Classic Threesome
1957 300SL Roadster • 1956 300SL Coupe • 1958 220S Cabriolet A
Three magnificent examples of three of the finest automobiles ever made by Mercedes-Benz – all collected by a discerning couple and all meticulously restored by the dedicated craftsmen at Kienle near Stuttgart
During the years that Peter and Janet Tigges lived in Germany, they came to enjoy taking long-distance car tours around Europe and in particular had developed an abiding respect for automobiles made by Mercedes-Benz. So when the couple settled in Palm Beach, Florida, in the late 1980s, they decided it would be fun to own a few examples of some of the classic cars wearing the three-pointed star and built in Stuttgart.
With luck and the assistance of a classic-car dealer in Fort Lauderdale, the Tiggeses were able to locate and acquire a 1957 300SL Roadster in 1991, followed by a 1956 300SL Gullwing Coupe in 1992. When they found a 1958 220S Cabriolet A for sale in their own neighborhood in 1993, they couldn’t resist buying that, as well.
In each instance, the vehicles were in reasonably good condition when purchased, but the Tiggeses decided to have all of them completely restored. In all three cases, the couple decided the appropriate place to carry out the restoration was in Germany at Kienle Automobiletechnik in Heimerdingen, near Stuttgart, considered one of the world’s leading restorers of Mercedes-Benz automobiles.
The couple flew the Roadster, and then a year later, the Coupe, back to Germany, and personally drove each car to the Kienle workshops, where the automobiles underwent thorough restorations. The only variation with the Cabriolet’s restoration process was to ship it directly to Kienle, flying over to pick up the car when it was done.
In each instance, they were able to spend a few months enjoying the newly restored car on roads in Germany, Austria and Italy that were familiar from the days they first lived in Europe; they again dropped each car off at Kienle for final checks before shipping it back to Florida.
After 10 years of driving enjoyment and occasional displays at local shows, the roadster and Gullwing were sent back to Kienle for reconditioning and some minor upgrades. Flash forward 10 years more: The Tiggeses decided in 2017 that it was time to make some lifestyle changes, which included downsizing to a house with less car space; they reluctantly decided to consign the cars to RM Sotheby’s Auction House for sale at Amelia Island last March. Now they are pleased that the cars have gone on to new owners who can enjoy the cars as much as they have during the past 25 years.
1. 1957 300SL Roadster
Their classic-car dealer in Fort Lauderdale located this 300SL Roadster for the Tiggeses in California in 1991, about a year after beginning the search on their behalf. All the Tiggeses could learn of the droptop’s early years was that the 300SL Roadster was shipped from Germany to the Hoffman dealership in Beverly Hills on October 31, 1957.
That makes the car on these pages one of the very first roadsters produced, a fact echoed by the low serial numbers of chassis, body and engine – all matching the original Mercedes-Benz build card. Also recorded on the build card were the original exterior and interior colors, Fire-Engine Red (543), and Saddle Tan, just as they appear today.
Though the exterior was nice and shiny, the upholstery was worn and frayed, and the engine compartment and undercarriage were grimy, indications of a car that had been well-used, though cared for and enjoyed. It came complete with its hardtop, standard tool kit, spare tire and workshop manual.
Having previously lived in Germany for many years, the Tiggeses knew where they wanted this special machine to be restored. A week after taking possession, October 20, 1991, the pair flew to Germany with the roadster riding on its own first-class ticket, stowed carefully in the aircraft’s cargo hold.
Upon arrival, they had the car made roadworthy at the local Mercedes-Benz service shop before driving it to the Kienle workshops in Heimerdingen for restoration. Kienle removed the engine and shipped it to the Mercedes-Benz shops in Bremen to be rebuilt, while the company’s technicians undertook restoration of the chassis and interior.
When the roadster was finished almost two years later, the couple returned to Europe and drove the as-new car through Germany, Switzerland, France and Austria before shipping it back to Florida in August 1993.
After restoration, the Tiggeses enjoyed their classic sports car regularly. In April 2007, the machine was shipped back to Kienle for reconditioning along with the Gullwing. At that time, Kienle installed disc brakes on the front wheels and fitted the vehicle with seat belts for greater safety. The couple then returned yet again to Germany and retraced several beloved short tours around the region in their refreshed classic.
During the last eight years, the car has been driven regularly, though only for short distances, and has not accumulated much additional mileage. The odometer, which was reset when the engine was rebuilt, showed 13,416 miles when the 300SL Roadster arrived at Amelia Island.
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (W198)
TYPE: Two-door, two-passenger convertible; detachable hardtop
ENGINE: M198 2,996cc inline 6-cylinder overhead-cam engine;
mechanical fuel injection
TRANSMISSION: 4-speed manual floor-shift
HORSEPOWER: 250 (SAE) • TORQUE: 228 lb-ft
SUSPENSION: Independent coil springs/tube shocks front & rear; transverse stabilizing coil spring above rear axle. Original four-wheel drum brakes replaced by discs.
WHEELBASE: 94.5 in • CURB WEIGHT: 3,000 lb • FUEL EFFICIENCY: 15-20 mpg
ACCELERATION: Zero-60 mph 8-9 sec • TOP SPEED: 137-155 mph
2. 1956 300SL Gullwing
In 1992, the year after the Tiggeses found their 300SL roadster, their classic-car dealer located a 1956 Gullwing for them. However, the only information available about the vehicle was that the previous owner had acquired it in Florida in 1987. The car was complete and in good running condition – with the Graphite Grey paint still able to hold a shine – and was fitted with Rudge knock-off wheels in place of the standard lug-bolt wheels, quite a bonus.
