The story of the 100-year-old man and his 300SL Gullwing

Posted on 04-02-2016 at 17:34 by jaapiyo – 37 Comments”

The mystery surrounding the 100 year old man, his Mercedes 300SL Gullwing and Pablo Picasso.

Recently reached us through a number of photos of a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. The only information that stood was that the car is owned by a 100 year old man and that there 460.000 km on the counter. Two intriguing points of reference that the starting point were of a new, first and maybe last episode of…autoblog investigating.

With our detective hat and pipe good created, explored, we on the internet. Who was this old man, what was he doing and where was his car? Soon we ended up at a dead end. But then, just as in an episode of without a trace; the expected, unexpected breakthrough. A bird tsjirpte the name ‘David Douglas Duncan’. A name that is so beautiful allitereert that he invented had to be, or…not yet.

With the name on the bag, we left Google and stevenden on Wikipedia. What is clear, David is an American, just as Tech n9ne was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 23rd, 1916. A hundred years ago so, so far so good.

But what about the car, how is he there and where is the device now? Some investigation learned us that David was a well-known shooters. During his studies at the University of Miami he unrolled the photography game by shots to shoot for the local university magazine. A few years later, during W. O. II hit the Japanese hard with the attack on Pearl Harbour, and thus reported David joined the Navy in order for the fatherland to fight. With his photography skills in his pocket, he was in the service of the American army deployed as a war photographer. One thing led to another and before David D. himself probably knew, he was a famous photographer that the elbows are scraped by people like Pablo Picasso and Robert Capa. He created not only images of war, but also of the paintings of Picasso. Although “Guernica” than a painting is that war presents a picture…wow, meta level, mind blown. Below, a picture of Pablo with his second wife and David behind the wheel of the 300SL.

Another command that the younger David was shooting pictures of the new Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing in Stuttgart, in the year somewhere ’50s. To say that was the report great covered in Sports Illustrated (hey, if he says it…in terms of year would just be a can). A higher-up of Mercedes was there then, apparently as happy about that Dave, the first black 300 SL Gullwing free was offered. Something that the representatives of the current spotters guild, however, will appeal to you.

But then we come to a piece of the mystery that is, even if we have our magnifying glass pack is not entirely clear. What has happened to the car happened? It is likely that in the car until 1999 in possession is preserved from David D. Duncan, as he himself indicates when the car drove to. That means that the car is at least 43 years in his possession has remained. In that regard, the 460.000 kilometers on the odometer would also not per se implausible. But where the car is now, it is not entirely clear. Sources speculate that the car transferred to the son of Pablo Picasso, which in itself is not illogical it sounds, given the friendship between pa Picasso and David. But perhaps the car also sold, given the significant value of these cars these days. ‘Reacreeps’ with a well-developed detective and a bit of extra time hands may tell me in the comments. For inspiration have a picture of the 300 SL in Moscow.

UPDATE: a few observant readers have we heard that the 300SL at this time still in the possession of Pablo Picasso and is located in the picturesque Swiss Gstaad. Plusses for all sleuths.

Image Credit: David Douglas Duncan & Gerald Kramer