Hardly any vintage car race or classic auction goes by without a Mercedes Gullwing playing a significant role. However, Matthias Bonczkowitz’s 300 SL is truly one of a kind, as production number 19 was driven by legendary figures like Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio.
Matthias Bonczkowitz and his gleaming silver Mercedes 300 SL of the W198 series have been a spectacular duo for many years – yet few people notice. A silver 300 SL is a regular sight at major classic car auctions between Pebble Beach, Dubai, or Lake Como, as well as at the major classic races, and owner Matthias Bonczkowitz is so discreet that he might not even catch anyone’s eye. Yet, the W198/BONCZKOWITZ pairing is a “perfect match,” as Americans and Brits would equally describe it.
The super sports car from the 1950s is a speeding legend, as the exact model that Matthias Bonczkowitz holds in his collection was the original demonstration vehicle for the new Gullwing in the European market, making its grand debut at the 1954 Paris Motor Show. This silver gem was a latecomer, as its spot on the Mercedes stand in the Seine metropolis had previously been occupied by a Formula 1 car of the W196 type. The price of Bonczkowitz’s car at the time: nearly 5,000 British pounds. After the Paris Motor Show, the vehicle was handed over to Mercedes-Benz GB Ltd. to make its next major appearance at the London Motor Show at Earl’s Court exhibition centre. It then became the official test and press car. With its still-valid registration number PLB 23, it boasted impressive performance: 0 to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds, 0 to 120 mph in 56.4 seconds, and a top speed of nearly 220 km/h. Depending on the rear axle ratio, speeds of up to 260 km/h were possible. Its chassis number, 198.040-4500019, confirms it was the 19th Gullwing ever produced, equipped with engine number 198.980-4500003.
But the Gullwing’s grand performances didn’t just take place in exhibition halls, but also on the racetracks of the world. Its first outing was with racing legend Stirling Moss at the British Brands Hatch circuit, but Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling also drove the silver car down straightaways and through tricky corners. Matthias Bonczkowitz takes pride not only in various documentaries about his car with the original British registration PLB 23 but also in the manufacturer’s expertise that was created years ago at the Mercedes Classic Center about the unique racing car with the blue interior – complete with numerous documents from its storied racing history. Bonczkowitz also possesses an original letter from Sir Stirling Moss in which he confirms the use of PLB 23 in preparation for the Mille Miglia. The 300 SL was accompanied by his factory team navigator Denis Jenkinson, a motorsports journalist and 1949 motorcycle sidecar world champion. Although the factory team’s records of the 300 SLs used during this testing do not contain specific details about the chassis identity, Sir Stirling’s recollection that it was indeed the car that Matthias Bonczkowitz now owns connects it to his preparations for the 1955 Mille Miglia, where Stirling Moss won in a 300 SLR.
The Gullwing coupe PLB 23 was later sold by Mercedes GB to HW Motors Ltd. of New Zealand Avenue in Walton-on-Thames, and then to Peter Woozley. He raced the car at club level and achieved second place with the fastest lap in the 1959 Stanley Sears Trophy race in Snetterton. In the meantime, the car was restored by specialist JD Classics and returned to its original 1954/55 condition before making its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2011, where it was signed by Stirling Moss. Accompanying documents include, among others, the “Stirling Moss Scrapbook, 1955” signed by Sir Stirling Moss, the original 300 SL sales brochure, an old-style logbook, an original copy of Autocar magazine with the road test, a diskette with all restoration images, a FIVA passport, a current vehicle registration certificate, and a V5 registration document.
Over the decades, there have been various appearances at the revived Mille Miglia or a second visit to Pebble Beach in 2021. This year, there was an image-worthy visit to the memorial in honour of Sir Stirling Moss at Westminster Abbey in London, followed by a trip to the Mille Miglia. And PLB 23 knows this event particularly well, as does Matthias Bonczkowitz.
