See The Two Classic Mercedes-Benz 300SLs Left To Die In Cuba

There’s far more to the story of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL found in Cuba under some trees that we saw a photo of last year as part of a calendar.

Spanish photographer Miguel Llorente went hunting for the same Mercedes Gullwing hiding in Cuba back in November 2012 and has now shared his photographs of two rusting 300SLs on his site, This European Life.

The Gullwing shown is in its shockingly decayed state. Stripped of its engine, its doors broken and most of the interior gone, it’s still shockingly impressive. Llorente says it was sharing a yard in a rural village outside Havana with an Abarth Zagato, some Hispano-Suiza race car and a Chrysler Thomas Special by Ghia – all hugely collectable cars almost beyond repair.

“The owner did not know anything about the cars,” Llorente said in an email to Carscoops, “but certainly knew they were valuable and different from anything else in the island. Thus, his prices were ridiculous!”

He said the owner wanted a cool half-million dollars for the Chrysler, which probably means he never wanted to part with it.

According to a timeline done by Caristas, the Gullwing was first “found” in 2009, and footage shows two cars like it in competition events from 1957, and another Gullwing from a photo reported to be from 1978.

As for the second car, it’s a 300SL Roadster with a hardtop on it that is somewhat more known around Cuba. It was first spotted as part of a Jeremy Clarkson video back in 1996. Its engine is not the 3.0-liter straight-six, but apparently something out of a Corvette, presumably a V8.

While the Gullwing has had several homes in recent years, Llorente says the was being daily driven up through the late 1980s before being parked there, which would explain the engine swap. Hey, it’s not sacrilege unless it’s a Lada engine like most of the classic American cars in Cuba now have.

There are interesting cars all over Cuba – some running, some rotting away – that would make car enthusiasts feel all kinds of emotions at once. These SLs might provoke the strongest feelings. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re begging to be saved by a wealthy collector.

“I think there’s something special about these cars in the state they are in,” Llorente said. “I have restored Gullwings and with current technology, they are becoming even better than when they left the factory in Germany. Seeing one of these supercars in a condition of dilapidation, abuse, or neglect is something new and refreshing.”

Photos used with permission from Miguel Llorente