As a Mercedes-Benz enthusiast, I find myself deeply reflecting on a solemn moment for the entire Mercedes-Benz community: the passing of Bruno Sacco. Without Bruno Sacco’s visionary talent and contributions to design, it is safe to say that the trajectory of the Mercedes-Benz marque would not be the same. The task of quantifying
Sacco’s life in just a few pages of text and images was quite difficult. I would like to thank Alfredo Stola, of Stola S.p.A. on behalf of the entire Mercedes-Benz Club of America for sharing his personal experiences with Mr. Sacco. Our goal with this piece was not only to pay tribute, but to share with the world a unique perspective that described Mr. Sacco’s character and manner. In this issue, we reflect on several incredible events such as Legends of the Autobahn at Monterey Car Week, Mercedes Grande, The Bridge VIII, and Star Summit. I had the opportunity to have a conversation with James May of Top Gear and The Grand Tour — a childhood icon of mine, to say the least. Our technical
articles aim to educate readers on the OVP Relay — a familiar term if you drive a mid-80s M117 powered W 126 or R 107. We hope to de-stigmatize and encourage you to maintain your ABC-equipped W 220 or C 215, one of the engineering marvels that define early 2000s Mercedes-Benz. You may notice a slightly different design and type in this issue. This was an intentional decision to refine the user experience while reading text. Without further ado, please enjoy your November/December issue of The Star®.
Rubin Howard, Editor
STAFF
KATIE CARRUTH Publisher
RUBIN HOWARD
Editor editor@mbca.org
DAVID WOMMER
Associate Editor
Copy Editor
BRADLEY LORD
Contribution Editor
PIERRE HEDARY
Technical Editor
MARK DEWEY
Advertising Director
JUSTIN PAGE
Design Director
Welcome to the latest issue of The Star! In this final issue of 2024, we want to thank our incredible members who have gone above and beyond this year by sharing their time, knowledge, and positive interactions with everyone. Each car tells a story, and we are grateful that you share those stories in person or via The Star® for admirers to appreciate for many years to follow. It is a great way to share our MercedesBenz journey. I recently attended the Lake Mirror Classic Concours in Lakeland, FL, celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Mercedes-Benz was
one of the two featured marques. Many fantastic Mercedes-Benz were shared. I would like to thank Hartmut Feyhl and the incredible team at RENNtech for sharing some genuinely exceptional vehicles, including their Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, featured in the DuPont Registry after breaking a world record. Known as “The Bullet”, it can run 60-130 mph in 4.92 seconds! One of the stars of the show was the 1936 MercedesBenz 540K “Spezial Roadster” with Sindelfingen High-Door Long-Tail Coachwork, Owned by Baroness Gisela Von Krieger for 50 Years, shared by Dana and Patti Mecum.
Thank you for being the heart of our community!
David Wommer, Asscociate Editor
DRIVING FORWARD TOGETHER
As members of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, we share a deep passion for the iconic brand and a sense of community goes beyond the vehicles we admire. Whether it is the joy of taking part in a club event, the pride of owning and caring for our vehicles, or the friendships we have formed along the way, MBCA is truly something special. Like the automotive world itself, clubs evolve. As we head into a new chapter of MBCA, it is natural that changes can bring both excitement and uncertainty. New initiatives, new faces, and fresh perspectives are all part of the club’s growth. This is the perfect moment to rally together, embrace these changes, and keep MBCA moving forward with positivity and unity.
Change is often a sign of progress. Just as MercedesBenz continues to innovate in the automotive industry, our club is also adapting to meet the evolving needs of members. With new ideas and strategies, we can enhance our experiences, expand our outreach, and ensure MBCA remains a vibrant, welcoming space for enthusiasts across generations.
Now, more than ever, we need to focus on what brings us together — our shared love for the Mercedes-Benz legacy. Whether you have been a member for decades or just joined recently, every one of us plays a role in shaping the club’s future. Each member’s voice matters, and together, we can make this new direction a success.
As we grow and shift, it is important to remember MBCA thrives on a sense of community and shared passion. Negativity and criticisms can damage that unity, create division, and discourage involvement. It can also halt progress, stifle new ideas, and slows the momentum needed for the club to thrive in the future. A united, forward-thinking approach helps ensure MBCA continues to evolve while honoring its traditions.
Let’s support each other, attend events, and get involved. Let’s bring our enthusiasm, expertise, and open minds to the table as we continue to build on MBCA’s rich history.
As we drive into the future, remember: we’re not just a club of car owners — we are a community. Just like the star that unites us, we shine brightest when we move forward together.
Here’s to the road ahead!
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE Drew Webb
THOUGHTS ON THE WAY FORWARD
With the recent election that passed a new set of bylaws, MBCA has entered a new era. With the largest voter turnout we have had in years, and almost 90% of the members voting to approve the bylaws, it seems that the membership is ready for change. There is still a lot of work to be done, including revising and/or creating new procedures. We will ask members with skills in this area to step forward and help. The new bylaws give the new board the ability to move forward with actions that can help our financial future, encourage more sponsors to work with us, and bring in new affinity and enthusiast groups to help bolster membership. We can make The Star a more
attractive proposition for advertisers and sponsors, as well as for new members to see and current members to enjoy as a significant benefit of their membership. However, we cannot do it all without your enthusiasm, help, work, and ideas. The National Business Office staff is small, so we still need members willing to serve on newly redefined committees to help the Board and the NBO move the club forward. While we have accomplished something that has been attempted for almost 20 years, that is just the start. As I have said before, the club is made of and about the members, so let’s step up and out and join us in working to make it what it should be: the best car club experience in the world. The Mercedes-Benz motto, “The best or nothing,” should be ours, too. After such a strong start into a new future, let’s work together to make it so!
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At the “The City of Genius” show in Shanghai on October 19, 2024, Mercedes-Benz and Moncler took the bold next step in their collaboration. Alongside the launch of the brand campaign, “Past Forward. Where the Future is Driven by the Past”, the partners unveiled a one-off art piece, “Project G-Class Past II Future”, inspired by NIGO. It is based on a G-Class from the 1990s that was completely restored. NIGO reworked numerous design elements inside and out to revive the design and bring it into the cultural landscape of the present. The G-Class Past II Future is a new G-Class model with a limited run of only 20 cars and is inspired by the art piece. At the show, the audience also got a sneak preview of Moncler’s new collection of urban fashion designed by Mercedes-Benz and Moncler together with NIGO. Both the limited-edition G-Class and the capsule collection will be launched in April 2025. Alongside Mercedes-Benz and NIGO, the Shanghai event additionally hosted several other artists, who presented their own respective collaborations with Moncler: A$AP Rocky and Willow Smith, Edward Enninful (OBE), FRGMT by Hiroshi Fujiwara, Gilga Farm by Donald Glover, LuLu Li and Palm Angels.
In addition to the Moncler Genius 2024 lineup, special showcases were presented by Rick Owens and Jil Sander. NIGO’s immense creative talent and our co-creation with Moncler are taking us into an exciting urban setting. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class Past II Future is a very special new twist on our icon. This limited edition is a fresh take on 90s style and the character that’s made the G-Class a timeless favorite. Going from inspiring art to engaging products marks an important step in our creative cooperation and offers a new brand experience captured by the zeitgeist.
LEGENDS OF THE AUTOBAHN
If you are a car person, then Monterey Car Week is our holiday time. Each year, tens of thousands from around the world gather on the Monterey peninsula in California to celebrate all things automobile. Since 2011, the three German clubs have come together to put on Legends of the Autobahn, incorporating BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi marques in a gathering of all things German steel. In recent years our event has moved around a bit to different venues as car week has changed and morphed. This year, we enjoyed a gorgeous day at Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course in the Seaside, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The day started early and dark with the fog engulfing the coast. As the cars arrived in the fog it was something to behold seeing so many iconic cars
travel though the brisk coastal air. Like so many photos we have all seen of the Pebble Beach Concours arrivals that Sunday it creates quite the mood. But by noon, the fog breaks into a blue sky, and the images change into green grass and blue sky to contrast these legendary cars. Each year, we see some amazing examples of our beloved Mercedes-Benz cars. As the years passed, we saw how the hobby changed. As a proper concours, we have always celebrated those legends of the marque like the Gullwing and roadsters, 190 SLs, the Pagodas, and W 111 coupes. In recent years, we have seen a shift to the young-timer era, and Bruno Sacco designed cars. 2024, however, was all about the modified cars. We had a stacked class of modified entries that made our judges team work overtime. The highlights were a collection of 80s goodness representing Shant Meshefedjian of CMS Motorsports and two amazing custom tribute cars from S Klub LA. One was a modern version of the famed Red Pig built on a W 109 6.3 chassis using a modern C 63 drivetrain and interior. It won my Chairman Award. The level of detail is amazing! Best in Marque this year was David Salazar and his 1987 560 SL in the ever-popular Signal Red. This car is a time capsule, and his neighbors bought it new. As a kid, he envied this car. When the opportunity happened to purchase, he jumped at the chance. As we wrap up another successful year for Car Week and Legends, we’re already counting down the days to August 2025. The event’s unique features, such as the debut of new cars and the chance to meet fellow MBCA members, make it an unforgettable experience for car enthusiasts.
2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class #12 Black & White
By Bradley Lord
KIMI
“Kimi”. It might not sound very Italian when you hear it for the first time … but it sure does sound fast!
At the time of writing, a couple of weeks out from the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, it has been a month since we announced 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli will become just the sixth Mercedes-Benz works Grand Prix driver since 2010.
Over 15 seasons, just five people have been entrusted with the immense privilege of racing a Silver Arrow: Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and George Russell. And now Kimi, the man on the steepest learning curve in the sport between now and the moment the lights go out in March 2025 at Albert Park in Melbourne.
The official confirmation came on Saturday morning in Monza, less than 24 hours after Kimi’s first free practice outing had ended in the Parabolica barriers on just his second timed lap. It was a half hour full of joking about the missteps of the day before, and showed the new energy that will course through the team from next season.
But while Kimi may be new to the broader world, he has been part of our orbit since our brilliant talent spotter and young driver guru, Gwen Lagrue, signed him in November 2017 when he was just 11 years old. I remember clearly talking to the then 13-year-old one December in Milan, about coming to do some work experience at the time — until the Covid pandemic made it impossible.
Kimi’s track record in the junior series is exceptional, and in spite of a tricky F2 season where his team has not consistently mastered the challenge of new rules, he has outperformed his highly rated team-mate — Ollie Bearman, who is headed for F1 next season, too — and won several races so far: a dominant wet weather display in Silverstone, and a swashbuckling Feature Race victory in Hungary.
It was on the same day Lewis informed Toto of his move to Ferrari last January, that we sat with a slightly awestruck Kimi and told him there might, if everything went well, be a possibility of racing in F1 in 2025. He had just come from a test at Silverstone — in the wet — which left long-time junior racing observers slack-jawed at his performance, on his first visit to the circuit. His reaction to Toto’s words was a mixture of disbelief, anticipation and, very soon after, determination.
So far, he has completed 5,000 km (3106.86 miles) of testing in our two-year-old machine the rules permit us to use for driver preparation. We expect to have doubled the distance by the time the season closes, with a busy program of testing in the Middle East during the latter part of the year.
Throughout, we have been guided by the simple objective of helping Kimi to be the best prepared he can be when he sits on the grid in Melbourne as the third youngest starter in the sport’s history (after Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll). And we have taken as a model the best-prepared rookie the sport has seen — Lewis Hamilton, when he made his debut in 2007.
Of course, when we talk about Kimi joining the team, it is because we are preparing to say farewell to our great champion, too. Just how and in what ways we say thank you to Lewis, you will see as the final races of the season unfold.
But Monza was an emotional moment for him, too. There had been a blank against ‘his seat’ ever since he announced his Ferrari move back in January — the seat “I held onto for so long”, in his own words. It was an emotional moment for him, too, to see that seat filled for the future — even as we followed his encouragement to be bold and go for youth.
Just as significantly, Monza was the first proper ‘goodbye’ of his departure from the team, as it was our last race in Europe — and therefore the last race using our ‘race base’ engineering trucks. These form the space where the engineers and drivers work across the race
Opposite top: Andrea Kimi Antonelli will become just the sixth Mercedes-Benz works Grand Prix driver since 2010. Above: Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s head shot.
“Kimi”. It might not sound very Italian when you hear it for the first time ... but it sure does sound fast!
weekends, and contain the drivers’ personal chill-out rooms, too. Late on Sunday evening, long after the space had been vacated by the team rushing for a flight from a nearby airport, Lewis was seen scribing a short message of thanks on the wall of his room — in gratitude for our 12 seasons together and passing the baton to the young man who will occupy that space from next year.
For now, though, our full focus is on the final six races of this season. For the outside world, there is a remarkable championship showdown bubbling up: Lando Norris hunting down Max Verstappen, with a quicker car and a mighty Mercedes-Benz power unit behind his back. There are shades of 2021 as we head into an intense phase of the season, with two ’triple header’ sequences to conclude our year.
For the Silver Arrows, it will be all about racing for podiums and more in these final races — trying to achieve highlights across the varied challenges the circuits offer. We have a substantial aerodynamic upgrade planned for Austin, and we hope this will vault us back into the leading pack, rather than racing just behind them. It is going to be an action-packed conclusion to an intense year.
37 TH AMERICA’S CUP
Meanwhile, the team has also been keeping an eye on our ‘other’ racing project during recent weeks — the 37th America’s Cup, which is being held in Barcelona.
As you may know, the INEOS Britannia boat has a whole lot of Mercedes F1 DNA coursing through it. Over 100 of the team’s technical and operational staff have worked on the project over the past three and a half years, to produce a remarkable foiling flying machine that apparently defies the laws of physics when it is at speed on the water.
Just this week, the team made history by becoming the first British team to race the final of the America’s Cup in 60 years. Reaching that final has involved getting through a round robin stage against five other crews; winning a
‘best of nine’ semi-final; and a ‘best of 13’ final, across a month and a half of competition.
That effort has seen compelling race on everything from nearly flat water to rough seas, and some of the fastest speeds ever recorded by wind-powered sailing craft — INEOS Britannia reached 55.6 knots (64 mph) at one point during the final.
All that competition has put INEOS Britannia into the America’s Cup proper — a best of 13 series across the middle of October against New Zealand, the reigning champions. In this sport, ‘champions’ means you also get to write the rules of the competition – something alien to our F1 brains!
But while that may be considered an advantage, New Zealand have not done all the racing through the preliminary competition stages, so our teams head into the event battle-hardened and race-sharpened.
With plenty of our colleagues shoreside in Barcelona to bring the crucial final touches of technical development to the boat, we’re eagerly anticipating how the action will unfold. ...
Opposite top: Antonelli behind the wheel. Opposite bottom: Baby Kimi. Above: George Russell, Toto Wolfe, & Kimi Antonelli at a panel discussion.
J AMES GIN — THE SPIRIT OF MAY, IN A BOTTLE.
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sit down with James May, the man we have all come to know as Captain Slow. He has detoured from driving cars he does not own and accidentally setting things on fire to something even more audacious, making gin. Yes, the man who continuously sought to find the perfect pint of beer has taken a new foray into the world of gin botanicals.
Naturally, putting two lifelong car enthusiasts at a table (one more long-life than the other) with a refreshing beverage (beer) and a gorgeous Southern California Sunset as a backdrop would immediately strike up the car talk. My journey this past August found me in Southern Oregon, borrowing one of Blue Nelson’s (a prior guest on Top Gear) 300 TD wagons to drive down to Los Angeles,
then up to Monterey, then back down to Los Angeles, and back up to Southern Oregon within the span of about two weeks. Blue had done me a tremendous favor by lending me a wagon that most definitely would illicit a reaction and spark a conversation nearly everywhere we went. As I rolled into the valet with this allegedly one-of-one column shift S 123 300 TD wagon and drove right past the valet to park it myself, James walked out to greet me.
James had immediately taken note of the quirkiness of this particular S 123. “This is actually the first W 123 we’ve seen here in Southern California” said James — only having been in town for about six hours. I made sure to specify that I was driving the quirkiest euro W 123 wagon one might find, outlining the fact that the car was the
Opposite: James May leaning against Blue Nelson’s W 123.
Above: James Gin varieties.
only column-shift wagon, and was spec’d with features like ABS (two years before the official launch of ABS), automatic front/manual rear windows, rubber floormat interior, factory removable hitch, and the list goes on. You may be aware that James has a deep affection for the W 123. We ended up discussing why the W 123 was the wisest choice for a road trip through Botswana. “My earliest memory of a 123 was a beige a 200 saloon that had belonged to my neighbor. It had no frills” says James. “Back then, owning a Benz was a bit exotic in Britain.” He recalls the car being optioned with nothing other than a speedometer — but what it lacked in luxury, it made up for in craftsmanship. “Everything was an option back then,” he laughed, “but what was there was very well made.”
Fast forward to James’ own W 123 and why it was the best choice for the Top Gear Botswana Special. “There were bloody millions of them,” he said, recalling how these cars had become ubiquitous in parts of Africa by the 1990s, transitioning from private business use to taxis and then to being tortured by British TV presenters. During the special, viewers may recall they took the doors off the W 123 for practical reasons. After the show had concluded, The W 123 had its doors re-attached, and it was donated back to the local community. His experience with his W 123 became a core memory for May, and his attachment to it has only grown. James mentioned he was reunited with the car in a recent Botswana expedition. Nobody was surprised to hear that the car was still kicking around.
The transition from cars to gin was almost as slow as the W 123s we initially discussed. The conversation soon turned to gin. Why Gin? “We were just mucking about,” says May. “It all started years ago with a TV series when we made a bunch of gin as a laugh, but three and a half years ago, it became a more serious endeavor”. The team at James Gin worked with a reputable distiller to create 1,000 liters of what would become 1,240 bottles — all of which sold out within days. “What started as a laugh is now teetering on becoming a serious gin business. Short answer, mucking about. Long answer, world domination by gin”.
Those intrigued by James Gin might be surprised to find some rather unique taste profiles. Asian Parsnip — an odd combination that somehow works. Crafted with English roots in mind (no pun intended), it wants to remind people of the “dampness” of the British vegetable, with a touch of sweetness and spice.
What it lacked in luxury, it made up for in craftsmanship.
