This car, Lot 160, sold for $310,832 (€269,375), including buyer’s premium, at RM Sotheby’s online auction on September 15, 2026.
The definition of true inventiveness in automotive development is the result of artfully transforming a shortcoming into a feature. Such was the case with the original Mercedes 300SL “Gullwing,” whose high sills, a consequence of the tube-frame chassis of its W194 competition-car progenitor, necessitated its roof-hinged doors. In the process, it created an enduring concept that Mercedes attempted to emulate for decades, starting with the little-known 1966 SLX that never progressed beyond a full-sized wind-tunnel test model. The much-more-public C111 followed, though it was dragged down by its thirsty and fragile Wankel engine.
Additional iterations included the V12-powered C112, a roadgoing companion to the Sauber-built C11 Group C prototype racer, which again failed to gain production approval despite hundreds of unsolicited orders. The idea then evolved into the less-dramatic forward-swinging doors of the 1998 CLK GTR Straßenversion and the 2004 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
All in the family
Following its unhappy relationship with McLaren, Mercedes finally settled on a true Gullwing descendant with the 2010 SLS AMG, its suffix denoting the integration of its performance division, initiated in 1999 and completed in 2005. As AMG’s first standalone production car, the SLS represented a significant step away from the shared development process of the SLR.
While it perpetuated some of the SLR’s exaggerated dash-to-axle length, its overall proportions were more balanced, with its grille recalling the original W198 300SL. Surprisingly, the aluminum-intensive SLS weighed in about 300 pounds lighter than the carbon-fiber SLR, allowing its normally aspirated, dry-sump 6.2-liter, 563-hp V8 to deliver performance similar to its more-powerful predecessor. Lifecycle additions of limited-production models pushed output even further, reaching as high as 622 hp on the Black Series. A Roadster version with conventional doors was also added to the lineup.
The biggest difference between the SLR and the SLS AMG was material cost and thus related pricing, helped by moving most of the SLS’s production in-house. This shaved expenses considerably, resulting in a U.S. retail price of $185,000 compared to $450,000 for the SLR. Not surprisingly, sales increased dramatically, with a total of around 12,000 sold compared to just over 2,000 for the SLR. In fact, over 2,700 SLS AMGs are reported to have been sold in the U.S. alone.
The everyday supercar
No mere exotic toy, the SLS AMG was a singularly styled supercar that was sufficiently civilized for everyday use — but with those incredibly cool doors offering an unmatched party trick. (And in the event of a rollover crash, they could be explosively popped off.) In a comparison drive with the contemporary SRT Viper GTS, Road & Track’s Peter Egan concluded that the SLS “would be an easy first choice for a long road trip. It’s simply quieter, smoother and less tiring. The same undertone of brutality [vs. the Viper] is there but buried just a little further beneath the surface. Beyond that, the Mercedes is stunning to look at and beautifully crafted.”
Our subject car has an interesting provenance, coming out of the estate of the late Willy Michiels, a Belgian entrepreneur and politician who amassed a sizable fortune through leasing jukeboxes, jackpot and bingo machines, then later entering online gaming.
Alongside a wine cellar composed of nearly 30,000 bottles (stored in his 16th century castle near Brussels), his automotive tastes leaned heavily toward Stuttgart and included a 300SL Roadster, 4- and 6-door 600 sedans and a rare Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet.
Willy’s SLS AMG is from early in the model’s production run, finished in Designo Magno Sylvanite Gray. It’s a particularly attractive matte finish that, unlike traditional paints, utilizes a clearcoat embedded with silicate particles, meaning that it can’t be waxed or polished, nor can spot repairs be made. But it sure looks great.
Buy it now?
Nearly half of SLS AMG sales were in European markets, where prices have typically been higher than in the U.S.. This example, with just 11,100 km (about 7,000 miles), achieved nearly $311k. That’s a strong result given that its last service took place 14 years ago — a clear risk given, among other factors, its dry-sump engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transaxle.
By comparison, a similar 2010 model with roughly the same mileage traded at RM Sotheby’s Monaco sale earlier this year for $388k (€331,250), perhaps benefiting from its recent servicing as well as optional carbon-ceramic brakes. U.S.-market vehicles of similar vintage have in the recent past traded between $175,000 and $250,000, though prices for moderate-mileage cars are now nudging $300,000. Limited-edition GT and Black Series versions are trading far higher.
The SLS AMG occupies a unique niche among supercars, pairing an immediately recognizable link to one of the most coveted sports cars of all time with an analog driving experience and legitimate performance chops. Given steadily increasing prices, especially for highly optioned “normal” variants and GT or Black models, now seems like an ideal time to snap one up before they emulate the steady updrafts of their celebrated ancestor.
