Thanks to the Mercedes Classic Center for the opportunity to drive my dream car, and helping keep all classic Mercedes on the road. Check out their insane inventory here: https://www.mbusa.com/en/classic-center Check out my new merch with Inshane Designs! https://inshanedesigns.com/product-category/collections/hoovies-collections/ FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM! https://www.instagram.com/the_real_ho... Follow me on Twitter! https://twitter.com Follow me on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/hooviesgarage/
I have goose bumps now. This is bucket list dream come true right. Turn signal left, turn signal and this ivory steering wheel, oh man, so how much for you right? How much you watch my price? Yes, the official price for the non-hoovy guys is 1.295 million. Welcome movies garage, the dumbest automotive channel in all of youtube, i'm not feeling very dumb right now.
I said reality back to reality in my last video uh with the coontosh rally, but now i'm crashing the mercedes-benz tent, because they've invited me out to view the all-new sl, which is kind of in a tomb that doesn't allow cameras. So you won't get to see. But they have every single generation of sl here on display, as you can see. Basically my dream car right there, the 300 sl spanning all the way to the sl55.
So today i'm going to give you a tour of that and then actually get to drive one. So i drove a lambo here and i'm kind of crashing the mercedes party here, but my first love is mercedes-benz. It comes down to my very first car, the 107 500 sl, which there's an example of over here, which we will tour in a little bit, but mercedes, coming out of world war ii was a well in a pretty rough period. They were definitely a decade or so behind everybody else when it came to development and nothing really special coming out of there until this captured the heart of america.
Of course, the goal wing was first, a lot of people say my lamborghini was the first supercar, but really the first poster car. The first crazy, fast, incredible lookout vehicle was probably the 300 sl going. I call it the first supercar and this is the convertible version. There are a lot of revisions to make it better um than the original and, of course, much easier to get in and out of uh.
But before i get into this, let's just take a tour and walk through the history of the sl, which is just pretty incredible to see this all in one place. I suppose, let's start with the newest, though, because this is what captured my imagination in high school. I had the 85 sl, but this was the newest hottest thing when i was about a junior, the 2003 sl55 with the m113 supercharged v8 engine, a really amazing engine, the very tunable as well, but this one really neat because it has red everything, totally red interior. Next to it is a car that i wish i never sold.
This is a 2002 sl500 silver arrow edition. A lot of special touches, uh silver arrow metallic paint is what they called it special wheels and then the panda interior. Now this was built to be a retro throwback to the old silver arrow race cars from mercedes. You have the engine turned finish in the binnacle and down here you can see the seats and, of course, the special wood as well just absolutely fantastic cars.
I bought mine for like twelve thousand dollars over ten years ago. They've appreciated a lot since then, but they're still relatively affordable cars very nice driving other than the top hydraulics, which can uh go bad, very, very solid vehicles, of course, in the middle here, the mercedes 380 sl, which was the us market car uh, probably the least Desirable with a bunch, except for maybe a 450 sl with the weird fuel injection systems in some years, but you can see the big park bench bumpers because of us specifications sealed beam. Headlights. Mine have the nice slim bumpers, but this is still a very very nice example: oh yeah, very, very low miles and very clean now. Next to it really is the first mass-produced, mercedes sl, you could say the 190 sl is, but you know that really wasn't a sports car that had a very underpowered engine kind of primitive suspension system, kind of like the old generation of mercedes-benz. But the pagoda is really the first sl to be well widely sold in the united states. You would see them everywhere and they are beautiful. They call them pagoda because of the weird roof line kind of like a buddhist temple.
I think some kind of translation there, but great power to inline six engines, this one being a 280sl, it's the most powerful, really really gorgeous car, but uh. That's the the big, the big daddy here, the 300sl and i was invited here by michael, the mercedes classic center who's wandering around back here. Randomly yes come on up so uh you told me i could drive whichever car. I wanted right yeah just because you crashed our booth with your couture.
I guess so! No. I was invited out here a little bit before that, but now i'm yeah i'm causing problems, so i should probably go soon but uh not before that. I think i think i need to take out this one and it's actually for sale right. It's for sale, yeah! You can see you can buy it either right here at pebble, beach at mercedes-benz school or at the classic center in irvine.
Basically, okay, you want to give me some facts about it. Sure i'm, yes, is it the cheapest 300sl in the usa could be it's like. Not it's like not uh. It's like really good price.
It's like one owner from you building 1957. 35 000 miles on the clock and wow being restored, expect repainted ones, but probably the most character wise. Originally, you know padina 300. It does look very, very original.
So how much for you right? How much you watch my price? Yes, let's talk about it in private. I guess: okay, all right, usually they're north of a million dollars, but imagine this is well over this one yeah, the official price for the non-hoovy guys is 1.295 million yeah. Well, i remember when i was a kid going to the auctions and seeing the 300 sl, which was my dream car and they were selling you know as a teenager for about a hundred thousand dollars. I thought you know one day if i work really really hard i'll be able to buy one now, i'm gon na have to work a whole lot harder yeah.
