A quiet New England neighborhood was hiding one of the rarest low mileage classic Mercedes on earth

Published on Apr 19, 2026 at 10:37 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis

Last updated on Apr 19, 2026 at 10:37 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Emma Matthews

A quiet New England neighborhood was hiding one of the rarest low mileage classic Mercedes on earth

Wayne Carini – yep, the Wayne Carini – discovered a Mercedes 300 Gullwing that’s spent the last few decades in a semi-abandoned state in a barn in New England.

Even though it would require extensive restoration, it checks all the classic icon boxes.

This is one of the rarest cars in the world, and it’s still worth a fortune, even in this condition.

And that’s mainly because of its low mileage.

The most expensive car in the world

A few years ago, an even rarer 300 – the 300 SLR – became the world’s most expensive car overnight.

No one knew anything about it, mainly because the car was sold at a secret auction and was sold directly by Mercedes-Benz.

The car in question is a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which sold for €135 million – equivalent to around $160 million.

The records sound unbeatable, especially when we remember the second car on the list – a Ferrari 250 – ‘only’ sold for $38.5 million.

But at this rate, with inflation on the rise and the value of classic cars constantly going up, we wouldn’t rule anything out.

This particular Mercedes 300 Gullwing is worth a lot less, but it’s still a fortune

Wayne Carini, a lot of people will remember him from the Chasing Classic Cars TV show, told the story of a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing that’s spent the last few years semi-abandoned in a remote barn in New England.

Mercedes built around 1,400 Gullwings between 1954 and 1957, a lot of which have been lost or destroyed.

This one wasn’t, but, as you can see from the pictures, it isn’t exactly in stellar condition.

The Gullwing found by Carini was buried under piles of junk, but, in Carini’s words, was ‘entirely original and beautiful.’

It’s only done 15,000 miles from new, which is not bad for a car that’s 70 years old.

It’s true that the Mercedes needs a lot of work, but it’s still one of the most valuable cars in the world.

If the owner wanted to sell it tomorrow, even in its current condition, it would still command hundreds of thousands of dollars.

After restoration, you’d have to add an extra zero to the price.

Innovation, and a self-fulfilling prophecy: Why the Mercedes 300 Gullwing is so valuable

If you wanted to look at it rationally, the 300 is valuable for a few reasons.

It was one of the first cars to use a tubular space-frame chassis, the first production car to use fuel injection, and the fastest production car of its era, with a top speed of 160mph.

But the real reason why this car is now so valuable is that it’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The fact that the most expensive car in the world is a 300 automatically makes every other 300 a bit more valuable.

Put simply, it’s valuable because people believe it is valuable.

No one can buy the record-breaking 300SLR, and so collectors can only ‘settle’ for other 300s.

Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.