In typical English fashion, “American Mustard” gin was an attempt to thank Americans for their contributions to British Culture; through mustard-flavored Gin. James describes this profile as “quite mustardy”.
My favorite of the James Gin selections was the “Navy Strength,” which was associated with the method in which the British Navy stored gin on ships next to gunpowder. Should the gin barrels split and get into the gunpowder, the higher alcohol content would ensure the gunpowder was not spoiled, although James is convinced that British sailors were just always notoriously drunk.
Steering back towards cars, the James May enthusiast in me quizzed the real James May. “Where was the craziest place you have ever enjoyed a G&T?” James chuckles and casually replies, “The North Pole”. James had smuggled quite a lot of gin in his suitcase to make camping with Jeremy Clarkson a “bearable task”. Given the location, No ice is necessary. After a brief awkward moment of silence, James lights up. He says to me, “I am glad you are so enthusiastic about your very unusual W 123 estate — even with the larger injection pump, those diesels were quite feeble”. I quickly correct that I am not only a W 123 enthusiast but I also happen to love the 1990s Bruno Sacco-era of Mercedes-Benz, particularly the W 140 S-Class. James had purchased a W 140 in China (and, of course, attempted to light it on fire) for an episode of The Grand Tour. James quickly recalled having had the privilege of meeting Bruno Sacco. Before the gin was depleted, I asked May to name a few other Mercedes-Benz he likes beyond the W 123. “Either a W 124 Cabriolet or a 6.9 L”.
So, whether it’s a W 123 or James Gin, May finds a way to blend craftsmanship, nostalgia, and an unmistakable dose of dry humor into everything he touches. Like its creator, it’s quirky, quintessentially British, and just a bit unexpected. Cheers to that.
THE BRIDGE VIII
The Bridge is a wonderful car show at the Bridge Golf Club in Bridgehampton, NY. The golf course is built on the site of the old Bridgehampton Race circuit. It is an invitation-only event for both cars and spectators with no prizes. 300+ of the world’s most beautiful cars, both exotic and classic are displayed on the exceptionally manicured greens. I have been to The Bridge often as a guest
and have always marveled at the drive up the hill towards the clubhouse. On the morning of September 14, as I made that same drive under the original racetrack sign with my dad in his pristine 1971 280 SL Pagoda, it was one of those moments that I will cherish in my memories. Then, to magnify the thrill that I was experiencing, I was told to drive his baby onto the pristine 18th fairway, past a group of incredible classic automobiles. My pop has always loved cars, especially MercedesBenz. Either genetically or by living in his house, I also picked up
his love of cars. The experience of seeing my dad’s prized possession on the immaculate fairway with the backdrop of beautiful classics and supercars, Noyak Bay, and my dad’s big smile was nearly a tear-jerker. Then, when you add the amazing food, drink, bands performing, DJs spinning, and the very cool crowd, it makes for a remarkable day. We drove out of The Bridge event as the sun set behind us. I knew then that it would be difficult to feel anything more powerful than sharing that experience with my 83-year-old car-loving father.
STARS OF ROAD & WRIST STAR SUMMIT 2024
On October 4, the collaboration between the Atlanta Watch Society, the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, and IWC was a truly memorable event. It united communities with a shared respect for design and mechanical mastery. More than just a showcase of watches and cars, it was a gathering that highlighted the natural connection between those who appreciate finely crafted machines.
The relationship between cars and watches goes beyond appearance. Both demand meticulous engineering and a focus on performance. The partnership between IWC and Mercedes-AMG reflects this connection, with each brand embracing innovation while staying true to its heritage. Whether it’s the precise movement of an IWC chronograph or the power beneath the hood of a Mercedes-Benz, both evoke a fasci-
nation with how beauty and function come together.
What made the event stand out was how effortlessly the communities blended. The Atlanta Watch Society and MBCA both foster a sense of camaraderie built around shared interests. Throughout the day, conversations moved naturally from the intricacies of watch mechanisms to automotive engineering, underscoring the deeper connection between these worlds. It became clear that it is not just the machines that inspire, but the stories and relationships formed around them.
A special thank you to Rubin Howard for his invitation and support, which made this collaboration possible. His attention to detail ensured the event unfolded perfectly, creating an experience that left a lasting impression on everyone involved.
With the success of this year’s gathering, we are already looking forward to what next year will bring. The connection between these communities is undeniable, and we can’t wait to continue building on it — whether through the hands of a watch or the wheels of a car.
DEATH VALLEY WAGON
BY KATHRYN MOSS
PHOTOS BY BLUE NELSON, COOPER DAVIS, RICHARD INGRAM
Clang clang, bang, crunch, snap. A seat gets unbolted. Roof rack bars get attached. An alternator gets alternated. It seems more is being disassembled than assembled; all in the quiet comfort of a sleepy alley in upscale Santa Monica. You see this is where a lot of action is taking place. A lot. Blue Nelson, the tour organizer, is helping and heis groaning. Helping, because less than 12 hours from now, the famed Death Valley Tour will meet at the historic starting gate of the famous Route 66, the Santa Monica Pier. Groaning, because his hopes were that a bit more kicking back socializing and little less kicking floor jacks would be in order. However in a flurry of grease-monkey activity, at agreeably too late of an hour to be making such a racket, more than half a dozen eager W 123 owners are finalizing work on their wagons; yes, more repairing than packing.
Geoff Elsmore calls for a huddle. “Let’s try to work as quietly as possible, I live here, and I like it here.” Got it Geoff. So, when we speak in hushed tones, it adds to the punchy dystopia. We exaggeratively whisper our communications, search via strobing headlamps for tools, coolers and camping gear, then spread out to accomplish our various pre-tour tasks, nearly all in silence. It was like watching a bustling DIY TV show, but with the sound turned off.
While prepping for the drive, several wagon-less folks needed to be united with their wagons, and on, no less the busy eve of the event. Blue had spent the last year acquiring wagons, many from the depths of despair via forest abandonment, desert dweller’s desertion, or from a hipp hippie commune, to personally get running and refurbish a tidy grouping of loaner W 123s to be used by the wagon-less friends he had invited on the tour. Now was the time to get the selected drivers to their wagons. Kurt Wilson had driven a lovely French
Spec 230 T down from Monterey with Kent Weinstein following in his silver-blue Turbo wagon, complete with a rooftop tent, which would transform to become a sky-view second residence over the weekend. Kurt Wilson’s wagon was loaned to the tour by Kjeld Aamott, who picked up the sleek, Euro hottie on vacation while in France and shipped back to California. He was on the previous tour but unable to attend this time, so Kjeld loaned his car for the tour, thank you, Kjeld. This wagon would be driven by Legends of the Autobahn founder and MBCA Portland leader, pinnacle of strength and fitness, David Abarr, from Portland. David would be flying into Los Angeles early the next morning, picking his wagon — not with his biceps — from a predetermined parking space, and hopefully meet up with the group enroute. We say hopefully because there would be no phone reception and no maps applicable. David’s flight would land just in time, but he would have no time to waste. He would have to Uber to the parking spot where his wagon was waiting with a cryptic hand-drawn map (designating one future fuel stop out in the desert), a cozy sleeping bag, sleeping pad, charged headlamp, a film-set Motorola long-range walkie-talkie, plus a peppy mint for under his pillow.
In typical low, or no-tech fashion, no Google maps, no
GPS coordinates, not even an address to type into your phone, Blue just calls everyone personally, “ From wherever you are, in the USA, go west to the Pacific Ocean, then either head North or South to the Santa Monica Pier. Be there at 8 a.m. on Friday. See you then.” That was it. Those were the directions.
It is 9 a.m. and to the east across the gigantic parking lot, is the Pacific Coast Highway with palm trees clinging to the cliff next to the Promenade and to the west is water, then 2,000 miles to Hawaii. One by one the hits keep coming. Petrol Green, Nautical Blue, Light Ivory, English Red, Astral Silver, Reed Green, Black Pearl, and on and on until roughly 30 wagons have arrived, each one being greeted by and personally lined up by Blue, in a crescent shape to make photos more dynamic. The atmosphere is a combination of fresh sea air, fresh repairs and — fresh muffins? Garth and Wendy Hammers have arrived in a right hand drive, Signal Red, five-speed wagon — the rarest of the rare. I know what you are thinking, and no, it was not a four-speed with a five-speed shift knob. They are toting muffins, which were homemade by Wendy and handed out to each entrant personally. On each bag was written “bluenelsonberry muffins”. She is a professional comedian.
Opposite: A seemingly endless row of wagons, hubcaps, and roof racks at starting grid - Santa Monica Pier. Below: Garth & Wendy Hammers handing out homemade Bluenelsonberry Muffins at the start. Previous page: A array of W 123 wagons enjoy the majestic Trona Pinnacles in the California Mojave Desert.
Everyone was snapping selfies, drooling over any green wagon, catching up with old friends, and of course comparing checked-off pack lists, when High Desert Richard Ingram rolls in driving an original paint, 904 Dark Blue wagon with perhaps the world’s supply of roof rack cross bars on top, so many in fact that they are scrunched together to make an expensive plateau of unobtanium. This drew quite a crowd. “The reason
DEATH VALLEY WAGON
these silly cross bars are so hard to find is because all of the existing ones are on this wagon!” exclaimed one (envious) passerby. To add to the drama, Richard was wearing a tidy, pressed Baltic Blue-color pair of mechanic coveralls complete with a sharp Mercedes Star patch, plus a custom embroidered “Richard” name patch. Oh, Richard. It did not stop there. He had large decals made for the car which read “SERVICE WAGON”, and coupled with the expertise to back up these monikers, the entire back of the wagon was laden with tools and spare parts. Richard and Blue spent the previous several months prepping/servicing/fixing various Tour entrant’s W 123s and notating exactly which tools and parts were needed.
The list was transformed into an efficient kit now riding in Richard’s cargo area with the same clinical appearance as the man himself.
Above: Wagon master Blue Nelson prepares for the pre-tour safety meeting. Opposite top: Event stickers for participants to place on wagons. Opposite bottom: The tour’s fearless leader generating excitement.
One such recipient of a loaner wagon was John Woods. John, who professionally restores Youngtimer MercedesBenzes near Atlanta, flew to Southern Oregon a couple days earlier to embrace the madness of the pre-tour preparations so noted in the previous issue of the Star Magazine. While in L.A., Woods would end his fuel-filter changing tenure with the 1983 Black Pearl wagon, and slide into Geoff Elsmore’s 1980 Reed Green European masterpiece — with the rarest option, working air conditioning. The Black Pearl wagon would then be driven by wagon-less invitees, Katie Carruth, from our beloved MBCA HQ and her new fiancé Jonny Edwards. Jonny would not only speak with a fabulous British accent, he had perfect hair; and annoyingly, it would remain poised regardless of whether he was a sidesleeper or slept on his back. This dashing couple flew in the day before, picked up their ride at the kick-off party at Dukes in Malibu, and have arrived less like a camping couple and more like
a fashion couple. Pure sizzle. They arrived at the pier parking lot in time to see another long-distance attendee, Alyce Miller. Alyce left several days earlier and rocked her 1983 Astral Silver from Chicago to LA, alone, all the while memorializing her voyage in terrific photos. Her next three Death Valley days would be a small fraction of the several thousand mile drive she so enjoyed trouble-free.
“In two minutes, safety meeting in the middle!” exclaimed our leader, as he headed through the crowd. This safety meeting was more of a “this is what we will be doing and where we will be going” meeting, since
nobody knew exactly where the tour was headed. Yes, Death Valley was in the title, but only Blue knew the route and he was adamant about keeping that a secret. We later learned, inquisition-style, he had an unusual reason for not divulging the route. He felt that because of the internet and its seemingly endless supply of “been there, done that” information and influencers, by not really knowing where we would be going, it would allow people to be more present and not do so much research as to ruin the spontaneity of un-known travel. Pontificating, “If you don’t know where we are going, you won’t have any expectations, good or bad. You will, in some sense, be forced to take the journey at face value and share it with only your travel mates in real time, being completely present and thus building in person friendships.“ Be. Here. Now.
Professional grade walkie-talkies were rented for the weekend by the same vendor Blue had used on so many films in years past, so a special how-to demonstration was performed. Number one; Please let go of the microphone once you have transmitted, if you do not, we will only hear your transmission forever, including when you are in the bathroom. Only transmit what you really want to say. Hail or call for your recipient on channel one, then switch to two for any lengthy conversation, and be guaranteed that nearly everyone switches to channel
two to hear your conversation or gossip. If you think you are alone on two, everyone will be there listening; guaranteed. If you want to be sneaky, tell your friend in-person, not on the radio, which actual channel to switch to so that when you say ”Go to channel two”you really switch to your secret predetermined channel for privacy. This was the insider’s tip. Nobody knew there would be professional radios on hand, but Blue reminded all of us at some point later in the day, this would be our only communication between ourselves as phones would stop working for the rest of the weekend. It was not long before the use of trucker’s CB language would come into play, and not stop ... all weekend.
There were three stand-out notations in the safety meeting: 1. “Stay a good five-six car lengths away from the wagon in front of you while traveling at driving speeds to allow every other psychotic Los Angeleno driver to cut in and out of traffic without us holding them up. 2. Drive with your headlights on, and foglights, too. This will allow you to look in your rearview mirror and instantly recognize one of our group, since nearly all cars now have daytime driving lights but not foglights.
Yes, Death Valley was in the title, but only Blue knew the route and he was adamant about keeping that a secret.
3. Since nobody has a map or knows where we are going except the person in front, pay attention and keep in the procession, do not get dropped.”
Above: “And of course it will go a million miles” - exclaims Tambi Haron.
Diesels are chugging, tourists are staring, we are tack sharp, lined up in the parking lot and ready to roll! Radio check for each car, lights on and out we go. It’s always exciting to finally get on the road after lots of preparation for a road trip. To look in the rearview mirror and dreamily make out only wagons strung out seemingly as far as you can see is fantastic. The walkie squaks, it’s Blue again. “Please don’t be tempted to rush out of the parking lot onto PCH just to be in the procession, we will all eventually get in line, when we settle in, at a steady speed, in the same lane. We have radios to let each other know if something or someone is hung up.” Then, the first of
what would seem like a million fun and memorable radio transmissions came through with a hint of an attempted Southern accent. “10-4 good buddy!” then silence. More silence. Simon, our 19-year-old (AP) sponsored W 123 nut who flew from Germany for the Tour, and who loves and collects everything American road-culture related, came back on the radio, nice and clear he said, “ I have been waiting my whole life to say that!”
The first stop lies about an hour north of Los Angeles in Mojave where we will fuel up. We pull into the Chevron which had been scouted out beforehand as the most spacious and easiest to fill up without blocking everything, ever. It is really only a top off, having just covered the first hour, but the next fuel station is lonely, and all the way on the edge of Death Valley, and with only one pump, which would take forever.
Go green but stay lavender. Kieran and Tracy Mullaney pulled into the station but passed the pump and parked in a parking space. Kieran proceeds to take out his soybean containers and fill up his wagon while Tracy, with lavender hair, helped out. They had calculated what they thought the entire route may be and brought enough veggie oil in the trunk to make the trip. Blue asked how much money he thought Kieran was saving by running veggie oil on this tour, and Kieran quipped, “I don’t know, how much does diesel cost these days?” Kieran has been driving only
on veggie oil for over 10, non-filter plugging years. As we all exit the station, someone on the radio mentions that it smells like french fries, the whole time, not knowing about our alternative fuel lovers. An anonymous radio response blurts, “Oh, Kieran’s wagon is running on veggie oil; you must be behind him.”
The nearly deserted back roads between here and the next stop, the impossibly scenic Trona Pinnacles, offer a special chance to get the wagons up to a greater speed than is usually experienced during normal driving. As we reach the summit of a very long and steep ascent, Blue explains on the radio that the following descent has no roads that come in from the sides, no turns, nothing to yield to and an 11-mile straight 6% grade; an unobstructed “opportunity”. Punch it. Someone responded “Oh, I have been punching it since we left Mohave.” (Diesel Mercedes-Benz humor there). “75, 85, 95, …100, I’m going 100!” The wagon train has left the station! Several people got their wagons to the magical century mark, not a closed circuit, not with professional drivers, and not under strict safety measures. It must have been
Above: A world supply of roof cross bars.
Opposite: The wagon-train has left the Pinnacles!
Someone on the radio mentions that it smells like french fries the whole time, not knowing about our alternative fuel lovers.
some kind of world record, a dozen, 20 or more S 123 wagons all going that speed together?
As we cool down our turbos, we eagerly arrive at the first of many scenic detours, only this one will be via a dirt road, and 15 miles of it. Our Wagon Master had scouted the route and, at our second trail-head safety meeting, let us know that, “yes your wagon will get a little dirty but not thrashed, and since he regarded his wagon as immensely
precious and the lowest ground clearance wagon on the tour, everyone else should be fine to proceed; just follow the line of your fellow wanderer ahead of you. It was highly recommended that we all stay very far apart since there would be nobody else on the road to hold up, so the dirt would not choke everyone out,; plus, during the scout, this dirt road route was timed out, with windows down at a maximum of 15 mph to make the day’s schedule. No need to hurry. To go from 100 mph less than 10 minutes earlier, to 10 mph seemed like torture. However, the experience of waiting for a cargo train in the middle of a white dry lakebed, then having to drive through deep sand over a huge rocky plateau while watching a magnificent brooding stormy sky, was well worth it. Slowly, we creaked and jittered up through the narrow, dusty, jeep-like paths until we rounded a monolithic outcropping into a clearing. “When you park, resist the urge to park parallel to each other, don’t park with any sense of uniformity, spread out and mix it up, you’ll see why” cracked out on channel one. Of course Simon replied with “10-4 good buddy.”
