Barnfind 1958 Gullwing 300SL found is rarer than most, it's one of 29 factory racecars, special alloy metal bodies, plexiglass windows

The owner of the car, Tom Wellmer, had received the new 1955 special alloy M-B gullwing coupe in New York as a graduation gift from his parents. He drove it into the 1970s until the transmission broke.

Then he put the car up on jack stands and began taking it apart. He took the wheels and hood off, the interior out and removed the transmission. And then the car just sat ... for more than 40 years.

Read about the 40 year buried treasure (restored it's worth about 2.5 million)  from a Santa Monica garage on http://www.vancouversun.com/cars/Classic+mystery+solved/5375859/story.html#ixzz1YeLyh6aC  found via an article on http://classiccars.about.com/b/2011/09/20/missing-competition-special-mercedes-gullwing-found.htm

Follow up: Hemmings wrote about this a week after I did, and wrote a good piece that the commentors had a lot more to say, and worth reading. http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2011/09/19/1955-mercedes-benz-300-sl-alloy-body-gullwing-the-ultimate-barn-find/