Mercedes and Daimler crush 300SL Gullwing imposter

Mercedes-Benz Classic recently destroyed an ersatz 300 SL after the body was seized by German customs officials.

The case began when a German company built a fiberglass copy of the Gullwing's body. According to a court ruling, the shape remains under copyright protection just as it did upon its introduction in the 1950s. The car's original designers ceded their rights to the design to Mercedes, a fact that was reaffirmed in December 2010 when the company won another copyright battle after the accused company withdrew its appeal.

The copyright even applies if the car—like this one—doesn't have any logos or trademarks of the company from which it was derived.

Once Mercedes technicians separated the offending body from the chassis, they stuck the fiberglass pieces in one of their 30-ton presses and smashed the body into small pieces, according to an account from Mercedes. The destruction was made official when Mercedes Classic employees signed and stamped the “confirmation of scrappage” document.

The 300SL is one of the most recognizable cars in world. The coupe was introduced to rave reviews in 1954, and it was voted Sports Car of the Century in 1999 by an international panel of judges.

Maybe next time the counterfeiters should just build a Fiero-Ferrari kit like everyone else.

By Jake Lingeman