What came next was almost mystical. We had stopped smack in the middle of the Trona Pinnacles, a grouping of dramatic tufa spires, some as high as 140 feet. Coupled with the nearly black cumulonimbus clouds towering above, the pinnacles felt other-worldly. This would be our lunch stop, but people were too excited, and leaped out to take photos and climb up to get elevated views. I believe it was Cooper Davis, our 19-year-old photographer, who exclaimed, “Wow. It looks like you took a handful of Matchbox wagons and threw them out into the desert!” It was spectacular, and getting a few miles of dirt roads in helped to make us all feel like real adventurers. Everyone is radioed to pull over on a long stretch of straight road visible for a safe distance in each direction. Blue drives ahead to the evening’s secret campsite, to check for a surprise lake or other unexpected restrictions. Plus, once down the dirt track that leads there, you cannot back out. He is doing this because in recent months, there was a record amount of rainfall in the area, even though the region is famous for being one of the driest places on Earth. The campsite had been completely flooded only a few weeks before, so each week since the flood, having all been hot, Blue would photograph and measure the amount of visible shrinkage of the unexpected lake that had formed, right in the middle of where the wagon circle would be for camping. With this data, he had hoped to calculate when the lake would dry up enough to provide firm ground for the caravan, plus sufficient room for everyone, and all before the temperatures would be too high, and the Superbloom would still be present. This is the type of prep that working on film sets in production for 20 years will get you.
When Blue selected the suggested tour dates there were two mitigating factors, one being quite serious and the other being quite fanciful; the weather and the Superbloom. The weather and temperature were the primary concern. The world record temperature on Earth of 134 degrees Fahrenheit was set in Death Valley, and even in April, the temps can rise to over 100 F. It is not called Paradise Valley, nor will it ever be. April would be the month he chose because this is the last reasonable-temperature month to travel through Death Valley, with more than 50 people, in 40-year-old high(er) mile classics with no air conditioning (minus lucky dog Geoff Elsmore’s 1980 Reed Green masterpiece). The Superbloom would be the second determining factor. Blue had traveled all throughout Death Valley several times in the previous weeks and months to survey the routes and to wait for any sign of the coming floral phenomena. Apparently, Mommy and Daddy used to take baby Blue to Death Valley as a precious child to witness this, and he has been coming back for nearly 50 years. For a very short period of time each Spring in Death Valley, there is a somewhat predictable wet period and then, boom goes the Superbloom. Wispy white and yellow flowers, especially the Desert Fivespot pop up in large swaths throughout the region. Once this record huge rainstorm and flood arrived, it would only be a short time later for the ideal time to do the tour, so there was a bit of rolling the dice as to whether or not this would all line up together, with peoples availability for a last minute tour date.
Returning to the awaiting roadside party, the green light was given to follow Blue to the turnoff, not yet in view. No road sign, no marker, no nothing. To mark where the turn off of he Highway would be, was a mystery, and since Blue famously does not use a GPS, he would have just memorized where the dirty detour would be. Down a single track lane of fine silt and on to a picture-perfect dry lake bed we went. Blue stopped his 679,000 mile wagon off to one side and personally guided each W123 out onto the lake bed in order to park everyone into an equidistant circle. Everyone would be parked with the back of their wagons facing outward in order to have the most privacy and the best view when sleeping. This was, after all, the Wagon Tour and not the Sedan Tour or bring your tent tour. The whole point of inviting only wagons, was so that we could sleep in the back, and hopefully with the rear hatches opened. Out came the food and lots of it. Both Eddie and Manny volunteered to help create the menu and the first evening’s dinner was to be served up just at sunset. Lest we forget the real genius behind the evening’s Food Network Diners and Dry Lake Beds lost episode, Mrs Gonzales, Eddie and Manny’s mom. She and Eddie made many trips to the SuperMercado in Altadena, hand selecting the ingredients for a few of the meals we would all come to enjoy and expect. Expect, because
Above: Eddie and Manny Gonzalez prepare their mom’s famous home cooked surprise. Opposite bottom: The famed Wagon circle near Death Valley.
she had prepared the last DV Tour’s meals as well and now folks were borderline belligerent in demanding Mrs Gonzales cuisine. Out came the tables, pots and pans, carne asada and cilantro, chips and salsa, and a seemingly endless array of food stuffs for our evening’s dinner. Meanwhile, Herr Leader went about visiting each and every camper to make sure that their wagon-nests would be set up before dark. This would be an important task for everyone because we were reminded that once dark, and no moon up, it would be pitch black- like hiding-ina-closet kind of dark. This area was so remote that there would be no light pollution visible from any city, and in fact, this site was specifically chosen because its proudly listed on the Dark Sky International’s list of…yes, darkest places on Earth. Flushed with activity, Blue paused to remove the latrine from his wagon and marched out many paces to the perimeter of the dry lake to establish the portable restroom complete with tent, hanging LED lights and a copy of a Mercedes enthusiast magazine. Meanwhile Sam Golden, Andrew Suarez and Richard Ingram helped to gather the brought-along-wood to be
placed in the center of the Wagon Circle, while others, beating on bare-chests, retrieved large rocks to make the proverbial Fire Pit.
After dinner, a post day-one, 3 Point Social Club emerged complete with music, storytelling and booze. Then, as the California sun faded away, the intensity of the starry night began to hush the crowd, and we all took in the magnificent, ink black sky punctuated with zooming satellites, none of which were of use this evening, and the bursting Milky Way, which seemed to stretch from horizon to horizon. One final announcement about the day’s schedule, wake up time, pre-dawn optional ridge-topping hike and other treats ahead, but with a last, best question, “What was your favorite part of the day?”
Sharing many of the same highlights, round and round we all went, laughing, communicating in person…. and bonding. As the group slowly thinned out, while folks hopefully headed to their respective wagons, just a couple stragglers remained by the last fire-pit embers, bragging about their trusty W123 wagons. What magic- and it was only day one.
Campbell’s Kingdom
A Great Mercedes-Benz
BY KARL LUDVIGSEN
HAVING WON TWO GRANDS PRIX BEFORE THE GREAT WAR, MERCEDES-BENZ LAUNCHED FERDINAND PORSCHE ON A CAMPAIGN OF GREAT POST-WAR SUPERCHARGED CARS. AN APOGEE WAS THE MAGNIFICENT 1928-1929 MODEL SS, A TITAN FOR BOTH THE ROAD AND RACING.
Joining Mercedes-making Daimler in 1923, Ferdinand Porsche created a new prestige model for the company in 1924. Riding on a wheelbase with the ceremonial length of 147.5 inches, the Mercedes 24/100/140 six weighed just over 5,000 pounds with an open touring-car body. More innovative than the chassis was its power unit, which boldly bore the marks of Porsche’s authorship. With cylinder dimensions of 94 x 150 mm (6,242 cc), it had features reminiscent of Porsche’s Austro Daimler AD 617 such as four main bearings, tubular connecting rods with four-bolt big ends — and drive to its single overhead camshaft by a king shaft at the rear.
A highlight of the new range was its supercharger. This was unique among big touring cars at the time, a feature that was reflected in the model’s name. Its normal output of 100 brake horsepower (bhp) jumped
to 140 bhp when the driver put his foot to the floor. The Roots-type blower was turned at triple crankshaft speed by bevel step-up gearing at the front of the engine. Its large drive bevel was engaged when needed by a steel multiple disc clutch sliding on splines on a short stub shaft which was mated by a conical joint to the nose of the crankshaft. The result was not only more power but also a shriek from the charger that alerted lesser cars to stay out of the way.
The engine’s 4.7:1 compression ratio was supercharged at a pressure of 6 psi. “The system was a brutal one,” wrote Griffith Borgeson of the foot-engaged blower, “which imposed a lead-footed, all-off or all-on style upon many drivers who could have done without it. But these contrary traits were part of the character of the brutes. The kamikaze blower aside, they were fundamentally solid beyond description.”
By July of 1925 a DMG board meeting was informed that 180 of the new model were in the hands of customers, “of which a large number were hitherto running to the satisfaction of their owners.” This prestige model was unchallenged at the top of the company’s range. It performed well in the marketplace, with a total of 1,150 produced until the model was discontinued after April 1930.
Though emphatically neither racing machines nor even sports models, these supercharged six-liter sixes were of such quality that they performed well in sprint events and reliability trials as early as mid-1925. To facilitate such activities Ferdinand Porsche produced a handful of chassis reduced in wheelbase to 133.9 inches. These were prototypes of a new model introduced in 1926, known as the Model K for “kurz” or “short”. The Model K was raced by the factory and became a favorite of private teams and drivers.
During 1926 this newest Mercedes became a MercedesBenz in the wake of the mid-year creation of the Daimler-Benz AG. The K’s top speed of better than 90 mph at launch ranked it among the world’s fastest production cars — perhaps the fastest. The original long-wheelbase Model 600 remained in production until 1929; for RM2,000 extra it could be fitted with the more powerful dual-ignition engine.
Among new features of the Model K were three exhaust pipes emerging from the right-hand side of the hood, each protected by a flexible nickel-plated brass sheath.
The K’s top speed of better than 90 mph at launch ranked it among the world’s fastest production cars.
Blending into the single pipe to the rear, they created a new hallmark of the supercharged Mercedes-Benz that had a lengthy lifetime.
Its potency brought satisfying sports and racing successes to the short-wheelbase Model K. But starting in 1927 a new Mercedes-Benz derived from it was winning major competitions and waving the flag of the threepointed star in its home country as never before. This was the Type 680 or Model S in its first appearance, Rudi Caracciola winning the first-ever race on the new Nürburgring and Otto Merz the German Grand Prix a month later. Much lower, its hood rubbing the top of its engine, the S-Type was far lighter with an aluminum body and stripped for action. Caracciola was clocked at 120.8 mph in a speed trial at Antwerp. There was no doubt that this new car was a smashing success as a racer in spite
of its touring ancestry.
The new Model S (for ‘Sport’) was as close as the engineers could come to a pure racing machine. It kept the same wheelbase and track as the K but was radically lower. A dual-ignition cylinder head, optional on the Model K, was carried over to the S. Its supercharger provided a boost of some 7 psi to the “normal” Model S engine. This delivered an unblown 120 bhp at 2,800 rpm, rising to 180 bhp at 3,000 rpm with its compressor engaged. With higher compression ratios, benzol fuel and more radical valve timing the cars prepared by the factory for racing produced up to 225 bhp.
The new engine bedded down in a lighter chassis, completely revised for the Type 680. Its deep channel section frame was entirely new, fashioned of steel now 4 mm thick, giving a 20 percent weight saving. It dipped lower between the axles and rose higher above them, especially at the rear, where the leaf springs passed under the axle instead of above it.
With its ground clearance cut to six inches, the Model S was not a millimeter taller than its engine forced it to be. To reduce height and improve weight distribution, the engine was moved rearward by more than a foot and lowered as well. The fuel tank was tucked in so close to the rear axle that its leading edge was indented to provide clearance for the differential housing.
This was a true thoroughbred sports-racer. Britain’s
“Motor Sport” summed it up as follows: “At high speeds the chief impression of sound is from the supercharger, which maintains a shrill scream not unlike a siren and is most awe-inspiring. The ‘Merc’ is a veritable greyhound of the road. It can hold its own with and even beat anything, no matter what its power.”
Potent thought they were, these power units were replaced on the Untertürkheim assembly lines of 1928 by an update of the wet-liner M 06 produced by Ferdinand Porsche’s central engineering office. Its bore was opened another two mm to make its dimensions 100 x 150 mm (7,069 cc). With this came new all-aluminum pistons. Connecting rods adopted I-section shanks. Wrist pins were free to float.
This was the final official version of the M 06 as it was fitted during 1928 to Mercedes-Benz cars. It was offered with a 6.2:1 compression ratio, on which it delivered 170 unblown bhp at 2,800 rpm and 225 bhp at 3,300 rpm with the compressor in operation. Such cars were styled as 27/170/225 models on the Continent and 38/250 types in the UK. Indeed 38/250 was to become the talisman of this generation of Porsche’s six in Anglophone markets.
Opposite top: The radiator had to be lowered as well to suit the S and SS. These cars had a Porsche-patented front axle that hid its mechanical-brake mechanism. Below: Showing a richly endowed dashboard and rugged four-speed gearbox, the display model pictured a powerful motorcar.
To underline the significance of its improved engine the M 06-engined S became the Model SS in 1928. It was identified as such in the January 20, 1929 price list, which offered it for RM31,000 as a chassis and RM35,000 with ‘four-seater’ bodywork. The Model S was still cataloged with the pre-M 06 engine for RM26,000 in chassis form and RM30,000 when bodied. From 1929 onward ‘Model SS’ meant the 133.9-inch chassis with the M 06 engine equipped to take either the higher Type 710 bodywork or the lower line associated with the Type 680.
Identified as the M 06 S, the improved version of Porsche’s engine was sold in 1929 with a designation of 26/190/250 for the car, reflecting its enhanced horse -
power. Racing engines with this combination attained 275 bhp, a version that was not offered to private entrants. Starting in 1928 the racing cars’ aluminum bodies had dispensed with doors for the notional rear-seat occupants and wore cycle wings of the same light alloy.
Britain’s wealthy and respected Earl Howe bought such a Model SS, licensing it as UW302. Howe raced it with success, attracting the attention of his friend Malcolm Campbell. This famous motorist “borrowed UW302 for a few days and liked it so much that he ordered a similar model for himself.” Almost a throwaway line, that remark by Rivers Fletcher marked the beginning of a saga of speed. Campbell’s trial of
Howe’s ex-Caracciola Mercedes-Benz included laps at Brooklands in company with the Earl.
“Campbell’s car came very quickly,” Rivers continued, “and painted in his ‘Blue Bird Blue’. On April 8, 1930 Campbell’s order was passed to Untertürkheim by British Mercedes-Benz Ltd. On April 18 the DBAG logged Campbell’s requests, including his specific blue livery. This was applied to beech-framed Sindelfingen Sport body number 923283, a 1928 body that evidence suggests was fitted to a works SS raced in the 1928 German G. P.
The Speed King’s Model SS, with chassis 36356 and engine 76119, was cleared for release on May 5 and bound for London on the seventh. The machine was delivered
“On the ninth lap alone he picked up four places.”
to its new owner at Brooklands, where he tested it on the Brooklands outer circuit together with Lord Howe and Leslie Callingham.
Campbell raced the blue machine effectively. Rivers Fletcher had a vivid recollection of riding with Campbell during practice at Brooklands, “taking the top corner under the Member’s Bridge in second gear, Campbell with his foot down, the supercharger screaming and the inside rear wheel spinning, snaking away from the corner.” In the race “Campbell, using his blower and gears to their utmost, drew ahead,” added “Motor Sport, “and his handling of the big car was magnificent.”
In 1931 Sir Malcolm, as he became, had more missions for his Mercedes-Benz. For the Whitsun Meeting at Brooklands on May 25 he wheeled out his world-record setting Blue Bird for a few celebratory laps between races seven and eight. Then he and his mechanic Leo Villa boarded the stripped Mercedes-Benz to race from scratch in the ten-lap Mountain Speed Handicap. “Campbell was going great guns in the Merc,” attested “Motor Sport”. “On the ninth lap alone he picked up four places.”
“The race was witnessed by a close friend of Campbell’s,” Fletcher added, “Bernard Davis, the sales manager of Jack Barclays who was leading Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz agents. When Davis asked if he could borrow the Mercedes-Benz for a couple of races Campbell was pleased to do a deal enabling Davis to hire the car and the services of Leo Villa for the Irish Grand Prix and Tourist Trophy races in 1931.” The blue racer was refitted with its road equipment and tested by Davis at Brooklands in readiness for the big-car race of the Irish Grand Prix on June 6. Bernard Davis benefited from tips from Campbell and handled GP10 with the elan of a veteran, matching Lord Howe’s ex-Caracciola SS as they roared away from the start. At two-thirds distance in the 300-mile race the fine-car salesman brought his leased Mercedes-Benz into third place, later finishing sixth.
“Then Davis had trouble with his supercharger not engaging properly,” Scott-Moncrieff added, “and came in for a brief pit stop, which only partially restored its efficiency. At this time he had been running fifth but his blower trouble cost him fifth place to Lord Howe and he finished sixth, 52 seconds behind Howe after three and a half hours’ driving.”
Sir Malcolm resumed piloting of GP10 for the 1931 Autumn Meeting at Brooklands, closing the season on October 17. His focus for the meeting was the third race, 15 laps for the Mountain Championship, innovative for the Surrey track in being a scratch race with no handicaps. Campbell was determined to win bragging rights for the winter season in what so far had proved one of the fastest cars over the Mountain Circuit. “Campbell made his customary demon start,” said Rivers Fletcher, “and led Birkin for the first three laps, using the blower harder than ever in second and third gears, but Birkin went past, increased his lead, equaling the lap record and Campbell had to be content with second place.”
“This event will not soon be forgotten by those who saw it,” said “Motor Sport”, recalling how Birkin hounded Campbell, “making every effort to get by. Lap after lap he tried to pass on the corners and gradually gained on him ‘til he managed to get by right on the rim of the track at the top corner.” Sir Malcolm then fended off the ardent attentions of the 2.3-liter Grand Prix Bugatti of Clifton Penn Hughes, who finished third.
Having acquired a pair of V12-engined Sunbeams that required an extensive makeover, Campbell decided to dispose of GP10. The advertisement by Brooklands Motor Company of London’s Great Portland Street on September 9, 1932 made the following offer: “MercedesBenz 38-250hp, supercharged standard International TT regulation sports 4-seater body, painted blue, owned by Capt. Sir Malcolm Campbell, is absolutely as when delivered and condition as new; any inspection or trial; price £850, or terms.”
Mercedes-Benz aficionado Edward Mayer was unable to resist this opportunity. “The 38/250,” he wrote, “is in my opinion one of the very best models ever turned out, and with open sporting body from the Mercedes coachbuilding works at Sindelfingen, near Stuttgart, I think looked magnificent.” Mayer enjoyed several Model SS Mercedes-Benz and is likely to have owned GP10 for a spell in the 1930s. During this period the car was repainted in German racing white.
Opposite top: Improvements to its seven-liter six were at the heart of the SS. The supercharger at the left blew through twin carburetors expressly designed for the purpose.
Opposite bottom: In the August 17, 1929 Tourist Trophy in Ireland, Otto Merz drove number 71 and Caracciola number 20.
Laid up during the conflict after an overhaul by Robert Arbuthnot, GP10 came back into circulation soon after the end of war in Europe. An early appeal for a new owner came from Brian Finglass of Bugatti Sales and Service in Tulse Hill, pricing it at £875. “In 1944,” related Rivers Fletcher, “One of our great friends, and a customer, was John M. James who had a rather shot Mercedes-Benz SSK.
