Mark Osborne
Global Director of Motorsport
LOT 28
1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupé Chassis no. 188.011-00027/53
Sold for US$201,600 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 28
1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupé
1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupé
Chassis no. 188.011-00027/53
Chassis no. 188.011-00027/53
2,996cc SOHC M188 Inline Six-Cylinder Engine
Triple Solex Carburetors
150bhp at 5,000rpm
Four-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front Suspension
Swing-Axle Rear Suspension
Hydraulic Drum Brakes
* One of only 216 300 S Coupés produced
* Single-family ownership in the United States since 1963
* Remarkably preserved after more than six decades in storage
* Accompanied by original period German service records
* An exceptionally original example of Mercedes-Benz's premier post-war grand touring model
THE MERCEDES-BENZ 300 S
Introduced at the Paris Salon in October 1951, the Mercedes-Benz 300 S represented the pinnacle of the Stuttgart manufacturer's post-war production. Built entirely by hand and offered in Coupé, Cabriolet and Roadster forms, the W188 combined refined luxury with advanced engineering at a level unmatched by virtually any contemporary European automobile. Costing approximately fifty percent more than the already prestigious 300 "Adenauer" saloon, the 300 S was intended for an exclusive clientele seeking effortless performance, impeccable craftsmanship and understated elegance.
Production remained intentionally limited. Between 1952 and 1955 just 560 examples of the 300 S were completed across all body styles, including only 216 fixed-head Coupés. Their rarity, craftsmanship and close relationship to Mercedes-Benz's most important post-war models have established the 300 S as one of the marque's most desirable luxury automobiles. Today they remain highly prized by collectors for their elegance, exclusivity and engineering.
THE CAR OFFERED
Believed to have remained in Europe during its early life, this 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S is accompanied by documentation that provides a fascinating glimpse into its first years of ownership. Surviving workshop invoices record maintenance and repairs performed in Hamburg, Hannover and Nuremberg through 1959. One repair record from April of that year notes the odometer at 86,387 kilometers, confirming that the car was actively enjoyed on German roads before eventually making its way to the United States.
The Mercedes found a new home in America on 13 May 1963 when it was acquired on Mercer Island, Washington, by Dr. Wallace Nelson. Dr. Nelson's life was as remarkable as the automobiles he collected. Born to Swedish immigrant parents during the Roaring Twenties and raised throughout the Great Depression, he served during the Second World War with the 98th Bomb Group of the United States Army Air Corps. Following the war, he pursued a distinguished medical career, serving aboard the United States Coast Guard icebreaker Northwind before becoming a neurological specialist in Washington State and later consulting for the government of Singapore.
Despite his demanding profession, Dr. Nelson nurtured a lifelong enthusiasm for distinguished automobiles. Family members fondly recall his spontaneous approach to collecting, often leaving home in one vehicle only to return later that day having traded it for another. His acquisition of this Mercedes-Benz perfectly illustrates that passion.
Family records, including his wife's diary, preserve the story of the day the Mercedes entered the Nelson household. On 13 May 1963, Dr. Nelson left home driving an Oldsmobile convertible and returned instead with the elegant German Coupé. After taking his wife and one of her friends for a celebratory drive, he reportedly declared the Mercedes "too special to drive." True to his word, the car was carefully garaged shortly thereafter, beginning an extraordinary period of preservation spanning more than six decades.
Stored since 1964, the Mercedes survives today as an unusually untouched example of one of Stuttgart's rarest post-war grand tourers. Although the odometer presently displays 1,644 kilometers, period workshop documentation confirms that it has rolled over, suggesting its actual reading should be approximately 101,644 kilometers (63,159 miles), entirely consistent with its documented European use.
The accompanying records also reveal that the car was originally finished in an elegant green with matching green interior trim before being refinished in silver during its lifetime. Replacement fuel tank and fuel hoses have been fitted, although these components are acknowledged as later service replacements rather than original factory equipment.
This car emerges unique not only for its rarity but the authenticity of its story. Having been preserved for more than sixty years by one family and accompanied by period documentation spanning both Europe and America, marks this 300 S as a rare find. The combination of documented European history, ownership by a distinguished physician and veteran, and decades of careful storage creates a compelling provenance.
Whether carefully recommissioned for concours exhibition, sympathetic preservation, or inclusion within a significant Mercedes-Benz collection, this exceptionally rare 300 S Coupé represents an increasingly elusive opportunity. One of only 216 Coupés produced, it embodies the craftsmanship, engineering excellence and restrained elegance that defined Mercedes-Benz at the dawn of the post-war era and remains among the marque's finest grand touring automobiles.
Saleroom notices
Title in transit.
Dr. Wallace Nelson with his family at the 300 S early in his ownership.
Additional information
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