 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing Auction
A practically untouched 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing with a rare NSL performance engine is heading to auction at Artcurial on January 27, and it’s the kind of preservation-class car that collectors dream about, featuring original paint, matching numbers, and a backstory involving a Coca-Cola magnate who spec’d it like a pre-AMG track weapon. The car spent 53 years with one owner and somehow ended up back at the exact same Parisian address where it was originally garaged in 1956.