It looked and sounded very impressive but when we tried it we found that it had nothing like the performance of Lord Howe’s SS model which I had been driving. James sold it and was able to buy GP10 instead.”
“Before taking over,” James told “The Autocar”, “I had the blower exchanged for a larger one, which made a very definite improvement in performance right through the speed range. Besides making a delightful noise, the blower really does give that authentic ‘kick in the back’ when applied at the right moment. The gearbox is just right, giving nearly 70 mph on second and more than enough to frighten my wife in third.”
“GP10 was in fine fettle,” said Rivers Fletcher, “only needing some adjustments so we prepared it for racing for John James. With very good rapport with the police, partly through my previous experience as a consultant to the Vice Squad of Scotland Yard, we had every cooperation with the police to test our fast cars on the Watford and Denham bypass roads.”
James, who was one of the up-and-coming drivers, had no need to race the Mercedes-Benz with a 2.3-liter Alfa Romeo at his disposal, so his ownership of GP10 was relatively brief. The advertisements offering it for sale drew the attention of Dr. A. K. Miller, who became the car’s owner in 1948. In these years and the early 1950s the SS’s body was a gunmetal grey. Miller’s ownership ended tragically, he told a later keeper, when his son took the car without his permission and turned it over in a ditch, killing himself.
In 1953 Les Sweetland was GP10’s owner, having bought it for £585. He was the last in Britain to care for it for a spell. By 1954 it was in Canada, on show in a collection whose identity has been lost to history. In the mid-1960s the SS was acquired by Harry Resnick,
who with his brother had hit the jackpot by producing antennas during the boom in television viewing. A resident of Ellenville in New York’s Catskill Mountains, Resnick established the Ellenville Motor Museum to house his collection of some four dozen cars.
When the Ellenville collection was dissolved in 1972 a car spotter named John Warth was paying attention. Warth realized that the Mercedes-Benz might appeal to successful author and historian Alan Clark, who had just been selected as a candidate for Parliament. Acquiring the historic Mercedes-Benz was no minor matter for Clark, who noted in his diary for November 26, 1972 that “purchase of the great 38/250 ex Malcolm Campbell, a most important car, means must rationalize down to eight in the collection, plus a few favorites plus trading oddments. Can get by with a bit of scratching, sell about 20,000 [pounds] worth of cars.”
Alan Clark turned the car over to Alverton, Stratford”s Jonathan Harley for a restoration that cost on the order of £5,000. Clark wrote relatively little about GP10. At Goodwood he “noticed that its manner of going was just as belchingly hesitant as after I had written the last check on the restorer’s bill.” Always open to an opportunity to sell a car for a profit, Clark accepted an offer of £38,000
Above: High on the banking at Brooklands in 1931, Malcolm Campbell was a force to be reckoned with at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz SS, soon to be licensed as GP10. Opposite: Since 1991 the Kern family in Grossmascheid, Germany has owned GP10. As experts in the car itself and its restoration they are without peer as proprietors.
for GP10 in 1973 “and thought how clever I had been.”
Purchaser of the ex-Campbell Mercedes-Benz was T. A. “Bob” Roberts for his Midland Motor Museum. For Roberts GP10 was a real treasure that he said was “one of the last cars he would wish to sell.” During his ownership the car had outings in the hands of enthusiasts and members of the press.
In 1984 Bob Roberts succumbed to an offer from Ronald Stern of Hampstead. In 1989 Rivers Fletcher caught up with the car at a Prescott hill-climb meeting, at which he had a go in the white machine: “We knew that the Mercedes would be far too big for Prescott, far too long for the tight corners, but great fun and an interesting challenge. In effect no practice and one run to find out where the controls are, then just one for the event. But I loved it.”
In 1991 GP10 was bought by Peterheinz Kern in Grossmascheid, Germany. In 2000 ownership passed to his son Markus, who intends a similar transfer to his son Lukas in due course. Manifestly the car is in the hands of a family that deeply appreciates its attributes and its history. “As an engineer my father engaged very deeply with the history of this fascinating car,” said Markus, “and learned a lot from a technical perspective through intensive study of our original drawings and parts lists.” Markus Kern carries on in this tradition.
Among the highlights of the Kerns’ assessment of GP10
has been their discovery of original Blue Bird Blue on the back of the front seat, under some bolts and washers and on other areas of the chassis. An RAC scrutineering stamp on its crankcase adds to the authenticity of a car that is still in its original specification.
Always eager for fast motoring, GP10 has travelled the globe with the Kerns. Peterheinz took it on the Mille Miglia in 1992, soon after it joined their fleet, and in 1994 drove it in a Silverstone classic meet. GP10 was at Goodwood in 1998 and won its class there in 2001. It raced in the 2002 Le Mans Classic and was one of the stars at a recreation of the Ards TT in 2003. It took part in the Goodwood Revival from 2003 to 2007, twice driving there on the road from Grossmascheid.
Son Lukas, then 13, joined the Kerns when they took GP10 to Laguna Seca and Pebble Beach in 2007. The historic SS has often been to the classic races at the Nürburgring, the ADAC Eifelrennen and AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix, and took part in the Double Twelve at Brooklands in 2011.
Stretching her legs with the author aboard, GP10 flaunted the agile handling that Captain Campbell exploited so well and fierce acceleration with the blower engaged, a Ride of the Valkyries to put Richard Wagner to shame. The fastest car of its kind in its day, this Model SS Mercedes-Benz still has muscles to spare.
Marco Polo Years of
STAR EDITORIAL TEAM
For over 40 years, the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo has been so much more than a camper van; a trusted companion for road trips, a home on wheels, and a key to adventure for families and explorers. Since its premiere in 1984 as the lovable “Bremer Transporter,” the Marco Polo has raised the bar in the compact camper class. Fast-forward to the present day, and it is still the frontrunner, since 2015 on the slick V-Class chassis. What a ride; full of innovation, comfort, and style. While celebrating its storied history, we are even preparing for an electrifying future right around the bend.
Back to the Beginning: The 1984 Marco Polo on
the “Bremer Transporter”.
Mercedes-Benz recognized that the world was eager to have a vehicle that would drive like a dream and double as a cozy home away from home. Finally, in 1984, the first Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo, aptly named after the great Venetian explorer, was launched. This camper was built on the T1 van platform, affectionately called the “Bremer Transporter” since it rolled off the production line in Bremen, Germany.
The first-gen Marco Polo sure could turn some heads. It stood tall at almost 2.97 meters (9.74 feet) high, with a stubby nose and that Bahama beige paint job; a color no serious camper could do without back in the 1980s. The brown-beige interior exuded warmth and the feeling of being at home, wherever the road may take one. Appearance was not all that mattered. This was a very practical and comfortable camper; a pop-up roof bed, a bench
seat converting into a bunk, and swiveling front seats, all combining to provide a versatile living area. The kitchenette came complete with a sink, a cooker, and a refrigerator box; everything you might need to prepare a meal after a day of sightseeing. Plenty of cupboard and drawer space meant you could pack all the essentials; and maybe a few non-essentials as well. A slight facelift in 1988 kept the design fresh, but the heart and soul of the Marco Polo remained the same. The Marco Polo was not just a camper; it was a passport to adventure. To such people, families, and lone travelers, open roads became a place of freedom and not sacrifice. From cruising through Europe’s countryside to trekking deep into Asia, the Marco Polo symbolized reliability and wanderlust.
Above: Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo, aptly named after the great Venetian explorer. Opposite top: Open roads became a place of freedom and not sacrifice. Opposite bottom: The first-gen Marco Polo sure could turn some heads. It stood tall at almost 2.97 meters (9.74 feet) high, with a stubby nose and that Bahama beige paint job.
The Compact Revolution: 1996 Marco Polo on the Vito
As the 1990s rolled in, city living and the daily commute began to grow as a facet of life, and thus, people needed a camper that would be as comfortable tackling the concrete jungle as it was the green. The second generation of Marco Polo debuted in 1996 from Mercedes-Benz; this time riding on the bones of the Vito van. Big news? It was below two meters (6.56 feet)tall, thanks to a clever pop-up roof. Suddenly, fitting into parking garages and zipping through city streets was no longer a problem.
Inside, the camper became even more functional. The rear seat and bunk installation was set up on rails so that you could modulate the interior space according to your needs. Cupboards with roller shutters made getting to your gear easy, and the table was ingeniously stashed away in the sliding door when you did not need it. These tweaks made the Marco Polo not only a weekend getaway car but a solid option for everyday driving. This model appealed to a broader crowd; adventurous singles, couples, and small families looking for flexibility without giving up on the camper experience. A refresh in 1999 kept it ahead of the game, blending practicality with that signature Mercedes-Benz comfort.
Stepping Up the Game:
2003 Marco Polo on the Viano
In 2003, Mercedes-Benz cranked things up a notch with the third-gen Marco Polo, now riding on the Viano platform. This was all about elevating the camping experience to the next level with added luxury and state-of-the-art features. The camper scene was hot, and Mercedes-Benz simply could not stand and watch. One of the coolest new features was the electric pop-up roof. Setting up camp became as easy as pushing a button. The roof bed now boasted point-elastic spring elements that made for some seriously comfy sleep-even scoring the “Aktion Gesunder Rücken” (AGR) seal for orthopedic comfort. The rear bench seat sported electrically folding backrests, while air cushions in the seats provided better support whether you were cruising down the highway or kicking back and relaxing at the campsite.
Above: The 2010 facelift of the Marco Polo remained the benchmark that other campers strived to beat. Opposite: It was “glamping” before glamping was even a thing.
Inside, the finest materials adorned the interior. It was a truly upmarket offering to slot into the rest of the Mercedes-Benz portfolio. Marco Polo technologically ahead of its time as comfort and innovation blended with panache. The 2010 facelift of the Marco Polo remained the benchmark that other campers strived to beat. Indeed, it was a game-changing generation; a generation which appealed to travelers who wanted to explore and enjoy the finer things in life. It was “glamping” before glamping was even a thing: a perfect mix of rugged adventure and plush comfort.
Luxury on Wheels: The 2015 V-Class Marco Polo
In 2015, the Marco Polo leaped forward once again. This time on the base of the stylish V-Class MPV. This generation perfectly mixed high-end aesthetics with everyday functionality. Mercedes-Benz refined the interior into an upscale lounge; which felt more like a hotel room with its yacht-look flooring, and programmable
atmospheric LED ambient lighting that let you set the mood whether winding down for the night or gearing up for an early morning hike. A range of high-quality trims and upholstery choices let you personalize the space to match your style. The MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia system brought voice control and seamless connectivity to your fingertips. Want to know where the nearest hiking trail is, or stream your favorite road trip playlist? Just ask. The MBAC (Mercedes-Benz Advanced Control) camper control unit turned the Marco Polo into a smart home on wheels. Adjust the lighting, check your battery levels, or control the climate-all from a central touchscreen.
A 2019 facelift and continuous updates added new features such as smart control of the AIRMATIC level system in camper mode. That meant even more comfort and stability when you are parked up for the night. The latest model, launched in summer 2023, further underlines this direction: an even swankier look and feel inside and out, with enhanced MBUX and MBAC systems offering more functions and an even smoother user experience.
Think Small, Adventure Big: 2023 Marco Polo Module
Not everyone needs a full-size camper to get their adventure on, and Mercedes-Benz is aware of various needs. Meet the Marco Polo Module, an ingenious add-on that turns small vans like the T-Class into mini campers in no time flat. Ideal for those spontaneous weekend getaways or road trips where flexibility is key. It hooks into the boot using lashing eyes and is thus easy to fit and remove should the extra space be required. It comes with a comfortable bed for two, and there is an optional kitchen unit that features a sink and bottled gas cooker. Looking for a fridge? Look in the kitchen unit. Other amenities include an auxiliary battery, blackout elements with ventilation and insect screens, window pockets for additional storage, and even a table and camping chairs. The table features two different foot options, so you can use it inside the van or outside under the stars. This modular approach opens the camper lifestyle up to more people. It is all about versatility; whether you are a seasoned road warrior or a newbie looking to dip your toes into van life.
Charging into the Future: Electric Dreams with VAN.EA
Looking ahead, Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to turn the camper van segment into an electric era. The big move? Introducing the VAN.EA modular and scalable electric-only architecture 2026 onwards. What does that mean for the Marco Polo? It’s going electric, baby! MercedesBenz is going to offer medium-sized and large all-electric RVs straight from the factory. They partnered with international RV partners to set a new industry standard for electric campers. Just imagine reconnecting to nature with no emissions and all the luxury you would expect from Mercedes-Benz. It is not just a matter of moving with the times, but also one of going green without losing even a single inch in performance and comfort. The future variants of Marco Polo will allow you to have fun on the open roads and be easy on Mother Earth.
Four Decades of Rolling Adventures
Seeing the evolution of the Marco Polo has been quite fascinating; from the towering original 1984 model to the high-tech, luxury-laden versions of today, MercedesBenz most definitely kept the spirit of adventure alive while continuously innovating. What has remained
the same is the dedication to functionality, comfort, and innovation. Every successive generation brought something different to the table, whether that meant more flexible interiors, advanced tech features, or sustainable powertrains. The Marco Polo has always been about adaptability, fitting travelers of all kinds into their unique array of needs and dreams.
The Road Ahead
With over 40 years of the Marco Polo, one can only feel thrilled about what is next. Mercedes-Benz has built, yes, a vehicle-one that had forged and established a legacy in exploration that had moved thousands of adventurers. The future of electrification is not far away. The variants in the pipeline promise the same opulence and modernity, all on green technology. It is about making new memories, finding new places, and doing it all with an old friend by your side. From revisiting memories of past road trips to mapping your next big escape, the Marco Polo is ready to roll.
Opposite: It is all about versatility; whether you are a seasoned road warrior or a newbie looking to dip your toes into van life. Above: An optional kitchen unit features a sink and bottled gas cooker.
Canadian Maritimes Road Trip
PHOTOS & TEXT BY BILL WALSH
Driving a well-sorted classic Mercedes-Benz on your favorite road trip is a special experience. The 2023 Mercedes Grande in Indianapolis and the 2023 Gullwing Group (GWG) convention in Québec City were excellent opportunities to combine a bucket list Canadian Maritimes road trip with two favorite Mercedes-Benz Club of America events. Driving this 1961 300 d Adenauer sunroof sedan would make it a vacation to remember.
My 300 d had been thoroughly refurbished for extensive road trips by Albrecht Stachel and his team at Brooklyn Motoren Werke of Brooklyn, WI, starting fall 2020. Some retrofits include a rebuilt four-speed Mercedes-Benz automatic transmission (from a 1964 300 SE) coupled with a 3.89 ring and pinion set (from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center for a 300 SL Roadster), resulting in a 20% reduction of RPMs, and the four-speed allows specific gear selection for mountain grades. It has the solid Mercedes-Benz handling and feel, paired with the interior leather, chrome and wood trim that is reminiscent of a jewelry box from behind the wheel.
I left Montana August 31, traversing North Dakota and northern Minnesota to visit friends Stan and Sheila in northern Wisconsin for the weekend. Stan and I worked together for many years and it is always great to get together. The next day I crisscrossed the Mississippi River back and forth, enjoying its riverbank scenery and cruising through small river towns of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The following day I was at Albrecht’s shop for a final pre-trip inspection and an oil change, and the car was ready.
I entered Canada via Port Huron, MI/Sarnia, ON and spent overnight at an Alpaca farm in Strathroy, ON. It was a unique rural experience that added variety to the trip. After touring Canada’s capital of Ottawa, I crossed over to Gatineau, Québec to drive the rural Québec side of the Ottawa River, en route to Montréal. After checking in at my Montréal hotel, I walked the downtown area and had dinner at a sidewalk restaurant. Downtown Montréal was lively with people all around. Walking La Vieux Montréal the next day in the morning rain was beautiful and great for photos.
From Montréal I drove the 300 d through county roads of lush green northern Vermont and New Hampshire. The next few days were spent having car fun with my friend Keith Morgan and his family, as a guest in their Maine
Opposite: Colorful village of Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. Above: Secluded wooded road, Montebello, Québec.
After touring Canada’s capital of Ottawa, I crossed over to Gatineau, Québec to drive the rural Québec side of the Ottawa River, en route to Montréal.
home. Keith’s father, Phil Morgan, dropped by for dinner.
Keith and Phil are long time MBCA members, each with mechanical know-how and driving experiences with their respective collections of classic Mercedes-Benz.
From Maine it was back into Canada overnight and the following day I was in Saint John, New Brunswick, a charming port town. From Saint John I took the ferry to Digby, Nova Scotia and drove across the island to picturesque Mahone Bay for the evening. The next day was a few hours at renowned Peggy’s Cove with its iconic lighthouse and beautiful village backdrop. I stopped in Halifax but did not spend much time in the city.
If you visit Nova Scotia, don’t miss Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail, it is stunning indeed. The scenery is
spectacular in any direction plus outstanding seafood in ordinary-looking roadside eateries. Amongst the most scenic coastal roads I have ever driven and a highlight of Nova Scotia.
The next morning I took the ferry to Prince Edward Island (PEI) and visited Charlottetown. I spent overnight in Cavendish, famous to fans of ”Anne of Green Gables”. Many who’ve visited PEI know of the red clay — it seems to be the base soil of the entire island. I drove out to North Cape, the farthest NW point on PEI. The Atlantic Ocean against the rugged colorful landscape is an impressive visual.
I left PEI via the impressive eight-mile Confederation Bridge (opened 1997) to New Brunswick (NB). Visited the Bay of Fundy with its famous tidal swings. Then northeast through the French-speaking Acadian region of NB where the most common question I get about the Adenauer in the US was the same, but in French — ”Quelle année?” (What year?). I drove to the tip of la Pointe de Miscou, which is the farthest NE point in NB; wonderfully remote and tranquil out there. The cycles of crashing waves, seagulls overhead and not many people around. Local seafood dinner and overnight in Caraquet, NB.
I had decided only weeks earlier to include the Gaspé Peninsula of Québec on the road trip to experience its
Opposite top: The Cabot Trail of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Opposite bottom: Vieux Québec; Old Town Québec. Top: Gullwing Convention Car Show, Québec City QC Above: Ontario autumn driving behind the Mercedes-Benz star.
