Revived coachbuilder Saoutchik conjures a modern 300 SL

A Parisian coachbuilder that built bodies for the most luxurious automotive brands in the first half of the 20th century has been revived, and the modern company’s first project is a homage to the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.

The coachbuilder is Saoutchik, the original incarnation of which was founded in 1906 by Jacques Saoutchik, born Iakov Savtchuk. The company folded in 1955, just three years after Saoutchik’s son, Pierre, took over the reins.

The modern Saoutchik was founded in 2016, in the Netherlands, and specializes in automotive design and engineering, although it also dabbles in industrial design outside the automotive world. The company says it can handle complete builds, from the design sketch to production in limited series.

The company’s 300 SL homage is called the 300 GTC, and the “GT” in the name is a nod to the chassis coming from a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, specifically the previous-generation GT Roadster. The giveaway is the layout of the car’s interior, which is a match with the previous-generation AMG GT.

Ugur Sahin Design, which a few years back penned a homage to the Ferrari F50, is responsible for the exterior design. The 300 GTC shares many of its lines with the 300 SL, and combines this with modern touches.

The body panels are all carbon fiber, supplied by Germany’s Pogea Racing, and building the car from start to finish takes around 4,000 hours, according to Saoutchik.

No mechanical details have been mentioned, but the car presumably shares the donor AMG GT’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 and rear-mounted 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Saoutchik said it plans to limit production to just 15 units. A price tag hasn’t been announced.