Stop and stare at this rather gorgeous Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Alloy’ Gullwing

Every so often, an exceptionally rare car will come along and leave us melting in a pool of desire and frustration about every life choice we've made preventing us from owning something that'd amount to around eight lifetimes’ worth of labour.

This Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing fits the bill and is one of only 29 ‘alloy’ aluminium-body examples ever built, currently being offered by RM Sotheby's as a 'sealed' sale.

Mechanical changes over the standard car include a competition-grade camshaft, ‘butterfly’ throttle valves and a higher compression ratio to its 3.0-litre, 215bhp ‘NSL’ engine. Then comes the body itself, which sheds around 95kg over the standard 300SL, and is further supported by upgraded springs, shock absorbers and ventilated brakes.

There's the customary metallic grey paint and ‘Rudge’ wheel combination, while the interior gets a gorgeous shade of blue gabardine fabric. Just look at the detailing of the switchgear and the pattern of the seats; a bed made of the highest-grade Egyptian cotton would be a worse setting for an afternoon nap.

The auction itself is nearing conclusion, and we suspect the winning bid would easily be enough to creep its way into a rundown of the most expensive auction lots ever.