I felt gifted to follow a gorgeous sunset that lasted an unusually long time.
famed perimeter coastal highway. This Gaspésie region is truly special. The tip of the peninsula’s perimeter is especially rocky from Percé to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts I passed through many seaside towns, exiting each town, driving up steep hillsides, then steep downhill to the next seaside town. Great driving and the views were awesome.
To escape the increasing traffic from Sainte-Anne-desMonts toward Québec City, I took the ferry at Rivière du Loup to the north side of the St. Lawrence where the route to Québec City is more bucolic and scenic.
Québec City was four days of the Gullwing Group convention held at the iconic Fairmont Chateau Frontenac. It is always great to see old friends and meet new ones. Quite a few 300 SL owners drove their cars to the convention. One member drove his 300 SL Gullwing
from Seattle and back, as he has to each previous GWG convention. It was a fabulous event.
I left Sunday morning, remaining on Québec highways as far west as possible, crossing at nightfall into Ontario at Pembroke. I felt gifted to follow a gorgeous sunset that lasted an unusually long time.
Timing and weather were on my side for Ontario’s autumn color change for these final days of the trip. Locals encouraged me to travel 150 km (93 miles) up and back Lake Superior’s coastline, great advice. The 300 d reentered the USA at Sault Ste Marie and traversed Upper Peninsula Michigan into Wisconsin. I met a friend for lunch in Lake Geneva, WI on October 5, wrapping up a memorable five-week road trip in this Adenauer with many memories and no mechanical hiccups. I dropped off the 300 d for Albrecht to complete a reasonably short to-do list over the winter.
Opposite top: Sunrise at Cavendish Beach, Prince Edward Island Opposite bottom: Lake Michigan coastline Manistique, Upper Peninsula, Michigan Below: Autumn wooded cove, Lake Huron coastline, Ontario.
The Canadian Maritimes Adenauer road trip was full of anticipated fun and unexpected treasures. Stopped a lot for photos — the scenery was wonderful. The people you meet on these trips are the bonus. I look forward to the next scenic road trip in a classic Mercedes-Benz. They never get old.
BRUNO SACCO
BRUNO SACCO — A NAME SYNONYMOUS WITH AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN EXCELLENCE, HAS PASSED AWAY, LEAVING BEHIND A LEGACY THAT TRANSCENDS GENERATIONS. OVER THE COURSE OF MORE THAN FOUR DECADES AT MERCEDES-BENZ, SACCO REDEFINED THE ART OF CAR DESIGN, CRAFTING A VISION OF ELEGANCE, FUNCTIONALITY, AND INNOVATION THAT SET THE STANDARD FOR THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY.
BBruno Sacco passed away in Sindelfingen on September 19, 2024 at the age of 90. Born in Italy, Mr. Sacco brought Italian design and merged it with the German engineering we all know and love.
Bruno Sacco was born in Udine on November 12, 1933, the son of a mountain infantry battalion commander. From an early age, Sacco showed an extraordinary intellect, graduating in 1951 as Italy’s youngest geometer at the age of just 17. That same year, a visit to the Turin Motor Show would change the course of his life forever. Immersed in a hub of groundbreaking design, where Italy’s most revered automobile designers unveiled their visionary creations, Sacco became captivated by the world of automotive form. In 1952, he enrolled at the Polytechnic University of Turin, laying the foundation for his future career. By 1955, Sacco joined the renowned Carrozzeria Ghia SpA in Turin, gaining invaluable experience in model production. There, he worked on everything from futuristic concepts that resembled spacecraft to elegantly designed cars for everyday use, refining the skills that would later define his legendary career.
At the end of 1957, Sacco met in Turin with Karl Wilfert, the head of Mercedes-Benz body testing at the Sindelfingen plant — an operation he had run since the mid-1950s. Wilfert had been developing the new Stylistics department, which Friedrich Geiger spearheaded. Paul Bracq was appointed by Wilfert as the first automotive designer in the department. After Sacco’s invitation to the Sindelfingen plant, he was hired as a second stylist in 1958. Sacco worked in pre-body development, eventually became the head of the Body Design and Dimensional Concept department. Concept models for the
Mercedes-Benz W 100 600 and W 113 230 SL “Pagoda” were being created at this time. Sacco assumed design project management for safety exhibitions and shaped the Wankel engine experimental C 111 (1969) and C 111-II (1970). His involvement helped create widely used vehicles such as the mid-range W 123 (1976-1986).
Sacco became head of the Stylistics department as Friedrich Geiger’s successor in 1975. The first vehicle he was responsible for was the S 123 station wagon, presented in 1977 as the first Mercedes-Benz station wagon. He also penned the form of the W 126 S-Class (1979-1991) and the associated C 126 Coupé (1981-1991). As said by Bruno Sacco himself decades later, “The 126 model series in all design forms is the best thing I have done for Mercedes-Benz”.
Sacco described himself as an aesthete, placing value on expression and symbol strength. One of his greatest claims about a Mercedes-Benz automobile ode itself to the fact that A Mercedes-Benz should always look like a Mercedes-Benz, with model identity to be retained from one model generation to the next to not pre-maturely age the design of previous models. Among his many striking design innovations, in 1979 Sacco introduced side-protective impact strips integrated within the front bumper of the W 126 S-Class. This design element seamlessly integrated the body with the bumpers, and would be found on other chassis such as the W 201, W 124, W 140, and R 129. Sacco also valued distinguishing features of individual models within a product line. For instance, Sacco appreciated the fact that the R 170 SLK was clearly able to distinguish itself apart from the R 129, avoiding internal competition within the model lineup.
In 1993, Sacco became a member of the board of directors at Mercedes-Benz. In this capacity, the design of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles fell within his area of responsibility as well. With Sacco as head of design, Mercedes-Benz was increasingly emphasizing aesthetics and aerodynamic efficiency. Sacco’s philosophy of timeless elegance also appealed to a younger audience. This design emphasis was originally implemented on the W 201, which introduced a new slew of customers to the Mercedes-Benz marque. Sacco’s signature style became evident in the mid 1990s, when ultra-aerodynamically efficient models such as the A-Class, M-Class, SLK, CLK, and V-Class joined to significantly expand the MercedesBenz model range. Bruno’s final responsibilities prior to retirement included the W 220 S-Class and the C 215 CL-Class luxury coupe.
Opposite: Bruno Sacco proudly in front of the W 201 model, with its spiritual successor behind it.
Among those who had the privilege of working closely with Sacco is Mr. Alfredo Stola of Stola S.p.A., whose collaborative projects with Sacco span decades. Together, they brought to life some of the most sophisticated prototypes and models in automotive history. Stola, reflecting on Sacco’s life and work, often spoke of Sacco’s unwavering commitment to perfection and his relentless pursuit of excellence. Sacco’s vision extended beyond the vehicles themselves; it influenced everyone around him, leaving an indelible mark not only on Mercedes-Benz but on the entire automotive world.
The story below has been shared with The Star® directly by Alfredo Stola. We thank him for his generosity and time.
I am honored that you asked me to tell a memory of Bruno Sacco.
The fact that Bruno Sacco came to the United States of America is interesting because, professionally speaking, he held the United States of America in the highest regard. He followed the headquarters of the Mercedes-Benz Style Center in Irvine, CA, with great attention, and the appointments at Pebble Beach during the Monterey Week were unmissable. He considered the Detroit Motor Show to be fundamental, and he made sure never to miss it, often suggesting the Detroit Motor Show as the venue to host the world premiere for many of his designs. In 2006, in
Sacco’s vision extended beyond the vehicles themselves; it influenced everyone around him, leaving an indelible mark not only on MercedesBenz but on the entire automotive world.
Dearborn, MI, his name was written in the Automotive Hall of Fame. In his speech he said “As a young designer I was inspired by American style design”.
My earliest memory with Bruno Sacco was during our initial meeting in December 1991. My family worked in the automotive sector from 1919 to 2004 specifically in the modeling of bodywork and interiors, in the construction of prototypes and show cars and related engineering, continuing with Studiotorino from 2005 to today. We worked with Bruno Sacco until April 1999 when he retired, but I continued to see and speak with him for many years afterwards.
I firmly believe that as an automotive supplier, working for Mercedes-Benz is a lifelong dream, due to the prove -
Above: The W 126—One of Sacco’s top creations. Opposite: Mr. Sacco in the design studio, circa 1992.
nance, beauty, and quality of the products. A relationship of that nature can solidify one’s reputation in the industry for life. In 1988, we at Stola S.p.A. began working on a commercial relationship with the Star Marque. It seemed like an impossible task, but we knew of a very famous Italian designer who also happened to be the Director of the Style Center, Bruno Sacco. After all, our company was well-known in the modeling sector and had an excellent reputation with the best talent and latest equipment, and also happened to be one of the oldest in the world. We had noticed his presence at the various salons in Geneva, Frankfurt and Paris, but approaching him was difficult because his time was always strictly scheduled and he was accompanied by numerous collaborators. On these occasions, I was also particularly struck by his sartorial elegance, which was perfect in every detail. Very Italian indeed. We thought, as Italians, we could walk up to Bruno Sacco to introduce ourselves and strike up a personal relationship. In this case, we could not have been more wrong. In December of 1990, after three years of deliberate plans of approach through various acquaintances, we were granted an appointment with Bruno Sacco in Sindelfingen. In these meetings, Mr. Sacco, as I called him from the first moment, always spoke to us in Italian. He was always courteous and kind. At the end of the 20 minutes he gave us, the outcome was always the same; “Thank you. We appreciate your work, but we are already perfectly organized.” The same scene happened in his office in Sindelfingen in December 1991, 1992 and 1993. Therefore, we had no hope, but we never gave up
and planned for next year’s meeting. These rejections habitually turned into a highly prestigious pre-Christmas trip for us. The city, design centers, and the environment at Mercedes-Benz were so charming. Mr. Sacco himself was rather charismatic, and his motivation, which was already organized, really seemed sincere and devoid of even the slightest arrogance.
In June 1994 in Stola S.p.A. I get a phone call from a certain Harald Leschke from the Advance Design Mercedes-Benz department (I discovered later that he was the manager of this department) who asked if Stola S.p.A. was available to build a working aluminum show car to be delivered in November, for an international exhibition in Beijing. My answer immediately was yes without hesitation — without even checking our internal workloads. The following week, Leschke himself, accompanied by his assistant Franz Leker, traveled via car (obviously a Mercedes-Benz) to Italy to meet and provide details of the project. They informed us to expect a reference model and a mechanical frame for what would become the concept for the upcoming A-Class.
The project was called FCC, an acronym for Family China Car, a competition of sorts organized by the Chinese government for the most important car manufacturers in the world to understand what the ideal car for people would be in the future. Mr. Sacco came to visit us just before the delivery (we never saw him during the five months of work), and we immediately understood that Mercedes-Benz, at least for the work of the Style Center, was the best collective environment people, talent, and
skill that we had ever worked with. It must be said that we at Stola S.p.A. practically worked for almost all the automotive manufacturers in the world. In this first project directed by Advanced Design, the authority, and leadership of Mr. Sacco were immediately clear to us based on the number of designers and managers present in the room.
Given our customer satisfaction ratings with work we had done in the past, we took the courage to propose directly to Mr. Sacco, the true core business of our company; the specialty construction of design models from metal and composite. Mercedes-Benz models were made only from clay models, a technology and a manufacturing process completely different than ours.
The project was to be completed in seven weeks, including seven days of modifications at a precise all-inclusive price. A meeting took place in Italy with our management and Mr. Sacco with Peter Pfeiffer, Deputy Director of Style for the production models.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Sacco said: “if you can convince Mr. Pfeiffer, it is not a problem for me to try this system of yours with hard materials”. They sent us the mathematical surfaces of the brand new CL203 model (which was later referred to as the C-Class Sport Coupé) and we created the model. Mr. Pfeiffer considered our technical system excellent. A second meeting was had with the model painted and finished in Turin, and Mr. Sacco proceeded to asked us if we could create six style models at the same time. Silence fell in the meeting room… the timing seemed impossible… but the challenge was too important. My Uncle Roberto Stola, CEO of the Stola company said “Yes we are ready to do the work for you; give us an extra week to deliver the last three models”. This happened, and from that moment, we became the external model shop of reference for the Mercedes-Benz Style Center. Perhaps this was our destiny, because Mr. Sacco told us that “the model and style construction factories in Sindelfingen would be demolished and rebuilt as a single building, designed by the very famous architect Renzo Piano, in cooperation with Gaggenau architectural firm C. Kohlbecker, and therefore Stola S.p.A. would be perfect for this anomalous temporary situation for two years … ”; then there will be many more. From these decisions, one can understand what autonomy of power and what consideration and trust Mr. Sacco had in Stuttgart.
One of Sacco’s most important characteristics was to surround himself with the best people; and through his competence, his correctness, and his charisma he had great results in return. It is not easy to put into words how much his colleagues respected him. I happened to attend meetings in Turin in front of a model or a show car with the top management of the time, for example, Jurgen Hubbert or Dieter Zetsche, and you cannot imagine
In his work, Mr. Sacco was more German than a German.
how these people listened with attention and total trust to his words. The fact that he was an Italian among all these Germans was even more surprising; the truth, in my opinion, is that in his work Sacco was more German than a German. A few anecdotes to describe Mr. Sacco; he would ensure his men who came to Turin driving the Mercedes-Benz for service were sharply dressed and presentable before having them park in Stola S.p.A. He organized an optional Italian language course for his designers because, in his opinion, knowing Italian would have been a positive thing considering that the greatest masters of style were Italian.
Pininfarina, Bertone, Giugiaro, Gandini were the world pinnacle of design, without forgetting the past of Vignale, Michelotti, Touring and Zagato. It was a period when car manufacturers designed watches, and Mercedes-Benz was one of the first after Porsche. One day, my Uncle Roberto Stola complimented Mr. Sacco on the watch he was wearing. Proudly, Mr. Sacco said that it had been designed by his family, and as a gesture he took it off his wrist and gave it to him. Sacco was not only a master of style for the automobile but also a master of elegance in behavior. Although it may seem impossible, in five years, there was never a reason for friction — not even the slightest manner. I believe this was due to the fact that the setting and the method of Mr. Sacco’s work and the professionalism of his colleagues lent itself to an idealistic world. His right-hand man was exceptional; Deputy Director of Series Cars, Peter Pfeiffer, Deputy Director of Heavy Vehicles, Gherard Honer, and Deputy Director of Advanced Design, Harald Leschke.
With Mr. Sacco, we basically worked every day without a minute of interruption for five years. We worked for another five with his successor, now the new Director Peter Pfeiffer, who kept the previous spirit intact. About 63 men and women from Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach visited Stola S.p.A. in those ten years. As in the traditional hierarchy of command at Mercedes-Benz, in 1999 Mr. Sacco was succeeded as director of the Style Center by his Deputy Mr. Pfeiffer and subsequently, the latter and current Gorden Wagener as of 2007. We met
Opposite: Mr. Sacco walking through the Mercedes-Benz Style Center.
Gorden Wagener in the Style Center in 1997 as we worked on the SRL project.
We stopped working for Mercedes-Benz in the summer of 2004 because we sold our company, obviously informing them in time to eventually organize themselves. Mercedes-Benz no longer gave any work to Stola S.p.A. under the new ownership. Our very last projects were two style models of the W 212 E-Class. It must be said that in these ten years with Mercedes-Benz, we created 16 perfectly functioning show cars, three papal cars, and over 70 style models between exteriors and interiors, including those for the show cars themselves.
There are many other stories I could share, but the experience of the papal cars is very special. I knew that Mercedes-Benz had always offered its unique cars to the Vatican. I once accompanied Mr. Sacco to the airport. I told him that I would have liked to participate in one of their projects for the Pope, and complimentarily offered to paint a papal car. The answer was a bit vague in the sense that he did not try too hard to make me understand if it was a yes or a no. Six months later, he called me personally and said “The time has come for the papal car and two special M-Class cars need to be built”. I was speechless, because I remembered having told him that I was offering “only” free paint for a car. He continued describing the job a bit
and then concluded that “he would have the specifications sent to us by the special cars department with a request for a quote from the purchasing office”. at that moment I recovered from the fright. One of the first projects that Sacco oversaw was Concept C111 in 1969 (as a 10-year-old, I had a 1/43 scale model). His last show car as Design Chief was the SRL Vision, created at Stola S.p.A. Between 1969 and 1999. These two cars led me to believe that Mr. Sacco was another one of those legendary designers. Forty-one years at the Style Center, of which twenty-four as Director perfectly describes his legendary career. Mr. Sacco’s designs have always been revolutionary, and now they have engrained themselves in history as we know it.
On March 31 1999, Mr. Sacco retired with numerous awards. Peter Pfeiffer succeeded him as chief designer of Mercedes-Benz. Mr. Sacco received an honorary doctorate from the University of Udine in 2002. In 2006, Mr. Sacco was admitted to the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn Michigan. In 2007, Mr. Sacco was admitted to the European Automotive Hall of Fame in Geneva.
“Mercedes-Benz has been my life, and I stand for that time one hundred percent.” — Bruno Sacco
Rest in Peace, Mr. Sacco.
By Star Editorial Team
W 220 S-CLASS 1999-2005
In 1999, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W 220 series S-Class. This new flagship was a complete departure from the Teutonic designs offered by the marque for decades prior. Mercedes-Benz ensured that the new S-Class would be just as efficient as it was luxurious. Technology was sure to pave the way for the future of the brand. The W 140 was already considered a technology marvel upon its release. Throughout the early 1990s Daimler-Benz had set a focus on technology; dabbling into various markets such as aerospace, electronics, and software. By 1996 the marque was working at cutting costs and increasing efficiency. These efforts resulted in Daimler-Benz becoming more profitable. At the same time, the W220’s design was being finalized. In 1998, the Daimler-Chrysler merger was completed. The new S-Class was designed with respect to criticism of its predecessor; the result was a modern, sumptuous design that would reimagine the S-Class forever. Designed by Steve Mattin and Bruno Sacco, the W 220 featured smaller dimensions than the W 140, yet offered more interior space. Dr. Dieter Zetche, board member at Daimler-Benz stated “In total, the new S-Class derives its desirability from the classic virtues of a Mercedes-Benz — by associating reason and emotion.
