Chassis No. WDB1240501A736928
Unveiled at the 1989 Frankfurt International Motor Show, the Boschert B300 Gullwing stands as one of the most audacious coach-built creations of its era: a singular car commissioned by Hartmut Boschert. Based on a 1988 C124 300 CE, the body was subjected to a thorough transformation as outlined by Boschert. Up front, the recently introduced R129 SL's fascia transformed the coupe's appearance, requiring bespoke coachwork to the hood and fenders to complete the integration. The roofline and rear overhang were each shortened by 25 cm, producing a dramatically lower, swept-back silhouette when compared to the standard coupe. Most striking of all are the hydraulic gullwing doors, serving as Boschert's reinterpretation of the legendary 300 SL Gullwing Coupe.
Beneath the reshaped hood lies a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six producing 283 bhp. The sequential turbocharger arrangement, with one unit optimized for low engine speeds and the other for high, was chosen specifically to minimize lag throughout the rev range. Power reaches the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.
At DM 186,000, the one-off B300 Gullwing was priced at more than twice the cost of a standard 300 CE, DM 50,000 above the 500 SL, and in excess of DM 40,000 more than the most expensive Mercedes-Benz available at the time. Of the estimated 11 examples produced, ten were delivered with conventional doors, with this car being the sole example fitted with the electro-hydraulicly operated gullwing doors.
Following its Frankfurt debut, the car remained in Germany until it was acquired by Tino Zovko, an engineer whose fascination with the B300 dates to childhood, first encountered on the cover of a 1989 German motoring magazine. His determination to own it led him to track down the exact car. So moved was Hartmut Boschert by Zovko's enthusiasm for the B300, he agreed to meet him in person and presented him with an archive of original documentation relating to the B300.
After more than two decades in Zovko's care, the car changed hands in November 2023, entering the collection of its current owner. Showing just over 39,000 kilometers, believed to be original, at the time of cataloging. Whether sought by a dedicated Mercedes collector or a connoisseur of the most captivating coachbuilt machinery of the 1980s, the Boschert B300 Gullwing is as riveting today as when it first enchanted the crowds in Frankfurt some 37 years ago.
Documents: German Fahrzeugbrief
- Fuel
- Body Types
- Transmission
- Exterior Colour
- Number of doors
- Interior Colour
- VIN CodeWDB1240501A736928
