Large Plastic Vintage Friction Drive Mercedes 300SL Gull Wing Coupe

An unusally large Mercedes 300Sl toy car with working friction-drive action. The car is unbranded but seems to be of some considerable age – its similarity to other items and the particular model of car (the “gull wing” doored coupe) leads us to believe it was made as early as the mid-1950s to 1960s. Most likely its origins are in Hong Kong.

The car is presented in a bright green colour, but at some point it was at least partially painted. There are remnants of silver paint on the grille and bumpers, so it’s likely that there was silver detailing to the car when it was brand new. There are signs throughout that this was a much-loved and much-used toy which has quite a few miles on the clock but the relatively soft plastic body has resisted cracking and other damage. The wheels turn smoothly and the friction-drive mechanism is good and produces a satisfying sound in use.

The car measures approximately 26cm (10 in.) long and 11cm (4½ in.) wide, with a height of around 7cm (3 in.).