Thanks to its familiar strengths of comfort and safety it guarantees a sense of calm, and with its elegant design and well-balanced driving characteristics, it embodies sheer enjoyment”. The vehicle’s sleeker shape yielded a very low drag coefficient of 0.27 and weighed roughly 650 pounds less.
Naturally, the W 220 became the trendsetter for passenger car technology, featuring 340 patents. The new S-Class was the first car to offer DISTRONIC, a radarbased cruise control that could maintain distance between the S-Class and the vehicle in front. PARKTRONIC was a further driving aid that would assist via sensors in the front and rear bumpers. KEYLESS GO was launched. The audio system, navigation, telephone, and television controls were all integrated into one head unit named COMAND (Cockpit Management and Data system). If you opted for the COMAND unit, you also upgraded to a higher quality BOSE audio system. A linguatronics voice recognition system was further developed in conjunction with the COMAND system. In 1996, the linguatronics system could understand 30 words. In the year 2000 the system could understand 300 words. In 2001, a preventative braking system called PRE-SAFE was released. The system could recognize an imminent collision and prepare the vehicle in several ways. For instance, the system could tension the seat belts and adjust all seats to an optimal position for impact if one were to occur.
The interior of the W 220
The W 220 was engineered with automation in mind. Windshield wipers were rain sensing, and automatic headlights were connected to light sensors which would actuate the headlights and adjust the instrument cluster and center console. The climate control system was fully automatic with built-in pollen and charcoal filters. Exterior mirrors were automatically heated.
The seats were electronically adjustable with memory function with heating and ventilation. To take things a step further, they were available with multi-contour backrests and a PULSE massage function. The dynamic multicontour seat features several air chambers that inflate and deflate depending on the situation. A computer integrated into the seat could compute steering angle, lateral acceleration, and road speed and calculate the optimum inflation for the best possible occupant comfort. Technology aside, the interior was available in several leather and Nappa upholsteries and hand-polished burl walnut or Calyuptus wood trim.
Per Mercedes-Benz tradition, the W 220 was offered with several engine variants. Upon release, the new S-Class was initially available in two V8 M113 variants, the 4.3 L S 430 and 5.0 L S 500 making 279 and 306 horsepower respectively. Later, the 369 hp S 600 powered by the 5.8 L naturally aspirated M137. This powerplant was short-lived as it was replaced by a new 5.4 L twin-turbocharged M275 V12 that was capable of producing a healthy 500 hp. This S 600 could sprint to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. The S 350 powered by a 3.7 L V6 was only available for the 2006 model year. S 430 and S 500 were available with 4MATIC all-wheel drive, a first for any S-Class. The V8 and V12 cars were
developed with an optional automatic cylinder shut-off system. This system would essentially turn the S 500 into a four-cylinder when traveling at highway speeds. Fuel consumption was noted to be reduced between 13-15% when the system was activated. The system was also implemented in the V12 variant. All W 220 engines were paired to a 5-speed automatic transmission with two driving modes: S (standard) and W (wet). When in W mode, the transmission begins in second gear to minimize wheel spin in slippery conditions.
The W 220 offered two suspension options, AIRMATIC or Active Body Control (ABC), AIRMATIC is an electronic air suspension system based on ADS-II (Adaptive Dampening System) that automatically adjusts the shock absorbers depending on road conditions and surface. Active Body Control was the hallmark suspension system for the S-Class. ABC is a hydropneumatic suspension system with small dampeners and hydraulic servo-motors on the top of the strut that can compensate for virtually all body roll. This system makes the performance of the W 220 incredibly nimble and comfortable. The hydraulic system could quickly adjust the dampening, which allowed for both a comfort and a sport mode. Both suspensions allow the vehicle to be raised and lowered.
Opposite page: Mercedes-Benz W 220, S500, 1998. Alexandrite Green Metallic (891), Java interior. Above: 2002—2005, interior, instrument panel with redesigned switches and larger COMAND display as well as more than 40 modified details. Left: Multifunction steering wheel (in wood/leather combination as special equipment, code 289) with electrically adjustable steering column with automatic steering column adjustment improve entry and exit.
For those in search of more performance, AMG had the answer. The Mercedes-Benz S 55 AMG was a highly modified version of the W 220 which initially began as a naturally aspirated version of the S 500. In 2003, the S 55 was given a supercharger which boosted power output from 355 to 493 horsepower. Supercharged variants are “Kompressor”. AMG modifications did not stop there, as the brakes and wheels were modified to handle such a large amount of power in a vehicle this size. All S55s were equipped with Active Body Control. The icing on the cake was AMG-specific styling which included 18-inch AMG alloy wheels and AMG body appearance enhancements. Premium features such as dynamic multicontour seats were standard on AMG models. The holy grail of the W 220 S-Class was the S 65 AMG. Dubbed the world’s most powerful sedan, this AMG modified V12 variant was capable of producing 604 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. The S 65 would swiftly reach 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. While 0-60 is valuable in a car of this caliber, it would truly be at home on the Autobahn. With all this power, the S 65 was still able to maintain an average 17 miles per gallon on long-distance trips. For a brief month in 2001, an S 63 AMG powered by a 6.3 L V12 was sold overseas. Production was limited to around 70 units. This model was exclusively sold through AMG.
Safety
The W 220 provided many amenities. Many of which can be categorized as safety, comfort, and convenience simul -
taneously. The W 220 chassis is constructed with a combination of high-strength steel and aluminum. The W 220 featured two frontal airbags, four side curtain airbags, and two window airbags. PRE-SAFE combined with DISTRONIC resulted in an extremely safe car that actively monitors the road ahead. Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Brake Assist were standard on the W 220. Road handling was improved with 4Matic on many variants.
C 215 CL-Class Coupe
The C 215 CL is the coupe variant of the S-Class, and is based on the W 220 chassis. The CL carried on all of the features introduced by the W 220 such as DISTRONIC and ABC suspension. The design language is cohesive with the W 220, morphed into a coupe. The CL carries on the Mercedes-Benz tradition of a pillarless side window profile. The C 215 was the world’s first car to feature both low and high beam Bi-Xenon headlamps. Model variants include the CL 500, CL 55 AMG, CL 600, CL 65 AMG, and the ultra-rare CL 63 AMG which is powered by a 6.3 L V12; only 26 units were produced and was only offered overseas.
Above: Cutaway model of an S 430/S 500. Opposite: MercedesBenz S 55 AMG saloon.
Checkpoints:
• Corrosion has not fared well with the W 220. Check for corrosion at the bottom of doors, on the trunk surface, and where the fenders and bumpers meet.
• Inspect suspension system for any error codes, or apparent sag. Collapsed air struts or hydropneumatics struts can be costly to replace.
• Listen for any unusual noise from the air suspension pump. A leak in the system can cause the pump to burn out.
• Faulty electrical plug leading to transmission can fill with oil, resulting in range of shift-related transmission issues.
• Pneumatic system equipment (PSE) pump can fail due to leak within a vacuum line. A faulty pump results in various comfort and convenience features being inoperable such as soft-close doors, front seat lumbar and dynamic multi-contour.
• Faulty brake lamp switch can cause issues such as a transmission locked in park.
• Instrument clusters known to fail.
• Various electrical components may fail due to age.
• Suspension bushings are routine maintenance, as are engine and transmission mounts.
Reasons to buy:
• The W 220 is incredibly innovative. Many of the features offered are only now becoming standard on new cars.
• DISTRONIC and PRE-SAFE are modern amenities that help maintain technological relevance in today’s world.
• Cars equipped with ABC are incredible to drive. The drive quality is second to none.
• Majority of engines are reliable.
• Value in today’s market is unprecedented. A quality well-sorted W 220 can be found for a very reasonable sum.
• Amongst the safest vehicles on the road.
• S-Class engineering at a fraction of the MSRP.
Reasons not to buy:
• These were once six-figure cars and still require the maintenance of one.
• Suspension systems can be costly to overhaul.
• Many systems are first-generation and are not as refined as future generations.
• Many vehicles may have deferred maintenance items that need immediate attention.
• Corrosion.
By Pierre Hedary
OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION RELAYS (OVP)
Imagine this: You are in your 1985 380 SL and you are getting ready to go for a drive. You fire the engine up and immediately, the idle surges to 1500 rpm, the ABS light is on and it seems to be emitting noxious exhaust odors. You take the car to your local Mercedes-Benz repair shop, only to be told you need a fuel injection control unit, an idle control unit and an ABS module. While this all sounds like it makes sense, there must be more to the story. While this sounds like a frustrating scenario, the cause of the issue is most likely a broken solder joint on the circuit board for the overvoltage relay, making it a reasonably straightforward repair following a bit of research. But what is an overvoltage relay? What exactly does it do? Where is it installed? Can it be repaired?
The Evolution of the OVP
In 1980, Mercedes-Benz updated the Bosch K-Jetronic injection system on the W 116, R 107 and W 123 with an oxygen sensor and a fuel pressure regulating device called a frequency valve. Data from the oxygen sensor was interpreted by the K-Jtronic control unit, and fed voltage to the frequency valve to adjust the mixture accordingly. To protect the K-Jetronic control unit from electrical surges, a dedicated overvoltage relay was installed. This was the original purple OVP, part number 1165450034. The idea worked, and Mercedes-Benz continued to develop the OVP.
In 1983, the next version of the OVP was installed, part number 1265404745. This was a 4 pin silver OVP with a red fuse holder and a 20 amp tooth fuse in the top. This OVP is the most repairable and should not be discarded, as it is designed to be easy to disassemble and resolder its minimal circuit board. This part was used in 1984 for California State Emissions-compliant 300 D, 300 CD, 300 SD, and 300 TD models, as well as both federal and California versions for 1985. Failure of this part will stop the tachometer and AC compressor from working. Mercedes-Benz subbed this unit for a new part number, 2015400845. This replacement unit cannot be repaired easily and had five pins requiring the plug housing to be modified with an additional hole on anything from 1985 and earlier that was not a W 201. This W 201 “5 pin OVP” became standard equipment on all models except the 560 SL in 1986. The 560 SL continued to use the W 126/C 126 part number.
In 1988 a new OVP was introduced. This was the 9 pin OVP, part number 2015403745 and ‘3845, and was installed in all models except federal version (non-California State Emissions-compliant) 560 SLs, which used the old W 126/C 126 part number. California versions used the W 201 part number. This unit originally used a black top with a single red fuse. Later versions contained two red fuses, with a red top. This version of the OVP was
Above: The 3 common OVP relays.
Opposite: Early 126 part # OVP with repairable circuit board.
used up to 1991 on the W 126/C 126, up to 1992 on the R 129 and up to 1993 on the gasoline W 124 and W 201. The E 300 diesel used it until 1995. In 1994, the OVP was replaced one last time with part number 0148300007. This was used exclusively on the E 320 in 1994 and 1995. This unit used a white top and was significantly taller than the others. No earlier version will interchange with it.
Symptoms of OVP Failure
The overvoltage relay is the gateway for power supply to many components on your classic Mercedes-Benz. In this section we will discuss the different systems powered by the OVP and how an issue will manifest.
Fuel Injection: All K-Jetronic models with oxygen sensors, KE-Jetronic systems and Electronic Diesel Systems will malfunction if the OVP fails. K-Jetronic systems will manifest as a nonfunctioning frequency valve. The valve should emit a buzzing noise when the engine is running. This valve is adjacent to the fuel distributor. These symptoms will coincide with a high idle on V8 cars, unless the idle mixture has been messed with. On KE-Jetronic systems the failure will cause a loss of amperage to the electrohydraulic actuator, which will cause rich running. These symptoms will coincide with an ABS light and a 1500 rpm idle. Watch out for mixtures that have been tinkered with to suppress the high idle.
Idle Speed Control: Idle speed control relays on V8 cars are regulated by the OVP. On the 380, 500 and 560 models, a racing idle along with an ABS light (1985 and later) is indicative of an OVP failure. On four, five and six cylinder gas and diesel models, the opposite will occur. The issue will manifest as a weak idle. Gasoline models will have difficulty starting. The lone exception are vehicles with the OM617 engine.
Antilock Braking: an ABS light that comes on as soon as you start the engine is indicative of an OVP failure. Always check the ABS light to make sure it works. It should come on as soon as the ignition is switched on, and when the engine is running, it should go off.
AC Compressor: on four, five and six cylinder models, failure of the OVP will result in a non-functioning AC compressor.
Tachometer: On all diesel models with a tachometer and an OVP, failure of the OVP will result in a nonfunctioning tachometer.
Locating your OVP
• The following guide will tell you where to find your OVP.
• 1980 W 116 models: The OVP is purple and located in the fuse box.
• 1980/1981 280 E and 280 CE: The OVP is located behind the glove box and against the firewall.
• 1984/1985 W 123 turbodiesel models: Right kick panel, most easel accessed by removing the glove box.
• R 107 models: Above the fuse panel. It cannot be viewed without removing the lower dash panel.
• W 126/C 126 models up to 1985: Located in the fuse box. 1980-1982 models use the purple OVP.
• W 126 and C 126 models from 1986: In the second firewall next to the KLIMA relay and fuel pump relay.
• W 201/W 124 models: Behind the battery.
• R 129 models: Under the plastic cover in the rear right section of the engine compartment.
Sourcing an OVP
Until recently, these were supplied to Mercedes-Benz by relay manufacturer Stribel and were made in Hungary. In the last four years, production of all W 201 part number OVPs ended. Supplies were depleted. Eventually companies like Vemo, Uro and BBR began selling aftermarket replacements. While they are not the same quality as the Genuine Mercedes-Benz part, they get the job done; just carry a spare. W 126/C 126 part number OVPs are easy to repair and have a removal circuit board that often suffers from solder joint issues. Used units are not a bad idea either. Many Mercedes-Benz shops that have been in business for a long time seem to have a few laying around. I would like to encourage Mercedes-Benz to put this part back in production, as it is absolutely necessary for many cars to work correctly.
The Takeaway
Many complex but seemingly unrelated electrical issues can be resolved with a simple evaluation and possible replacement of the over-voltage relay. Be careful of adjustments to the injection system, particularly to the 3 mm mixture screw, that may have been performed to mask the resulting high idle. It is always best to rule out the simple solution first, so having an OVP laying around can save many hours of diagnostic time..
By Tyler Dawson
W 463 G-CLASS 1990-2018
The legend of the iconic Geländewagen (colloquially referred to as the G-Wagen) began with the launch of the original W 460 chassis in 1979, co-developed and manufactured for Mercedes-Benz by Steyr-Daimler-Puch (now Magna Steyr) of Graz, Austria. The W 460 served as a workhorse platform for various military and commercial roles but was also sold to civilians in short wheelbase (SWB) soft or hard-top and long wheelbase (LWB). Sales of these more domestic variants continued to expand in the 1980’s and eventually a plan was conceived to produce a dedicated civilian version of the G-Wagen that would excel at both on and off-road use.
A New Chapter
Enter the W 463, with engineers targeting a more refined driving experience comparable to a contemporary Mercedes-Benz sedan. Debuting in 1989 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, production began shortly after in April of 1990. The new chassis did not replace the older model. It was produced alongside the W 460 on the same assembly line in Graz.
To many, this W 463-series appeared as a mere facelift, and indeed it shared most of the body and exterior panels
with the W 460. However, significant changes occurred underneath. More powerful engine options were paired to a completely revised full-time four-wheel-drive system, along with a new low-range transfer case controlled via shift lever in the center console. Front, rear, and center locking differentials were now electronically actuated by the press of a button on the dash. Anti-lock braking system and a driver’s airbag also became available for the first time.
Design
Exterior changes were subtle but came together to give the utilitarian box a more refined and modern appearance. Penned under famed styling chief Bruno Sacco, an updated front end with deeper headlight surrounds and grill were now painted in body color. Larger front and rear bumpers housed integrated lighting and smoother end caps that complemented a wider track, with alloy wheels and 7 cm (2.76 in) wheel arch extensions now standard in most markets. Later AMG models introduced even wider 11 cm (4.33 in) flares.
Other notable differences include the W 460’s exposed fuel filler being relocated from just right of the rear cargo opening to under a door on the right rear quarter panel. Larger taillights incorporated a ribbed lens design now ubiquitous within Mercede-Benz passenger car range, and new exterior mirrors improved year-round usability
with power adjustment and heated mirror glass.
The interior is where the most visible improvements occurred, overall comfort and finish was brought up to the standards of the W 124 mid-range sedan. Increased use of sound deadening, thicker carpeting, improved AC and heating systems, a larger padded dashboard with Zebrano wood trim, and deepened molded door panels with integrated storage and cloth (or leather) inserts rounded out the enhancements.
US Immigration
For the entire run of the W 460 the G-Wagen was never officially imported to the United States and remained a ‘gray-market’ vehicle with at least a few hundred making it in before the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act was passed. This bill sponsored by Mercedes-Benz banned the importation of all non-U.S. spec vehicles, with an exception for cars over 25 years old, which remains in place.
Meanwhile the market in the U.S. for luxurious and highly capable SUV’s was heating up with the stateside launch of Land Rover’s classic Defender model and GM’s Hummer H1. However, leadership at Daimler-Benz was still not convinced the utilitarian W 463 was appropriate for the company’s refined luxury image in North America. They decided instead to start development of what was conceived to replace the civilian G-Wagen altogether, the M-Class, today known as the GLE. And while they were ultimately successful in this endeavor, going on to manufacture and sell millions of MLs on American shores, the model never actually replaced the W 463 as envisioned. By the mid-1990s with Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) declining to sell the G-Wagen and gray-market importation no longer possible, demand grew strong enough that a man by the name of Dave Holland took matters into his own hands. Enter Holland’s Europa Inc. of New Mexico that went about the arduous process of importing and modifying W 463 models to meet all EPA and DOT certifi-
cations, even paying to complete federal airbag and crash testing. Sales started slow in 1994 with 300 GE models coming in at $116,500 (approximately $250,000 in 2024 dollars), a significant increase over the vehicle’s original retail price but representative of the amount of cost and development required to legally bring them to our shores. It was not until the 1998 G 500 V8 model launched and Europa gained approval to sell them into all 50 states that the G-Wagen started to become noticed in America. At nearly $150,000 before options, many were sold into the hands of celebrities and other high-profile clientele which ignited the vehicle’s image as an exclusive status symbol. Today these original Europa V8 models are some of the most coveted in the U.S. market.