I guess so man. I guess so that's a lot of youtube videos which i guess you know you guys just keep watching liking and subscribing, maybe someday, but you guys are actually making this possible because i get to drive this car. So you said it's a very original example yeah and what i remember about the 300sl. The roadster got a lot of improvements in the suspension and some other things right. They basically have to think about it as two generations. The first generation was the gull wing which they never produced. The convertible and the second generation was the roadster which they never would use the coupe, so they improved the rear, axle uh optimized the doors. As you told me, it's just like a more daily drivable car.
The first generation still is more like as a race car a bit more rougher. You know right, but this is still a tubular. It's a little yeah. It's just like you know, made the seals a little bit more more flat so that it's easier to get in, but it's still jupiter frame, um, very light, very agile and still the race car was a lot of the race car handle it's locked.
It's still locked, should i open it up, please yeah so still a race car frame and still very much a race car engine right. You can actually get it here. Here's the lock, oh okay, yeah, i'm not gon na break it and then it snaps in place - and here it is first direct injection yeah in the goblin. It was like the first, what it's called four-stroke production engine with direct fuel injection.
They did it because they needed more reliability on the races which you don't get on a carburetor same engine. Basically, three liter inline six. They like reduce the power a bit. It makes 250 horsepower in the road, sir 215, 350 versus two 40 or so in the goaling 40-ish in the going.
But the power of the weight is pretty good right. It's pretty good, it's plenty for cruising and the sound you get above. Four thousand you will, you will experience like in a short it's like. Let's hear it, yeah start it up.
Let me get to the back here, just like the supercar startup right, but it's cold man. It was like outside all night, so well, okay. This is a good used car test. I'm a used car shopper now right never been warmed up before.
So that's that's! Like it's a little cold this morning. It's okay, wake up there. It is yeah, it's smoothing out yeah. I was a little slow this morning too.
I mean yes, they are a lot of money, but you can just tell you're in the presence of of greatness. I mean it's just an incredible car, absolutely beautiful. This is my ultimate dream car right here and i get to drive it and that's the important part right nice advice, so i just did the absolute worst thing that you could do right there too yeah to the top sorry man, okay, very good, all right. Let's have a seat original seats, right, original seats, original leather upholstery, it's a very comfortable piece of history.
The fuel gauge is a little oh there. It is it's settled in. I love the uh gauge treatment, though kind of like a thermometer needle yeah. It's all like uh manual, no electric stuff, all right! Well, can you be my cameraman here? I will do okay, i'll try my very best all right and then clutch is much lighter than the countach. Oh, this feels like a vacation. This one is the perfect daily driver, not kidding you, oh no, it doesn't. No, that's that's better than a lot of the cars made 20 years ago, yeah the gear change and on a cold gearbox, a ferrari, testarossa gearbox. You try to do that and uh you get crunches, that's amazing! No! They try to make it as like practical as possible.
That's the main difference between this one and the original going. We need to go. We need to go left here at the left here. Okay, do you know how to indicate left in this car movie? No, no! No! Okay! You have to do this one's the indicator that that's the indicator home button and indicator all in itself.
Okay, that's! Well! That's a horn! That's so hard! Oh yeah! Yeah! Let me get that again: okay, so right turn signal, left, turn signal and a horn. This ivory steering wheel man, i mean it sounds vintage, but it doesn't feel vintage at all you're. Looking out on this beautiful classic iconic front end in a car that feels like it's. I don't know what to call it.
It doesn't feel of its time. It looks of its time wow. Where am i gon na find one point, two: nine million dollars, michael, you could put it on your bed really high, all right, i'm just judging. I could just sell absolutely everything.
Oh there's. The ocean 17-mile drive at 300 turn to the right, and then you get the most beautiful views. Obviously it's not the most beautiful weather, but it should clear up your job doesn't suck it actually. Doesn't it actually doesn't it's like.
I would call it a dream job to be honest right, so you live in stuttgart. I work for mercedes and classic. What are you? Are you uh, i'm a social media guy, taking care of guys like you and making sure they have the best experience possible. You're doing your job quite well, wow holy moly, don't tell my countach this, but this thing drives way better.
I mean. Obviously the countach has more power, but if you want to turn on the tiny wipers, that's this! Oh, it's all those old-school, aluminium levers. You know. Just like lovely, you know, that's actually better than the country's wipers yeah boy.
We got ta hop out for a quick second for a glamour shot though right yeah, oh yeah, yeah one for the gram, i'm here with the upgrade. Oh, my goodness this. This is incredible. Uh no power steering, though right no power theory, but it's definitely.
We couldn't fit that still lighter steering than the coontuck. It is the perfect car for pebble beach. I mean i have goose bumps now. This is bucket list dream come true.
