Experience Automotive History: HK-Engineering Showcases Legendary 'Rubirosa' Gullwing at Concours of Elegance Germany
Prepare to be dazzled at the Lake Tegernsee event this July, where the latest addition shines with undeniable star quality.
HK-Engineering, the esteemed German engineering firm that has won international awards for its 300 SL restorations, will showcase the 'Rubirosa' Gullwing—a car with a captivating story.
The 87th 300 SL to be manufactured was purchased in 1955 by the mysterious Porfirio Rubirosa in Wiesbaden and promptly transported to his residence in Paris. Believed to have inspired Ian Fleming's James Bond, Rubirosa cherished this car until he died in 1965. After Rubirosa, the 300 SL changed hands five times until 2000, when it was acquired by Hans Kleissl, founder of HK-Engineering.
At the esteemed Concours of Elegance Germany, HK-Engineering will display the Rubirosa Gullwing, renowned for its remarkably original features, including an untouched interior, rim paints, and chrome details since 1955. Though repainted by a subsequent owner, HK-Engineering has meticulously restored its original matte silver colour, preserving its authentic charm.
Rubirosa's life reads like a plot from a Fleming novel. Born in 1909 in the Dominican Republic, he showed early talent in polo, eventually meeting the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, who recruited him into the Presidential Guard. Rising through the diplomatic ranks, Rubirosa served in capitals across the globe, married five times, and associated with celebrities, amassing a fortune through his romantic ventures. A close confidant of Trujillo, he skilfully avoided legal troubles throughout the 1940s and '50s.
His life ended tragically in Paris in 1965, following a celebratory evening, when a fatal car crash ended his life during an early morning drive.
The Concours of Elegance Germany is grateful to HK-Engineering for presenting this iconic 300 SL at Lake Tegernsee this July, shortly after another triumphant completion of the Mille Miglia, marking 70 years of this legendary German sports car.
