The Mercedes-Benz 300SL "Gullwing" was the supercar of its day, but who would've known it would be so at home at Bonneville?

Bob Sirna, the 300SL owner profiled in this Petrolicious video, did.

"You only live once and you can't take it with you," Sirna--who looks like a small-town sheriff sent from central casting--says. He believes his SL is doing better than the numerous examples cooped up in museums and private collections. They'll never have their chassis coated with salt, but they'll never turn a wheel in anger, either.

While the 300SL has become quite collectible, Sirna still treats his like a sports car.

Those signature doors close around a cabin fitted with a roll cage, and there's a fuel cell in the trunk, just like you'd expect to see in any other competition-prepped car.

"After seven years, I've finally figured out how to hot rod the Mercedes-Benz hot rod," Sirna says, noting that the SL's 3.0-liter inline-six was taken from Mercedes' run-of--the-mill sedans, fortified for Le Mans in 1952, and given direct-injection for the production SL in 1954.

Most people would think taking a rare collectible like the 300SL to Bonneville is crazy, but Sirna think's he'd be crazy not to.

"You do more damage to these cars not using them than you can using them," he proclaims.

Hearing the SL make its way down the salt flats, we're glad he decided to use it.

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