Oh, we have to go back, don't we? Let me check yeah, my boss needs it in kind of eight minutes, so you have to drive really fast and rabbit. I guess what what rpm are you living into two? So like four and a half you could? Rather, it sounds better between three and four gets a whole different animal about 4 000.. It does i mean it's kind of like v-check, yo yeah, and the other thing i like about mercedes that lamborghini and others don't really do is - is the parts availability with the classic center in irvine yeah and in germany they still make pretty much everything for this Carpet, if they don't have it they'll make it for you yeah uh. They do. There's there's one exception, though, on that silver arrow you all quit, making the laser cut keys start making those again we're working guys, they'll be classic someday too. You know that's. That was one thing i was a little surprised last time, but as far as the vintage cars as parts availability and you guys with the classic center, i'm the best in the business, i think with brands yeah, i'm not sucking up just because you let me drive A three hundred dollars to the right side to the right, oh i mean have you driven a ferrari, tesla, roaster or any old, for i mean it's hard for me to fit in this old italian cars as we just ride with you, especially cold, like this thing. Is stone cold sitting all night and that one two shift was the exact same every single time and really good? That's no! That's like the yeah.
The mercedes-benz had like this quality approach, luxury club. All this all! That's like mystery. Basically, you can pocket whatever you want. This one right, i got it.
Oh, i stalled it right at the end, i stole it right at the end. I didn't tell you the whole time so sorry and the turn signals on the whole time like a 90 year old man. Oh well, it's like it's. Like you know, thank you so much.
Thank you, wow wow, i'm about to cry really genuinely about to cry. You have no idea. Damn sorry probably nobody's ever done that before so we could probably make something happen. Oh, i i don't want to take up any more of your time, car's already off to its next victim.
I suppose, but inside of this weird tomb, move like the lincoln memorial or something is the new sl right. It is it's just waiting for you, but it's like the same story. Just look. Don't tell anybody.
Oh okay! So no cameras, no camera! Okay! Well! Thank you for watching! Oh, my god. You.
Coming back to this video after the 'I'm selling everything' video.
It all makes sense now. He's trying to rinse us all in order to buy this car.
I was lucky enough to have one of these in my family for years. My dad bought it from Catron Motors in Pomona CA for $5400. My older brother drove it to HS and we had it maintained by Kurt Saunders, a German Mechanic who taught us to respect and properly maintain the cars. Wonderful car! I always loved the sound the fuel pump made when you turn the key on, the first sign of the engine leaping to the ready position. My brother sold it decades later but it was a precious part of my youth.
You genuinely love and appreciate good ole classics but a 300 SL it’s way above anything else, to me my all time favorite!! I think I choked up too man knowing the way that you most have felt. Thumbs way up.
i got to drive a red interior gullwing about half a mile to the plane it was getting loaded into. i must say, the feeling of quality has not been surpassed since
I've driven and worked on many of these cars. I can tell you from experience – the feeling of awe and respect for these cars never fades. It's hard to describe the brilliance in design and build quality of these 300's. The special versions like the 29 alloy body gullwing cars were simply spectacular. True dream cars with beauty and style that would make you cry if you had the chance to experience them.
I live off of a hwy in Colorado popular for cross country drives – HWY 160 near Durango.. Get a lot of car rallies and stuff. Anyways, a few days ago I got behind about 5 of these 300sl roadsters. It's was an amazing sight. I don't think most people on the road had any clue the value sitting right there lol we were all sitting at a light and I seemed to be the only one looking at the cars.
The color scheme, the dashboard layout, the sound of the motor, the interior, the exterior chasis all of it just makes you wanna weep.
my dream car is the second one on the row the SL280 and i believe its still in the 100,000 range… i have the SL380 1981 with 85,000 miles and i will never sell that one.
I spoke with the people at Mercedes Classic Center this year and let me just say they were very very helpful and very very Pleasant and courteous to talk to. They are definitely worth looking into if you need parts and have the money to have them made for you
I stopped buying Mercs when my C140 600 was sold years ago. The cars since then haven’t appealed. But the older ones…oh my.
And the emotion, don’t ever apologise for that. Special cars do that.
MrBeast's next video: "Last person touching the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing wins the car"
Hoovie's next video "I bought the cheapest Mercedes 300SL Gullwing"
They don't allow cameras so you don't get to see? Okay, I choose to see nothing. Bye bye Hoovie. You channel has turned into crap.
Yes the 300sl is $1.3 million but in 5 years it will be $2 million. So it's an investment and that 300sl will keep going up in price. It's definitely worth it Hoovie if you can afford it.
I'll never forget I was at the auburn auto auction in auburn Indiana , I watched an SL sell for less than a auburn Cord that was no where near as nice. I am the same age as Tyler and I thought the same thing. One day I'll get one and now……. Maybe not
Were you driving a $1.2M manual transmission car with one hand while holding a camera with the other? The owner must have been a bit nervous