MBUSA Steps In
After likely eyeing Europa’s success with some jealousy, MBUSA decided they were done sitting on their hands and prepared a U.S. spec W 463. Launched in 2001 as a 2002 model, the first official North American G-Class was available only as a G 500 with the M113 5.0 L V8 driven through a 5-speed automatic with electronically actuated high/low range transfer case. Safety features included standard brake-assist, ETS (Electronic Traction System), and ESP (Electronic Stability Program). This refreshed W 463 utilized new CAN electronics and shared interior components to keep costs down, including climate control, instrument cluster, switchgear, and modified seats all borrowed from the W 203 C-Class. This was part of the strategy that enabled the G 500 to launch in the U.S. at an MSRP of $72,500, directly comparable to the cost of a well-equipped Range Rover and still considerably less than the $101,000 required to secure a Hummer H1. For 2003, an AMG G 55 model was added with a naturally aspirated 5.4 L M113 V8, later replaced in 2005 with the supercharged version of the same engine. All AMG G 55s came with polished side-exit exhaust tips visible below the running boards.
A Grand Goodbye
Despite endeavoring to officially introduce and market the G-Class to U.S. customers, MBUSA was not impressed with its sales performance and anticipated elimination of the model entirely. This is evident in the 2005 ‘Grand Edition’ option package that was offered on both G 500 and G 55 models to commemorate the final year that the G-Class would be sold stateside. The most obvious tell of a Grand Edition is the colorful badges on the front
Opposite: The G 500 — The king of off-road. Left: The M113 V8 under the hood of the W 463.
quarter panel below the A-pillar and unique 5-spoke 18” alloy wheels. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and it was decided that U.S. G-Class sales would continue on as normal in 2006.
Hitting Its Stride
Post-launch sales figures of the W 463 in the U.S. remained rather stagnant at around 1,000 units per year until release of the G 63 AMG in 2013. This new bi-turbo 5.5 L M157 V8 model came with integrated radiators behind a more aggressive front bumper in addition to new wheel designs and expanded paint and leather options. Sales for 2013 eclipsed 3,000 for the first time since 2002 and continued to grow in the years after. Ultimately peaking in 2017 with 4,188 units moved, an astonishing 27 years after the W 463 model debuted and 15 years after its official introduction to North America.
Evolution
Changes to the U.S. W 463 were mostly minor and gradual. For 2003 model year the steering wheel was updated to a heated unit borrowed from the W 211 E-Class and turn signals were relocated from the body below the A-pillars to within the side mirror housings. 2005 brought safety improvements with standard side curtain airbags and a 3-point belt for the rear center seat. 2007 saw the introduction of bi-xenon headlights with complementary oval fog lights, updated center COMAND and climate control units. Additionally for 2007, the G 500 gained two more gears with a new 7-Speed automatic (the G 55 AMG retained its stout 5-speed unit through to its final model year in 2011). For 2009 the G 500 was replaced
by the G 550 incorporating the 5.5 L M273 V8 engine that originally debuted in the W 221 S-Class two years prior. Improved front seats were introduced for 2011, borrowed from the W 212 E-Class. The largest notable update came in 2013 with a new interior dash layout, steering wheel, and center console with electronic gear select. Identifying a 2013 or newer model from the exterior is easy via smaller rear view mirror housings and new LED daytime-running-lights integrated below the headlights. Finally, for the 2016 model year the naturally aspirated V8 in the G 550 was replaced with the bi-turbo 4.0 L M176 V8, including dual radiators located behind large grills in a revised front bumper.
Exclusive Variants
Several special low-volume models were produced during the W 463’s lifespan and continue to be some of the most famed and sought-after Mercedes-Benz of all time. These unique variants include the G 500 power-top cabriolet, a bi-turbo V12-motivated G 65 AMG, the portal-axle G 550 4x4², a monstrous G 63 AMG ‘6x6’ with a truck bed, and an ultra-exclusive G 650 Maybach Landaulet with an original list price of over $750,000. While some of these vehicles were never officially sold in the U.S. market, many have since been legally imported under the ‘Show and Display’ law.
Checkpoints
• Check for vibrations in the drivetrain on-road and functionality of differential locks off-road.
• Water leaks are common. ingress methods include through windshield wiper shafts, roof antenna, blocked or broken sunroof drains, and failing door seals.
Above: W 463 in all shapes and sizes. Right: 1998 G 500 long wheelbase interior. Opposite: Mercedes-Benz G 500, special model “Grand Edition”, 2006.
• Rust is a potential issue with all years. Check for bubbling starting under the windshield seal, around door handle seals, lower edge of the rear-end door, below rocker trim strips, and all body seams.
• Rust on the frame commonly affects rear shock mounts, necessitating replacement.
• Early MBUSA models were plagued with electrical issues, most have been long sorted with updated modules but check for error codes or non-operational functions.
Reasons To Buy
• One of the most off-road capable production vehicles ever sold.
• Overengineered and hand-built to stand the test of time, not uncommon to see owners driving their G-Wagens well past 300k miles.
• Perhaps the most satisfying door latch sound on any modern vehicle.
• Low-production and timeless styling make for a vehicle that holds its value and still turns heads.
• While tall, the G-Wagen is surprisingly compact and adept at city driving for its segment.
• Easy to update or ‘backdate’ and accessorize appearance to owner’s taste.
• Active enthusiast community with DIY and aftermarket support, helpful forums, and yearly meets.
Reasons Not To Buy
• Even a late production W 463 dates a lot of its design and engineering back to the 1970s.
• Wind resistance, flat glass reflections, cumbersome handling, and a ‘tractor-esque’ steering feel can take some getting used to.
• Upright and narrow interior ergonomics are not for everyone, cupholders appear to be an afterthought in some models.
• Considerable appetite for premium fuel. 15 mpg is generally the best-case scenario across all G-Wagens, with 13 mpg being a likelier average.
• Bi-turbo models have higher potential for costly engine repairs.
• AMG variants are known for stiff suspension that makes for an especially harsh ride, remedied with softer coil springs.
• Difficulty finding shops fully capable of servicing the W 463. An example with deferred maintenance can quickly exceed five-figures.
The W 463 Today
A true ground-up redesign of the G-Class finally came for the 2019 model year and with it a great host of technological and comfort oriented improvements such as independent front suspension. For most people that vehicle is an objectively superior vehicle to the older models. However, if you reflect on the Geländewagen’s intended purpose you may find the original W 463 strikes a perfect balance between rugged ‘old-world’ quality and modern drivability. Whichever G-Wagen you may choose, it is certain there is no other vehicle on the planet quite like it.
By Gary Edwards
ACTIVE BODY CONTROL: PROS & CONS
Bang! The instrument cluster lit up with a red warning: “ABC Visit Workshop!” Our MBCA member was driving her 2005 SL 500 on I-20 when she got this unpleasant surprise. The left front hydraulic line had failed and the flexible rubber portion had sprung a leak. The car was nearly 20 years old, and the 3,000 psi hydraulic pressure had beaten the rubber portion of the hose into submission. The car did not drop to the ground, it stayed up for the short distance to their home, though there was a puddle of hydraulic fluid on the garage floor the next morning. This is, unfortunately, one of the things that happens with Active Body Control (ABC), the active suspension system on high-end Mercedes-Benz-Benz from 1999 to 2006 or so. ABC has a well-deserved reputation for being expensive to repair, and the forums are alive with stories of replacing ABC with a conventional suspension system. Does this conversion make sense, or should we maintain the system so that it functions as designed? Note that we are discussing the first version of ABC; After about 2007 or so, depending on the chassis, the next version of ABC was significantly more reliable.
ABC was the evolution of Mercedes-Benz advanced suspension systems that started with the air suspension system of the 600 from the early 1960s. This system combined air springs with self-leveling to provide a luxury ride with much-improved handling. The next evolution, used on the W 116 chassis 450 SEL 6.9 used a hydropneumatic (fluid and air) system, then in the early 1990s the Adaptive Damping System (ADS) was introduced. This system, used on the R 129 and the W 140 twelve-cylinder cars, adjusted damping (for example: shock absorber stiffness) in response to driver input and road conditions, stiffening the front shocks on braking, the outside shocks during turns and lowering the car at higher speeds.
Formula 1 cars started using active suspensions in the early 1990s, and it is not surprising that MercedesBenz incorporated an active suspension system (ABC) in their high-end cars starting in 1999 with the CL 600, ultimately then expanding to the SL (R 230) in 2003 as well as the twelve-cylinder S class cars (W 220). Unlike the ADS system, which simply changed the stiffness of the dampers, ABC is an active hydraulic suspension that dynamically controls individual wheel ride heights. ABC cars do not have sway bars, and electronically control each wheel’s ride height to limit body roll in turns, dive under braking, and squat under acceleration. It provides
adjustable stiffness for a driver-selected comfort or a sport suspension setting. ABC also lowers the car at higher speeds and allows the driver to raise the car for increased ground clearance.
With these advancements comes complexity. The original air suspension system of the 1960s was an analog system that operated mechanically; with a master level control valve, an engine-driven air compressor, left and right front level control valves, a rear level control valve and an air tank. The air springs periodically required replacement, and valves or lines sometimes leaked, however, it was a pretty straightforward mechanical system. ABC is a much more capable system, but it is also much more complex. It has several failure modes, that could be costly to repair, and some that make the car undriveable. The repair costs, and some nasty failure modes, can tempt owners to replace it with a conventional system.
The conversion to a conventional suspension system may not be as straightforward as some might believe it should be. Coil springs and conventional shock absorbers must be installed at all four corners. Hydraulic lines should be removed or capped off. Valve bodies should be removed, and since the car does not come with antisway bars, appropriately sized sway bars should also be installed. The coil spring rates and sway bar sizes must be appropriate for the car; otherwise the car’s handling characteristics could be drastically altered –- it could end up being unsafe to drive if incorrect springs and sway bars were chosen. The dual hydraulic pump that provides power steering and ABC hydraulic pressure should be replaced with a conventional power steering pump. Additionally, the car will sense the change and provide an ABC warning/alarm, which needs to be dealt with as well. Appropriate sway bars might not be available for all versions of these cars, and some of the available sway bars interfere with the oil sump on some cars. The parts can be expensive and installing them can be costly.
Conversion to a conventional suspension eliminates the various failure modes of ABC; after conversion it is highly unlikely a suspension failure will render the car un-driveable. Long-term maintenance costs should be substantially reduced; other than typical suspension issues such as shock absorber replacements, and sway bar bushing replacement there is little to fail.
The disadvantages of the conventional suspension prompted Mercedes-Benz engineers to include ABC in
these cars in the first place. The spring and sway bar sizes must be a compromise between a comfortable ride and the stiffness necessary for crisp handling. The ABC system can do both since it dynamically adjusts, based on driving conditions or in response to driver settings. The conventional suspension is not capable of providing both a driver-selectable comfort or sport suspension setting. It cannot lower the car at high speed for improved handling and better fuel economy. It cannot stiffen the front of the car under braking, potentially compromising the car’s handling in emergency situations. It can’t increase the car’s ride height when the driver wants to ensure the car does not scrape when confronting speed bumps or uneven ground.
Opposite: With ABC, the body movements when moving off, cornering and braking are reduced by up to 68 per cent in the “comfort” map compared to the predecessor model, model series 140. Right: ABC-strut cutaway.
There are many who do not want to own a MercedesBenz with ABC and for these people, ownership of a car like the R 230 means reversion to a conventional suspension. I asked Cameron Davis, owner of DC Motorwerks in Alpharetta, Georgia, what it costs to convert. He commented that he has only done one conversion because he tries to talk folks out of converting. Cameron noted the one conversion he performed, including sway bars, cost $8,000. He added you could repair the whole ABC system for that amount. Granted, you could do this for less than $8,000 by doing the work yourself. Various sources list the labor as about 15 to 20 hours. There are many suppliers of coil spring conversion kits for these cars (at least for the R 230 chassis) at several different price points. The sway bars can be more of a challenge since ABC cars do not have sway bars. Stock sway bars are not available for all cars, sometimes requiring custom sway bar fabrication and adding cost.
It is not clear whether this conversion raises or lowers the value of the car; the ABC maintenance costs already impact most older ABC cars’ values, so any influence from the conversion is probably a wash, though it could
conceivably increase the value for some buyers. The exception would be for a conversion which results in poor handling or improper ride height — either of these conditions would drastically reduce that car’s value. This is often the result, as Cameron Davis adds, “I’ve experienced many converted ABC cars, and it is an awful driving
experience. The car becomes bouncy and non-compliant, feeling unsettled but also wallows at the same time due to the lack of sway bars in an ABC system. Most owners who convert do not go through the effort of adding sway bars.”
I think that ABC is essential to the character of the car, so owners are better off keeping the system; it’s just not the same car without ABC. Peachtree Past President Joe Martin comments “For the SL 500 (R 230), the ride in the comfort mode is better than any other Mercedes and maybe any car. It is very smooth on highways and responsive when exiting off-ramps. In other words, it works especially well for American highways plus, when in sport mode, it is very compatible and fun for a mountain drive with many switchbacks.” Cameron Davis emphasizes, though, It’s vital to keep up with the routine maintenance; fluid changes and filter changes every two years and accumulator replacements at 10 years are important and are often overlooked since Mercedes-Benz did not
include these in the scheduled maintenance.
There will be maintenance costs. The rubber portions of the lines will eventually fail, though they can be preemptively replaced. The struts will eventually fail, accumulators will require periodic replacement as mentioned above, the hydraulic pump may fail especially if run without fluid, and the valve bodies might leak. With proper maintenance, however, these issues probably will not all happen at the same time, which allows the expenses to be spread out, helping with the cash flow required to maintain this system.
Unless you do your own maintenance, it is imperative to have a mechanic who understands the system, especially since the early ABC cars are now about 20 years old. Mechanics who only deal with the newer cars often will not be familiar with these older systems, and the fault codes for this system do not always point to the real problem. I am preaching to the choir here, but membership in MBCA gives you a network of enthusiasts who can be very helpful in resolving ABC (or any other Mercedes-Benz) issues or pointing you to the right Mercedes-Benz specialist.
The exception to retaining the system is for a car used primarily on the track. The ABC system, with its late 1990s technology, reacts too slowly for dedicated track use, according to track driving instructor, MBCA Performance Driving Committee member and Past Toronto Chapter President Peter Spitzer. He has both a SL 55 and an SL 65 and he converted the SL 55 to a conventional suspension. He commented on the track, even in sport mode, the ABC system always seems to have a delayed reaction, so you spend time thinking and preplanning for the ABC in addition to all the other things you have to concern yourself with on the track, referring to it as a “delayed shift of corner weight”. A good selection of spring rates combined with adjustable sway bars front and rear should allow the handling characteristics to match the driver and the track. Still, a car set up for the track with a conventional suspension will certainly be uncomfortable on the street.
Mercedes-Benz does an excellent job of harnessing technology, and higher-end Mercedes-Benz typically have a lot of high tech features. I prefer Mercedes-Benz as they come from the factory, and I would leave the ABC intact, with the noted exception above. I would also advise owners of these cars to set funds aside to pay for the inevitable ABC maintenance. It can be quite expensive, especially if you cannot do the work yourself, but I think it is worth it.
The author is a retired submarine Captain and past Peachtree Chapter President. The opinions he presents in this article are his alone and do not represent the views of MBCA or The STAR®.
By Ben Everest, The
Since I first joined MBCA more than a decade ago and long before I could call myself co-founder of an online auction company, I always looked forward to reading The Star. From the focused editorials to thumbing through the classifieds, it fed my hobby and addiction. I am grateful to have been passed the proverbial Market Report torch and aim to provide objective and insightful analysis as I would amongst colleagues with the goal of observing and monitoring. Beyond that, I want to promote discussion around the current market and where it is headed for the next generation of collectible vehicles and, moreover, the next generation of enthusiasts.
Previously, The Star Market Report has seen several takes on format, content, and creativity — or sometimes, the lack thereof. To best curate a proper report, we should review notable sales of classics, future classics, and modern examples, with a focus on the outliers and sales that challenge our assumptions.
1957 300 SL
It seems fitting as we come down from the Pebble Beach/ Monterey sales that we start with the market leaders. Rife with 7- and 8-figure examples, this segment consistently sets the tone. From brand to brand and decade to decade, these are the icons starring in most enthusiasts’ dreams. The first on my short list is a 1957 300 SL Roadster sold by Broad Arrow Auctions at the Monterrey Jet Center. While a 300 SL selling at Pebble is about as noteworthy as a TV selling on Black Friday, this specific example is worth discussing.
Surprisingly the Mercedes-Benz market is definitely seeing a cool-down period compared to the bump seen from 2022 and 2023. The uber-collectible 300 SL has followed suit, but this 1957 Roadster sold for an easy 1.2M while other roadsters struggled to break 7-figures, while touting more miles logged in recent years than some of these cars see over decades of use. This example featured a contemporary color combination Anthracite Grey Metallic (DB172) over Red Leather (1079), a 5-speed gearbox, Rudge-style knockoffs, 300 SLR-style side pipes, and deleted bumpers. Moreover, it ran countless road rallies over a 30-year span of ownership including the Colorado Grand, Copperstate 1000, and more. While this car likely stayed off the purists’ radars, it proves driver-spec examples are becoming increasingly desirable and top dollar will be spent and justified on cars that can deliver on the road and not just on the showroom floor.
1990 190 E 2.5-16
In an attempt to keep this Market Report from assuming the role of The Pebble Report I am channeling one of our own notable sales over at The MB Market from August. A 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II sold for $184,623 and while that may not seem like much compared to some examples, it is important to note this car started out as little more than a rumor when The
Patina Collective found it hiding just outside of London, England. It showed plenty of age-induced wear and 45K kilometers (27,961 miles) at the time of cataloging. Moreover, this numbered rarity was in need of paint repair, light body repair, a decent amount of mechanical love, and an all-around refresh. All this considered, the buyer enthusiastically stuck with the auction for 10 days and proudly brought the car home to Atlanta, Georgia, where they will be looking forward to semi-daily driving this homologation special, once again proving that enthusiasts are focusing their attention on drivable collector cars. This one will never be the most valuable Evo II on the auction block, but as this new owner creates stories and memories, there will always be enthusiastic buyers eager to carry the torch.
