Soldier Owned: 1953 Mercedes 300 Adenauer

April 27, 2017
Posted by: Marketing Team

Soldier Owned: 1953 Mercedes 300 Adenauer

A long period of dormancy.

After being purchased new in Germany and shipped home to Colorado after his deployment, this soldier-owned 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 on craigslist began a long period of dormancy, entering the barn in 1964 and not unearthed until recently. It remains in incredibly solid condition with little rust, original paint and a lightly restored interior. The seller is asking $39,000 for this running and driving Adenauer.

The graceful Type 300 was the S-Class of its day, packed with innovative features ranging from 4-wheel independent suspension to a fully-synchromesh transmission in all gears. The seller has already carefully updated the interior, reupholstering the seats and refinishing the wood trim inlays in the dash and on the doors. The insides remain quite handsome, complete with the original Becker radio still in place and very solid floors. Even the original horsehair padding is still stuffed inside the seats, which is impressive considering how often these collapse over time.

The M186 straight-six benefits from a rebuilt carb and fresh fuel lines and heater/cooling hoses. New brake lines have been installed, but the brake master cylinder and wheel slave cylinders have been sent out for rebuilding. It’s hard to tell why the seller is stopping the project now, as it seems like good work is being done and some of the hard jobs are out of the way. However, these are not simple vehicles to restore, so perhaps he simply has had enough. The undercarriage hasn’t been touched, so plan on tackling bushings and the load-leveling suspension.

The seller says rust is minimal and contained to the rear wheel wells and lower passenger door in front of the wheels. The chrome is presentable and the car wears original paint, but it should be refinished by its next long-term owner. A project like this is an impressive undertaking, especially if you plan to do the work yourself – but when it’s done, this 300 will be nothing short of spectacular. Do you think the asking price is in line or is their too much work yet to tackle?

Editorial from Barnfinds.com.

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