The Vintage Mercedes Convertible: The Models That Define It
Mercedes-Benz has built open cars for as long as it has built cars, but the phrase "vintage Mercedes convertible" covers three very different traditions. There are the roadster sports cars built for the boulevard, cabriolets built for touring, and the open-top G-Wagen, a convertible born from a military specification. We have spent nearly a decade and more than 175 restorations inside that third branch, and this guide covers all three, because a buyer deciding among them is deciding between fundamentally different vehicles that happen to share a star.
The Notable Vintage Mercedes Convertibles
Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (1957-1963)
Photo Credit: Broad Arrow Auctions
The 300SL Roadster is the open development of the Gullwing coupe, carrying its 3.0L inline-six and its space-frame engineering into a two-seat convertible. It sits at the top of the vintage Mercedes market and has for decades, with values reflecting both its rarity and its standing as one of the most advanced road cars of its era.
Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda (1967-1971)
Photo Credit: Classic Driver
Named for the concave curve of its removable hardtop, the 280SL closed out the W113 generation with the most powerful engine the line received. It paired genuinely modern safety engineering for its period with the proportions that made the SL a fixture of coastal roads, and it remains among the most findable and drivable entry points into vintage Mercedes ownership.
Mercedes-Benz Convertible G Wagon (1979-Present)
Photo Credit: Expedition Motor Company
The open convertible G Wagon is the branch of the family built to a different brief. Offered from the platform's beginning in short-wheelbase soft-top form, its purest versions were never sold to the public: the military W461 trucks, specified with soft tops and fold-down windshields for the fleets that ordered them. It is the only vintage Mercedes convertible engineered as a working vehicle first.
Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster (1998-2006)
Photo Credit: Car Pixel
The rarest car on this list by a wide margin. The CLK GTR Roadster was an open-top homologation special derived from the CLK GTR race program, powered by a 6.9L V12, with only six examples produced. It trades hands so rarely that it functions less as a market segment than as an event.
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster (2007-2009)
Photo Credit: Broad Arrow Auctions
Co-developed with McLaren, the SLR Roadster paired a front-mid-mounted supercharged V8 with a folding soft top and grand-touring intent. It has matured into a collectible in its own right, representing the last era of the analog-leaning Mercedes supercar.
The 1990-1993 G-Wagens: The Open Mercedes Built for Service
While the roadsters dominate the conversation about open Mercedes, the 1990-1993 soft-top G-Wagens hold a different kind of significance. These trucks, built on the military W461 chassis and adopted by the Bundeswehr as the 250GD "Wolf," were produced for service rather than sale. Their soft tops were designed to be used daily in the field, their drivetrains were specified for durability over refinement, and their fold-down windshields created the most completely open configuration Mercedes has ever produced.
That origin is what makes them distinctive in the vintage convertible market today. They seat a family rather than a couple, they carry documented histories tied to their chassis numbers, and the soft top system supports everything from full enclosure to safari-style rolled sides to nothing above the driver at all. No other vintage Mercedes convertible offers that range.
Expedition Motor Company: Restoring the Open-Top Wolf
Our work sits entirely within the 1990-1993 window. Expedition Motor Company restores the Mercedes-Benz 250GD Wolf exclusively, sourcing documented W461 trucks from NATO military fleets and rebuilding each one in-house. Every restoration is taken to bare metal and reimagined by our team of 26 craftsmen across more than 2,500 man-hours, a process refined over six build generations and more than 175 delivered trucks since 2017.
The result preserves what made these convertibles special, the simple structure, purpose-built nature, and the analog character, while adding the equipment that makes them everyday usable: modern engines, proprietary suspension, upgraded brakes, A/C climate control, heated seats, wireless Apple CarPlay, and a durable weatherproof interior.
Why Vintage Mercedes Convertibles Hold Their Standing
The pattern across every model above is the same. The vintage Mercedes convertibles that command attention are the ones with engineering substance under the open bodywork: the 300SL's space frame, the Pagoda's safety structure, the CLK GTR's race program, the Wolf's military specification. Design carries the first look; the engineering carries the decades. That is why well-documented examples across this family have appreciated steadily, and why restoration quality has become the dividing line in the market.
From the 300SL Roadster to the open-top Wolf, the family spans seventy years of greatness. For buyers drawn to the vintage 4x4 branch, our completed vintage g wagon restorations and available convertible G Wagon builds show what the utilitarian end of the tradition looks like today.
A Celebration of Open-Air Excellence
The vintage convertible Mercedes models represent more than just cars; they embody a lifestyle of sophistication and passion for excellence. From the elegance of the 300SL Roadster to the analog charm of the convertible G Wagon, these timeless machines continue to captivate collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. With restoration specialists like Expedition Motor Company preserving their legacy, the allure of classic Mercedes-Benz convertibles remains as strong as ever.
For those seeking a classic that delivers both performance and prestige, few vehicles can rival the enduring appeal of a vintage Mercedes convertible.
