HK Engineering

What HK Engineering does

HK-ENGINEERING HANDELS GMBH is a privately held German specialist founded in 1984 by Hans Kleissl and headquartered in Polling, Upper Bavaria. The company is the only operation worldwide exclusively dedicated to the restoration, preservation, and trading of Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé and Roadster vehicles. Operating from a 3,000+ sqm historical monastery complex, the company delivers comprehensive in-house restoration services covering bodywork, engine rebuilding, upholstery, paint, and technical preparation, supported by proprietary capabilities including a 30-year-old in-house injection pump test bench, dedicated 5-person engine rebuild team, and complete sheet metal reproduction using original tooling.

The business generates revenue across five streams: bespoke 300 SL restoration services (custom-quoted high-value projects), classic vehicle trading through its HK-Classics subsidiary covering 300 SL plus adjacent premium marques (Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati, BMW), one of the world's largest 300 SL spare parts warehouses, reference publications (notably 'Das Jahrhundertauto'), and recurring care services including Europe-wide vehicle transport, 24-hour emergency support, and climate-controlled storage. Vehicle pricing ranges from €899K for a 1958 Roadster to €1.595M+ for rare 300 SL Coupés with racing history. Distribution combines field sales from Polling HQ and the Classic Remise Berlin branch, the newly established MERBAG Swiss channel partnership (June 2024), Prague representative office, and active presence at elite international events including Le Mans Classic, Goodwood Revival, Mille Miglia, and Pebble Beach. Customer acquisition is relationship-driven within the global HNW classic car collector community, supported by award recognition including Historic Motoring Awards' World's Best Restoration Company (2014) and Restoration of the Year (2022).

Name

HK Engineering

Legal name

HK-ENGINEERING HANDELS GMBH

Website

https://hk-engineering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HK Engineering is the world's only company exclusively dedicated to Mercedes-Benz 300 SL restoration, preservation, and trading, serving HNW collectors globally from its Polling, Germany headquarters with full in-house restoration, spare parts, and classic vehicle sales operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Classic Car Restoration Services

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363)

SIC

Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)

akta.pro primary industry

Bumper, Panel & Plastic Repair (Composite/Trim) (TLAKAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Body Panels, Doors, Hoods & Closures Manufacturing (IMACAGAH)

Keywords

• Classic car restoration
• Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
• Vintage spare parts
• Historic motorsport
• Premium classic sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Polling

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. 300 SL Restoration Services: Full-service restoration of Mercedes-Benz 300 SL vehicles in company-owned manufacture facility. Includes bodywork, engine rebuilding, upholstery, paint, and technical preparation. Restoration performed exclusively in-house with company specialists.
2. Classic Vehicle Sales: Purchase and sale of Mercedes-Benz 300 SL vehicles (Coupés and Roadsters) as well as other premium classic cars including Mercedes-Benz Pagode, Porsche 911, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati, and BMW classics.
3. Spare Parts and Accessories: One of world's largest spare parts warehouses for Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Includes new parts, rare original parts, and exclusive accessories such as hardtops, radios, and travel cases.
4. Publications and Merchandise: Sale of reference books about Mercedes-Benz 300 SL including 'Das Jahrhundertauto' (99 EUR), photo books, and annual HK calendars.
5. Care Services: Comprehensive after-sales service including Europe-wide vehicle transport, on-site event service, 24-hour emergency hotline, and secure climate-controlled storage at Polling facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HK Engineering is the world's only company exclusively dedicated to the restoration, preservation, and sales of Mercedes-Benz 300 SL vehicles (Coupés and Roadsters). The company operates a full in-house manufacture facility covering bodywork, engine rebuilding, upholstery, paint, and technical preparation, and also trades in premium classic cars from other marques, supplies one of the world's largest 300 SL spare parts inventories, and supports customers in historic motorsport and rallies.

