If you have the means...

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by legion

The 300SL is one of my all-time favorite cars.

I remember back in the 90's, when I was in high school/college and they were selling for a couple hundred thousand dollars. Most people thought I was crazy for wanting such an old, obscure car. I used to hope that maybe they would drop in value enough that I could one day buy one.

In the mid-80s or so, I accompanied my uncle to pick up his Audi 4000 after a service at Kauth & Mayer in Peoria (top of the hill, Main St.). In the back corner of the shop was a tired 300SL wearing what looked like a flat, brush-painted blue finish. The presence of the car even in those conditions still made an impression on my young eyes.
I can only imagine what became of that car.

[Steve F]

I worked as a kid in a Foreign Car repair shop in Huntington Beach,Ca.
called Zoran Imports. The owner had a Gullwing convertible project he bought from a customer for 5K! I got to sit in it during my lunch almost every day eye balling every inch of it, FANTASTIC Car!!!

[legion]

Originally Posted by Sarc

In the mid-80s or so, I accompanied my uncle to pick up his Audi 4000 after a service at Kauth & Mayer in Peoria (top of the hill, Main St.). In the back corner of the shop was a tired 300SL wearing what looked like a flat, brush-painted blue finish. The presence of the car even in those conditions still made an impression on my young eyes.
I can only imagine what became of that car.

Chances are it has been restored. Their value is such that no amount of restoration costs too much.

Pretty much all of the 300SLs have been accounted for. There's even one rotting in Cuba that isn't much more than a body shell that numerous attempts have been made to rescue (and been met with an impossible amount of administrative red tape).