The Gullwing's topless sister – and, perhaps, a Corvette clue



300SL Roadster is said to have been driven into the 1980s.
   IN ANSWER to the Internet's seemingly bottomless appetite for news of the Cuba Gullwing, Miguel Llorente of This European Life has posted more photos from his inspection of the crumbling classic in 2012. Doubt it looks any better today.
  Miguel has also put up some previously unseen images of a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster that rests back-to-back with the Gullwing. A few are reprinted here.

Plenty of rust, but still lots to work with. All photos by Miguel Llorente, This European Life.
    Though not as coveted as its coupe sibling – few cars are – the convertible 300SL produced from 1957 to 1963 is a beautiful car in is own right. And this example, with removable hardtop in place, is notable for a couple of reasons:
● Unlike its Gullwing companion, it might be fixable. Though much reworked over the years and with a Chevy V-8 in place of its original inline six-cylinder engine, the car looks reasonably intact, bodywise. In the hands of one of Cuba's master bodymen, it could become quite presentable.
● That Chevrolet engine is said to have been lifted from a Corvette. From photos at This European Life, we can see that the valve covers do not appear Corvette-correct. Still, maybe the engine did come from one of the few Corvettes we know to have been in Cuban hands, and maybe the donor car was the '56 owned by the younger Batista. If so, the big question is – where's the rest of it?

Floorboards were rebuilt in stainless steel.

Taillights look German – but as in Volkswagen German, not Mercedes-Benz.

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