However, the red-leather interior was badly worn; the Tiggeses were also somewhat dismayed to uncover the fact that a factory replacement engine had been fitted at some point early in the car’s life: Fully built replacement engines could be ordered through the Mercedes-Benz dealers during the period that the 300SLs were produced. Much more concerning was the alarming discovery that at some point early in its life, a small portion of the car’s alloy body shell had been patched with a soft-drink can and painted over.
With only those clues, the Tiggeses and their dealer speculated that, like many of the other 1,000 Gullwings imported into the United States out of the 1,400 produced, the first owner might very well have taken part in the amateur sports-car races that were so popular when the coupe was new.
Regardless, this Gullwing was to receive a second life. Like the roadster the year before, the couple flew with the car back to Germany. Alloy specialists at Mercedes-Benz Autowerkstadt in Duisburg repaired the body, the engine was sent to Bremen for rebuilding, and the body and chassis went to Kienle.
With the car’s paint and interior requiring complete replacement, the Tiggeses took the opportunity to select an elegant factory-correct combination of dark-blue paint and oyster-beige leather. The Rudge wheels were rechromed to contrast with the new paint. Because Gullwings can be stuffy on long trips, an air-conditioning system was fitted to overcome Florida’s heat and humidity.
As with the roadster before it, when the Gullwing was completed in November 1994, the couple returned to Germany and made several road trips in the Coupe before returning it to Kienle for shipping back to Florida.
In 2007, Kienle was commissioned to upgrade both 300SLs. On the Coupe, disc brakes were installed, air conditioning was upgraded, and some engine work was done before its return to Florida. Since the original restoration, the Tiggeses have driven the car regularly and shown it occasionally, but it has accumulated only 7,910 miles.
1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe (W198)
TYPE: Two-door, two-passenger coupe
ENGINE: M198 2,996cc inline 6-cylinder high-performance overhead-cam engine; mechanical fuel injection
TRANSMISSION: 4-speed manual floor-shift
HORSEPOWER: 240 (SAE) • TORQUE: 217 lb-ft
SUSPENSION: Independent coil springs/tube shocks front & rear; transverse stabilizing coil spring above rear axle. Original four-wheel drum brakes replaced by discs.
WHEELBASE: 94.5 in • CURB WEIGHT: 3,000 lb • FUEL EFFICIENCY: 15-20 mpg
ACCELERATION: Zero-60 mph 8-9 sec • TOP SPEED: 161 mph
1958 220S Cabriolet A
In June 1993, the Tiggeses were walking their dog near their home. Spying an old car up on blocks in an open garage, they looked closer to discover an unmistakable Mercedes-Benz grille and three-pointed star. Larger than the pair of sports cars the couple were then having restored in Germany – and a convertible to boot – the Tiggeses recognized the derelict as a 220S Cabriolet, built in small numbers during the years immediately following their Coupe and Roadster.
Their local Mercedes-Benz dealer knew the car and was able to help them buy it from the elderly owners. As Janet recounted later, “Poor ‘Gracie’” – the name they gave her – “was dirty, rusted and neglected, but a gem underneath.”
When Peter Tigges opened the trunk to find a shopping bag holding receipts from a tour through Belgium, Switzerland and France that the first owner had taken after picking up the car at the factory in Sindelfingen, the Tiggeses were sure they had been fated to rescue her: They had taken that same trip with new cars several times while living in Germany.
The pair weren’t as familiar with the unibody vehicles of the mid-1950s as they were with the tube-framed 300SLs, but soon learned that this could be an excellent driving car. The elegant design was dominated by a graceful sweeping line from front to rear, with front and rear fenders smoothly integrated into the doors – reminding contemporary observers of pontoon floats on military field bridges. The dignified 220Ss were the apex of the Ponton range pioneered by Mercedes-Benz beginning in 1953.
By now quite experienced in the process of resurrecting an older car, the Tiggeses immediately had Gracie shipped to Kienle.
Consulting with the workshop’s specialist, they decided to have the rather bland off-white exterior repainted in an elegant dark blue, and the interior reupholstered in red leather matching the tattered original trim. Of course, the extensive rich burled interior wood trim, white steering wheel and original Becker radio were rejuvenated, and the engine and all mechanical components were completely rebuilt.
In 1995, the car was shipped back home to Florida, and has lived a life of luxury in an air-conditioned space, never again to feel a raindrop or scorching heat; since then, Gracie has accumulated just under 7,000 miles. With her proud grille, luxurious interior, and flawless road manners, the Tiggeses are sure she is ready to provide another enthusiast family with the refinement, comfort and reliability for which Mercedes-Benz is renowned.
1958 Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet A (W180)
TYPE: Two-door, four-passenger convertible
ENGINE: M180 2,195cc OHC inline 6-cylinder engine with two Solex carburetors
TRANSMISSION: 4-speed manual column-shift
HORSEPOWER: 120 at 5,200 rpm (SAE) • TORQUE: 127 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm
SUSPENSION: Independent front with coil springs, single-point swing-axle
independent rear; 13-inch wheels with four-wheel drum brakes
WHEELBASE: 106.3 in • CURB WEIGHT: 3,219 lb • FUEL EFFICIENCY: 16-17 mpg
ACCELERATION: Zero-60 mph 17 sec • TOP SPEED: 99.5 mph