1992 300 D
This next one is worth discussing, and while it’s probably old news to most people who watch online auctions, it leaves a lasting impression on the market for the model and chassis. Sold by Dean Laumbach for a whopping $95,000, an Arctic White (147) 1992 300 D surprised bidders and onlookers paying attention to Bring a Trailer in early September. This car, while showing 23K miles, wasn’t particularly noteworthy in build or spec. The cabin is trimmed in MB-Tex, not leather, and features heated front seats, a power sunroof, Zebrano veneer, and the original Becker. That said, this W 124 is highly original and a lot of the success here is attributed to Dean’s meticulous attention to originality paired with a car that’s never been more popular than it is in this current market. This is a perfect embodiment of the saying; It’s only original once. The market remains happy to pay up for originality. Surely I could find enough notable sales to fill this magazine from front to back but I am limited by the higher editing powers. That said, I ask that readers let us know their thoughts on the new Market Report format and content. I want to write about what interests you guys and above all I want to write as enthusiastically as I live and breathe the Mercedes-Benz brand.
THOMAS MUDRONJA & PETRA HOLUB
I have always gravitated toward Mercedes-Benz models from before 2000. There is something about the craftsmanship and engineering of that era that really speaks to me. My favorite sedan chassis is the W 126, with its iconic design, incredible comfort and great build quality. When it comes to SL models, the R 129 is my top choice as its modern yet timeless look never goes out of style. However, my all-time dream car is the 300 SL, whether it is the Gullwing or the roadster. It is such a legendary car and a true representation of what Mercedes-Benz is capable of.
I have built a large collection of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, ranging from the 1960s to 2015, each one holding a special place for different reasons. Right now, I am spending most of my time driving a 1969 300 SEL 6.3, a 1979 350 SE with the rare four-speed manual, and a rare 1983 300 SD that was delivered new to Japan. I rotate through my collection each year, focusing on a few cars at a time to make sure they are driven, maintained, and kept
in top shape. I do the vast majority of the maintenance myself, which is part of why I prefer to buy vehicles I know I can work on. It is a rewarding part of owning these cars. When I was purchasing my first car at a local car auction, I had an interest in a 1995 SL 500 and a BMW 850. I ended up going with the SL because I thought it had a better overall design — sleeker looks, a more refined interior, and better build quality. That choice made me a lifelong Mercedes-Benz enthusiast. I still look back at that moment as the turning point where I realized just how special these cars are. My earliest memory with a Mercedes-Benz is from elementary school. My friend’s grandmother used to pick us up in her 1987 560 SEL, and I remember being so impressed by how luxurious it felt and the amazing condition it was in for being an older car. Her grandson still has that car to this day and I do
Aboce: Thomas’s 1969 300 SEL 6.3. Opposite: A beautiful couple; Petra Holub and Thomas Mudronja share the same passion for Mercedes-Benz.
all of the work to it. One day, she took us to her house for lunch, and I saw her 1969 280 SL sitting in the garage for the first time. I fell in love with it right then. The lines, the white paint with a red interior, everything about it just captivated me. Today, I am lucky enough to own that very car, which makes it even more special.
I am a member of MBCA because it offers so much to enthusiasts like me. I really enjoy The Star magazine, which keeps me updated on everything Mercedes-Benz, but the real value is in the community. Connecting with other members, sharing experiences, and learning from their knowledge is something I truly appreciate. It is great to be part of a network of people who are just as passionate about these cars as I am. I really hope that the collector car community continues to thrive, especially when it comes to supporting the availability of spare parts and specialty repair tools. Maintaining these classic cars takes effort, and having a community where we can share tips, resources, and support is key. I would also love to see more young people getting into classic cars and learning to appreciate the craftsmanship and history behind them. Keeping that passion alive is so important. I would like to be remembered as someone who really took the time to preserve and care for my collection, ensuring these cars are around to inspire future generations.
It is not just about owning them — It is about being the caretaker of them and keeping them in the best condition possible so future generations can enjoy them too. I also hope to be seen as someone who encouraged younger
enthusiasts to appreciate the beauty and history of these classic Mercedes-Benz models.
Ihave always had a passion for Mercedes-Benz, particularly for their innovative styling and engineering. As an engineer, I truly respect the precision and craftsmanship that goes into each model, from the advanced mechanics to the elegant designs. Over the past couple of years, I have been fortunate to be very hands-on with many of these cars, as my boyfriend and I work on his collection together. Experiencing their build quality firsthand, with a perfect blend of complexity and simplicity, has only deepened my appreciation for the brand.
I fondly remember my parents’ W 220 that I used to get driven in, which really sparked my love for the brand. I also have vivid memories of pictures of my mom with her R 129 SL 500, a car that always stood out to me for its elegance and timeless design. I have a strong interest in classic Mercedes-Benz models like the Pagoda and the legendary 300 SEL 6.3, as they embody the heritage and innovation of the brand. Additionally, I am a big fan of pre-merger AMG models, which I find to be the perfect blend of performance and craftsmanship. I also admire vehicles modified by tuners such as Koenig Specials, ABC Exclusive, Lorinser, Brabus, and other iconic names in the tuner scene. These vehicles take an already outstanding platform and elevate it to new levels of performance and individuality.
I currently own a Mercedes-Benz W 221 with a Lorinser body kit, tune, and exhaust, which was imported from Japan. It is specifically called the L55S. Additionally, I own a W 205 and an R 230. However, I mostly enjoy driving cars from Tomas’s collection such as a W 109 300 SEL 6.3, R 129 and an R 107. I am a member of MBCA because I enjoy the Star Magazine and the sense of community it fosters among Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. As a young enthusiast, I want to support and be part of a network that shares my passion for the brand, while also learning from those with more experience. The resources, events, and connections within the club add tremendous value to my journey with Mercedes-Benz.
I hope the classic car community continues to thrive and remains strong in the future. While many young people seem to focus on newer models, it sometimes feels like there’s a lack of appreciation for where the true beauty and history of automotive culture originate. My aspiration is for the next generation to recognize the craftsmanship and heritage of classic cars and keep that legacy alive for years to come. I hope to be seen by future generations as someone who embraced both the history and innovation of automotive engineering while inspiring others, especially younger female enthusiasts, to appreciate and preserve the beauty of classic cars.
MERCEDES GRANDE 2024
Mercedes Grande 2024 held the first full weekend of September was a tremendous success. Attendees traveled from throughout the Midwest to participate in various events over two days of fun. The weekend included a road rally to benefit the American Alzheimer’s Association, Show and Shine, a car show, fashion show, cocktail party, and polo match at Hickory Hall Polo Grounds Mercedes Grande also hosted Hullabaloo, a 60s and 70s-themed concert and costume party at the historic Stutz Factory, and most importantly, the Mercedes Monumental Car Show at Artomobilia.
Recognized as one of the great one-day car shows in America, Artomobilia annually draws more than 30,000 attendees. This year, over 400 cars of various makes and models entered. The Mercedes Monumental is a featured display
of Mercedes-Benz automobiles within Artomobilia and vehicles are judged for best in class and best of show. 40 Mercedes-Benz vehicles representing six different decades of Mercedes-Benz design and engineering were on display on the streets of the Arts and Design District of downtown Carmel,
Indiana. Mercedes Grande 2025 will take place September 4, 5, and 6 of 2025 so mark your calendars now. The featured class of Mercedes-Benz will be the W 113 SL Pagoda.
For more information contact Indiana Crossroads Chapter President Roger Brummett.
2012 E 350 WAGON 79,000 miles. $20,000. Second owner, no accidents, service history since new. Premium and Luxury packages, Bluetooth, voice control, navigation, Lane Keep Assist. moserb@bc.edu (MA)
2006 MERCEDES S 65 AMG 40,000 miles. $32,000. Silver. Very rare, great car! Only 347 made, 612 HP, 738 ft. lb. of torque. Zero to 60 MPH in 4.1 seconds, 0-100 MPH in 9 seconds. Excellent condition. Paul. 704.539.4007 info@glasspaperweightbooks.com
1987 560 SL 89,000 miles. $32,500. Desert Taupe/Chocolate Brown Leather. Impeccably maintained. Professionally reupholstered seats. Includes original manuals, safety kit, and emergency repair kit. Clean CARFAX. Excellent service history. Wendell.
2012 E 350 CABRIOLET 78,300 miles. Full dealer service records, garage kept, looks brand new, Iridium Silver, black top, Ash/Dark grey Leather, Burl Walnut Wood Trim. Has all options. Tom. 773.848.3434
1996 SL 320 131,444 miles. $11,000. Soft top hydraulic roof cylinders 2020. Hard top has new headliner, with storage rack and cover. Soft top in great condition, but back plastic window has pulled from stitches where it folds on the sides. New transmission in 2018. My dad bought it from original owner. Many photos available to view. Tim Kealy. tkealy@att.net (Co. Springs, CO)
1997 SL 500 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. 78,000 miles. $16,000. Fully sorted. Replaced top cylinders. Includes matching removable hardtop with rack and fabric cover. Car is in very good driver condition. 703.431.3392 or roger@rfairchild. com (VA)
1984 EUROPEAN 380 SL 72,865 miles. 205 HP Black with gray leather. Stamps in maintenance book, all original paint, automatic, 134a Air-condition, nice dash no cracks, nice wood, all original nice leather seats. European 380 SLs have all double row timing chain and 205 HP. Fast! Europeanc@aol.com (Roswell, GA)
1989 560 SL 73,049 miles. $32,000. Maroon/Grey. All original paperwork, etc. Excellent condition. All original, always garaged, and all service records available. 30+ year member. California/Florida car. Robin Wetmore. 916.425.2343
robnanddck1979@live.com (FL)
1986 560 SL 78,000 miles, $29,500. Black Pearl/Gray. Two previous southern owners (TN/SC). Original interior, Becker radio, tools, books, First aid kit. Extensive service history. Everything works. No rust. 30+ year MBCA member. larryt543@yahoo.com 717.406.8015 (NY)
1986 560 SL 74,000 miles, $29,500. Desert Red/Palomino Leather. Very rare color. Original Paint & interior. Tools, books, First aid kit, dark brown soft top. Lots of recent service. Everything works. No rust. 30+ year MBCA member. larryt543@yahoo.com 717.406.8015 (Naples, FL)
2018 MERCEDES S 560 16,990 miles. $57,500. One owner Arizona car. Magnetite black, nut brown/ black Nappa leather. Driver Assistance Package, Distronic, designo Ash Wood, rear spoiler. 30,000-mile service completed. Mercedes-Benz extended warranty. 480.415.1055 davidmneal44@gmail.com (AZ)
1998 SL 500 SILVER 27,100. $26,500. Garage Kept 26 years. No accidents. Excellent condition. Michael Sangillo. 862.223.0079 (NJ)
1970 280 SE SEDAN 2.8 L 4-SPD AUTO 30,000 miles. All original. $20,000. I have owned the car for nearly 40 years. Moss green with tan MB-Tex interior still retaining new car smell. Visor and door panel plastic shipping covers and optional Coco mats, working Becker, original spare, jack, and tools, all manuals in OE sleeves. 25-year MBCA Member. 937.266.7675
1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 SL (EURO) 66,000 miles. Three-owners. Immaculate inside and out. All electrical, heat/air, etc. work perfectly. Comprehensive maintenance history. Contact for more high-res photos, maintenance records. Inquire for price. Steve Poteet. mspoteet@epbfi.com (TN)
1988 560 SL 10,7388 miles. $27,500. New paint. New top. New tires. Extensive engine and suspension work completed. shartracker@sbcglobal.net (TX)
1984. 500 SEC 43,300 documented miles. $27,850 Kevin Quirk. kevin@ p3rents.com. Cell: 973.222.9063 Voice or text: 973.347.4200. (Hackettstown, NJ)
1991 SL 500 130,000 miles. $25,000. Black/Black. Two owners. I have owned this vehicle for 26 years. Always garage kept. torbro.sal@gmail.com
1989 560 SL 93,327 miles. $25,000. Original paint, always garage parked and no rust. Arctic White (147) over Blue (272) interior. Car is completely original and well maintained. New tires, wind deflector installed behind seats, cabin cover for storage or parking. Matching hardtop with storage rack and cover. Everything works. Navy ragtop has little to no wear, tears, or defects. Both original floor mats and Coco floor mats included.
Stephen Gross. 925.550.0531 stoli1331@gmail.com
2004 E 320 WAGON 161,000 miles. $6,500. White/Gray. Second owner. Well maintained by MB. Third row seats. Coco mats. Very nice. Steve Weiss.
2004 SL 600 RENNTECH 29,342 miles. $38.750 OBO. Twin-Turbo 5.5 L V12. RENNtech R1 Performance Package. Pano roof. Heated/ventilated seats. Front and rear radar detectors. Keyless Go. Parktronic. Dual zone climate. Black/Charcoal. Wade.
1980 280 TE 129,000 miles. $18,900. European model imported to Southern US in late 80s. Classic White/Palomino cloth. Completely mechanically sorted, excellent condition, cargo cover. Rare, heated seats. tcstraker@gmail.com (MI) 615.969.7261 nature9233boy@gmail.com (TN) 707.486.4903 weisslandsurveying@gmail.com (CA)
FOUR BEAUTIFUL MERCEDES-BENZ R 107S for sale as a lot, as-is (parts cars). Towing and shipping charges not included. Make offer. 808.250.9002 alohajwood@gmail.com
LITERATURE/BOOKS/MISC. Sales literature from 1970 to 2022. Most all models. Send me an email for a complete list with special pricing for MBCA members, before I list on eBay. I joined the club in 1967 and have tons of catalogs and books to place in good hands. Bill Burkhardt. 913.648.1835. (Landline; no text.) wburkhardt@kc.rr.com (KS)
RIAL WHEELS/ALMOST NEW MICHELIN X-ICE WINTER TIRES for W 205 C Class (2015-2021). $800. New spare wheel in box included. Will include a set of front WeatherTech floor mats. Wheels are 17x7 with the offset of 48.5 mm, just like stock C 300 wheels. These wheels fit W 205 C Class, without the Sport Package. Please note that they will not work on the Sport Package with larger front brakes. Contact me for additional photos. 802.825.4825 mxl556c@outlook.com. (VT)
Primary members of U.S. Mercedes-Benz Club of America are eligible to exclusive rebates on the lease or purchase of select Mercedes-Benz vehicles. To learn more visit: mbca.org/mbusa-incentives
All MBCA members are eligible to participate in the Member Rebate Program as long as they have been members of MBCA for more than 30 days. To obtain your Rebate Control Number, please email: Info@mbca.org with the information below: First Name Last Name
City (no spaces)
State (two digit only) Zip Code (5 digit only) Valid Email Address MBCA Member ID
Please allow for 48 hours to process.
ATLANTIC CANADA
Contact National VP
MINUTEMAN
Dean Coclin
781.789.8686 mbca.minuteman@ gmail.com
NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND STAR
William Raymond w-mraymond@comcast.net
HUDSON-MOHAWK
James R. Wright
518.439.3178 hudsonmohawkmbca @gmail.com
NIAGARA
Michael D’Ambrosio 716.390.9816 mpjda3@gmail.com
FINGER LAKES
Contact National VP
OTTAWA
Thomas Lang 613.596.5460 tlang1@sympatico.ca
MONTREAL
David Peebles 514.941.5320 unimog@securenet.net
TORONTO
Peter Spitzer
905.599.5770 mbca@spitzerinc.com
SOUTHERN STARS
Gary Keener
904.635.9888 gary.keener @mbcasouthernstars.com
CENTRAL FLORIDA
Robert Hartmann 407.913.6134 (h) hartmann.r@att.net
SOUTH FLORIDA
Contact Regional Director
ROAD STAR
Barry Paraizo 561.310.8957 ferrbp@bellsouth.net
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Christopher Pakietur 239.287.1368 cpakietur@gmail.com
TAMPA BAY
Greg Watson gwatson511@verizon.net
CONNECTICUT/ WESTCHESTER
Winthrop E. Baum 203.858.6300 win@winbaum.com
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
Greg Thorne get0455@yahoo.com
SOUTH JERSEY
Ernest Schirmer 609.895.1611 eschirmer@ieee.org
NEW YORK CITY & LONG ISLAND
Oliver Seligman 917.763.0178 (c) 212.510.8293 (h) mogs05@aol.com
KEYSTONE
Marty Rexroth 717.764.0624 marstang@aol.com
NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
Roger Egoff RAE4@psu.edu
DELAWARE VALLEY Contact Regional Director
BLUEGRASS STARS J. Anne Gilliland mbca2023jag@yahoo.com
NASHVILLE Randy Bibb 615.259.1349 rbibb@lewisthomason.com
SMOKY MOUNTAIN Contact Regional Director
MEMPHIS Michael McHann mike@eccotek.com
CINCINNATI Contact RD
INDIANA CROSSROADS
Roger Brummett 317.721.2784 roger@metroelevator.com
ST. LOUIS GATEWAY
Rick Siefert 314.435.1903 rick.siefert@att.net
MISSISSIPPI Mike Marsh 601.946.1950 mike@marshmarketing.ms
GREATER WASHINGTON
Rugger Smith 703.861.0402 prsmith3@msn.com
CENTRAL VIRGINIA
Todd Lusby tlusby@gmail.com
VIRGINIA
Peter Spring 757. 274.7423 prspring@me.com
TRIANGLE
Christopher Smith cdsmith74@gmail.com
TARHEEL
Barry Huff bdh@triad.rr.com
CAROLINAS
John Hemeline mbcacarolinas.president2022@gmail.com
Sold for $12,105,000 World Auction Record for All Antique Automobiles Amelia Island 2024
1961 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL ROADSTER
Sold for $1,187,500 I Pebble Beach 2024
1957 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL ROADSTER
Sold for $1,105,000 I The Mullin Collection 2024
FRIDAY MARCH 7 LIVE AUCTION
1955 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL GULLWING
Sold for $1,545,000 I Pebble Beach 2024
AutoMobilia This Holiday Season
AutoMobilia Resource magazine is a dedicated resource for anyone who collects automobilia – from serious collectors, to the car guy (or girl) who occasionally collects. Each issue provides a wealth of unique editorial content from industry experts, covering most aspects of the often “increasing-in-value” automotive memorabilia market.
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