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HomeCar CultureCommentaryUnique Mercedes Gullwing worth $1.9M stolen from outside Nürburgring hotel

Unique Mercedes Gullwing worth $1.9M stolen from outside Nürburgring hotel

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A unique custom 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing coupe was stolen a few days ago from outside a hotel near the famed Nürburgring race track in Germany.

Police told British newspaper the Sunday Times that the car was stolen from outside the Dorint Hotel sometime between 1:30 and 10 a.m. on August 11.  The car — chassis No. 198040 5500434 — was to take part in the Oldtimer Grand Prix classic car race meet.

The car’s owner, entrepreneur Thomas Rosier, told German newspaper Bild that he parked the car in front of the hotel because the garage was full. The lot has security guards.

The theft was first brought to light by photographer Remi Dargegen in a Facebook post. The story soon made international headlines, especially after Rosier offered a €250,000 (about $284,000) reward for return of the car.

The 300SL is highly customized and nicknamed the California Outlaw, with a chopped roof and “bubbles” for added headroom, integrated bumpers and an ostrich-leather interior.

The Mercedes still has its original NSL high-performance engine with an upgraded ignition and clutch. Fewer than 30 steel-bodied Gullwings with the NSL engine were built.

The thieves may have trouble offloading such a unique car, especially given the international coverage of the theft; Rosier is worried that the $1.9 million machine could be disassembled and sold off.

“It is almost impossible to sell the single item on the open market,” Rosier said. “I’m afraid that it will be hacked out in parts. That would be a shame.”

Anyone with information on the car’s whereabouts was asked to contact the Mayen Police Department.

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Carter Nacke
Carter Nacke
Carter Nacke is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. He began his career at KTAR News 92.3 FM in Phoenix, the largest news radio station in Arizona, where he specialized in breaking news and politics. A burgeoning interest in classic cars took him to the Journal in 2018. He's still on the hunt for his dad's old 1969 Camaro.

8 COMMENTS

  1. If he could afford a $284,000.00 Reward, surely he could have afforded a 24Hour Armed Gaurd to watch the car for him. You can be Wealthy with no common sense.

  2. So…. let me get this straight, you park a $1.9M car outside the hotel because the garage was full and you DON’T hire a night-guard for $500 ?

    • I think he should have activated his LoJack early warning device !! Best investment he could have made. I wish him well.

    • I agree with the 3 previous responses but have to take this further: 1) "Stolen" in front of the hotel. How? This car wasn’t "hot wired", most likely has a very sophisticated alarm and key system, you said it was highly customized and worth 1.9 mil, so the "Thieves" what? Broke a window and pushed it down the street? Loaded it on a flatbed truck? No alarm, no noise, invisible? All in FRONT of the Hotel, on a street and no one notices? 2) The owner worried "they" would hack it to pieces? Really, a car like this? IF, and I say IF, it was stolen, and not arranged for insurance fraud, it was done at the behest of a wealthy collector who knew of the car, where it would be and simply had it taken to put away in his collection. 3) lastly, the garage was what, suddenly full of million dollar cars? This expensive car and wealthy hotel guest, could not have it double parked INSIDE and left the keys with security? Give us a break, we aren’t all gullable. The owner needed cash, arranged the "theft", sold it to someone, at half price, who will put it away, and will collect the claim.

  3. How is it with the financial results of his compagny……never hert of a miljon dllar car with no protection (insurance froud??)

  4. Let’s buy a rare million dollars Car , modify it, write off the expensive build off, build a story behind "California Outlaw", appraise it high, Take your check and deposit it. Not a bad way to make a few bucks

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