Product overview

HK Engineering operates as a specialized classic car restoration company focused exclusively on Mercedes-Benz 300 SL vehicles (Gullwing Coupés and Roadsters), offering comprehensive restoration services alongside a diversified classic car trading operation through HK-Classics. The product portfolio centers on the core restoration service—encompassing body work, engine rebuilding, saddlery, paint shop, and vehicle technology—supplemented by one of the world's largest 300 SL spare parts depots. Additional offerings include technical modernization solutions (Further Development), a comprehensive care-free service package with 24-hour emergency support, and motorsport preparation through HK-Racing. The company also hosts the annual HK-Rallye for 300 SL owners and publishes reference books and calendars documenting their expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Restoration Full restoration service for Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé and Roadster vehicles, covering body work, engine rebuilding, saddlery, paint shop, and complete technical preparation, performed exclusively in-house at the Polling manufacture facility.
• HK-Classics Vehicle Sales Trading and sales of premium classic cars from luxury manufacturers beyond Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, including Mercedes-Benz Pagode, Porsche 911, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Maserati, and BMW classics.
• HK-Racing Historical Motorsport Historical motorsport preparation and participation service, building and campaigning racing 300 SL vehicles for owners at international events.
• HK-Rallye Event Annual three-day VIP rally event exclusively for Mercedes-Benz 300 SL owners, featuring scenic routes through the Allgäu region with full on-site service support.
• Spare Parts and Accessories One of the world's largest spare parts depots for Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, offering new parts, rare original parts, and exclusive accessories including hardtops, radios, and travel cases.
• Care-Free Service Package Comprehensive after-sales service including Europe-wide vehicle pickup and delivery, on-site event service, 24-hour emergency hotline, and secure climate-controlled storage at the Polling facility.
• Further Development and Optimization Technical modernizations and optimizations for Mercedes-Benz 300 SL vehicles, including radiator upgrades, alternator conversions, contactless ignition, 5-speed transmission conversions, disc brake conversions, and air conditioning installations.
• Mercedes-Benz 300 SL - Das Jahrhundertauto (Reference Book) Definitive reference book authored by Hans Kleissl and Harry Niemann covering Mercedes-Benz 300 SL history, technical development, and notable restorations, with 368 pages, 298 B&W and 111 color photographs.
• Porfirio Rubirosa Photo Book Photo book documenting the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL of Porfirio Rubirosa and its restoration by HK Engineering.
• HK Calendar Annual calendar featuring photographs of Mercedes-Benz 300 SL vehicles, available for order each year from October.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully prepared 15+ racing 300 SL vehicles for historic motorsport since 1995
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MERBAG (Mercedes-Benz Automobil AG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2024Official partnership effective June 2024. MERBAG serves as official Swiss sales and service partner for HK-Engineering. Provides local support for Swiss customers seeking HK's Mercedes-Benz 300 SL restoration and sales services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• PSI Restorations: US Porsche-specialist restoration house known for high-end 911 and transaxle work. Comparable to HK in business archetype — narrow, marque-defined, expertise-led restoration — though serving Porsche rather than Mercedes collectors.
• Brabus Classic: Sub-brand of BRABUS that restores Mercedes-Benz classics and modern collectibles (R129, W463 G-Class, etc.). Adjacent to HK Engineering as a Mercedes-restoration operator, but focused on later-model classics rather than the 300 SL.

Direct peers

• Canepa: US-based restoration, sales and motorsport firm handling high-end European classics (Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes, Lamborghini). Comparable to HK as a premium-classic restoration and sales specialist with showroom, auction, and motorsport participation.
• Thornley Kelham: UK-based restoration specialist handling premium European classics (Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Bentley) to concours level. Comparable to HK as a high-end, multi-marque classic restoration house pursuing awards, OEM partnerships, and event-driven client engagement.
• Paul Russell and Company: Massachusetts-based restoration specialist with deep expertise in European classics (Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar). Comparable to HK as a multi-marque, expertise-led premium restoration firm targeting concours-grade output.
• Classic Motor Cars (Bridgewater) Ltd: Award-winning UK restoration firm specializing in Jaguar and other premium European classics. Comparable to HK as a multi-marque premium restoration house competing for similar HNW collector customer work.
• Gullwing Cars: Netherlands-based specialist focused on buying, selling, and restoring classic Mercedes-Benz models including the 300 SL (Gullwing and Roadster). Directly comparable to HK as a marque-aligned classic Mercedes dealer-restorer with an inventory-focused business model.
• Joseph Kauffmann Classic Cars: German-based classic car specialist providing sales, restoration and servicing of premium European classics. Directly comparable to HK Engineering as a German-headquartered premium-classic restorer and dealer with a multi-brand portfolio.

Others

• RM Sotheby's: Global classic-car auction house that frequently transacts 300 SLs and adjacent premium classics in HK's customer price band. Adjacent rather than directly competitive with HK — Sotheby's acts as the dominant sales channel for the same collector universe that HK sources and services.

Broad incumbents

• Mercedes-Benz Classic Center: The official OEM-run Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Fellbach is the only entity that authentically restores Mercedes-Benz heritage vehicles directly under Mercedes authority. Comparable to HK Engineering as a Mercedes classic restoration provider, but operates as an OEM facility within a much broader Mercedes-Benz universe and is not a 300 SL-exclusive specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/engineeringhk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hk-engineering-handels-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HK Engineering