27Oct

The modified Mercedes you never knew you wanted: the Boschert B300 Gullwing

RM Sotheby's will be hosting an auction in Munich, Germany on the 25th November, and if gullwing Mercs are your thing, then you'll want to be there.

The only Boschert B300 equipped with “gullwing” doors
Uprated twin-turbocharged engine produces 283 horsepower
Finished in Bornite over a two-tone purple leather interior
Enthusiast owned since 2005
Accompanied by period sales and development documents and selected spares

Long before the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz SLS, enthusiasts and tuners had sought to evoke the spirit of the Three-Pointed Star’s famous ‘Gullwing’. In the early 1980s, German tuning house Styling-Garage unveiled its C126-based 500SGS Gullwing, while towards the end of the decade, Hartmut Boschert sought to repeat the trick with the newly launched C124.

Boschert’s riff on the gullwing theme—the B300—was based on a 300 CE, which was modified to accept the front end from an R129-generation SL. Significant changes to the car’s structure were made, with the C-pillar being brought forward by some 25 centimetres and the sills strengthened to accept wild 1.66-metre-wide gullwing doors that allowed access to the rear seats. The front seats were also borrowed from the R129 SL, while the engine was fitted with twin turbochargers, resulting in a power output of 283 horsepower.

The car was unveiled at the 1989 Frankfurt International Motor Show and advertised at a cost of DM 186,000. Though Boschert targeted a production run of 300 examples, only a handful were ever made, and the example offered is the only B300 to feature gullwing doors. The car began life as a Mercedes-Benz 300 CE finished in Astral Silver over a black interior and in 1990 was smartly refinished in Bornite over a two-tone purple leather interior.

Purchased by the consignor in 2005, it has remained in his care ever since. The Boschert is accompanied by parts and accessories including a wooden steering wheel, in-car phone, and car cover, in addition to period sales and development materials, brochures, periodicals, and VHS videotapes.

In 2023, the car benefitted from €16,216-worth of repairs at CarSystems, €7,783 of paintwork at Lackprofis Kuennen, and a further €4,771 of leather repairs and recolouring at Auto Leder Toczek; invoices are available to view on file.