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GazetteMarch 2020

T H E O F F I C I A L M E R C E D E S - B E N Z C L U B F O U N D E D 1952

THE MOSEL540K CABRIOLET AE220d COUPÉCLK TRIM

What’s inside...

51 Car of the month

52 What is ‘Monterey Car

Week’?

TECHNICAL CORNER

57 19 years with the same

car

60 W208 CLK rear quarter

trim replacement

62 Spares register

Editorial Office: Chris Bass, Tel: 01483 481836. 30 Scotgate, Stamford PE9 2YQ E-mail: [email protected]

Advertising, Design and Production: Hine Marketing, Tel: 01452 730770Hill Farm Studios, Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton Gloucestershire GL2 9LN E-mail: [email protected]

Gazette distribution queries: Catherine Barlow, Tel: 01780 482111 (9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday) 30 Scotgate, Stamford PE9 2YQ E-mail: [email protected]

Gazette copy dates May March 13 June April 10

Published by The Mercedes-Benz Club Ltd Gazette

First ever Mercedes-Benz Club – founded 1952

Only UK club recognised by Mercedes-Benz

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and technical literature

Membership benefits

For membership and general enquiries telephone 01780 482111, 0345 6032660 (9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday) or see www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk

FEATURES

25 Rob writes...

26 The Mosel and the

Roman Wine Route

31 F1 news

33 Villa d’Este 2019

36 Iconic stars in Paris

42 From deep in the Archive

45 Of PCPs, packages...

and a coupé

26

MercedesBenzClubUK

themercedesbenzclub/

33

Regulars4 CLUBINFORMATION

4 CLUBPUBMEETINGS

5 DIARYDATES

7 FORTHCOMINGEVENTS

8 INVITATIONSRECEIVED

9 NEWS&VIEWS

15 YOURLETTERS

20 CLUBSHOP

22 ROSEMARIE’S

RAMBLINGS

63 REGIONALREPORTS

80 SPECIALNOTICES

81 NEWMEMBERS

81 BACKNUMBERS

85 CARSFORSALE

6036

NEWS&VIEWS

www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • MARCH 2020 • 9

These badges can be supplied with either provision for mounting on a bar or on a grille.

CAR BADGESCar badges are available from the Club Office. They are approximately three inches (76mm) wide and come with fittings enabling them to be mounted on most radiator grilles. The cost is £25 including post and packing. To order your badge please contact Catherine Barlow ([email protected] or 01780 482111).

ELECTION OF CHAIRMANThe long-standing tradition of the Club’s Board of Directors has been to elect the Chairman for the year at the first meeting of that year. This year the meeting took place in January and Rosemarie Maslin was elected as the Chairman for 2020 unanimously and unopposed.

Rosemarie commented to the Board: “2019 was my first full year as Chairman and turned out to be as demanding and rewarding as I had both expected and hoped. I would like to thank the Board for their hard work during the year but in particular I would like to express my appreciation for the work done by the small army of Officials who work tirelessly to provide both services and events for Members, without whose efforts the Club would be a shadow of the vibrant and rewarding experience it currently is. I look forward to another busy year of attending events, meeting Members and enjoying Club life as much as I hope Members will”

Phil Greaves, Company Secretary

CHRIS RIDENAfter fighting a long illness Club stalwart Chris Riden sadly passed away on Sunday January 26 in Reading Hospital with his wife Dee by his side.

His funeral was on Monday February 17. A number of Club Members were present and past Chairman Ian Keers gave an address. We hope to have an obituary for Chris in a forthcoming Gazette. He was well known to many Members having held a number of Club positions in the past.

John Woolls

NEW CONCOURS MANAGER

VACANCY FOR TROPHY MANAGER AND LIAISON WITH MB WORLDWould you like to be more involved with the Club? We need a volunteer to take over the role of Trophy Manager and Liaison with Mercedes-Benz World. Ideally the volunteer will live within easy driving distance of MB World and the role is two-fold; firstly to be responsible for the Club’s extensive trophy collection and have the relevant trophies available at our national events, and secondly liaising with MB World regarding its historic vehicles display, including sourcing suitable cars from Club Members.

If you think you might be interested in finding out more about this important Club role please contact me via [email protected] or the phone number given in the Club Directory.

Geoff D’Cruze, Membership Services Director

Brian Ellis with his 300SL and trophies at the 2017 National Concours.

SLK MODEL REGISTER LUNCH

Being new to the role of SLK Model Register Captain, and following advice, my first event was a small gathering for a New Year’s lunch on Saturday January 11. A total of 10 Members met at the Wheatsheaf Inn, Laney Green near Cannock.

The event had been targeted to the Midlands – North and West Members, but following some Club social media exposure we were delighted to welcome couples from Northamptonshire, and Bolton as well.

We were warmly welcomed by Julie and her team and the food was first-class and enjoyed by all. At the end of the meal

Members enjoying lunch at the Wheatsheaf Inn. Some of their cars.

you would have thought that we had known each other for a long time. Conversations were vibrant, especially on the virtues of SLK ownership. Those discussions continued into the car park around the cars upon departure.

As a group we agreed that we would like to meet every two months to visit new venues and develop our friendships. I am planning a visit on March 14 to the British Motor Museum at Gaydon in Warwickshire – please contact me if you would like to join us.

Keith Newell, SLK Model Register Captain

The Board of Directors has appointed Brian Ellis as the Club’s new Concours Manager. Brian will be known to many Members through his attendance at Club events and he has enjoyed success over many years participating in the Club Concours.

I hope you will all support him in this new role. If you would like any further information his e-mail address is [email protected] Brian will continue in his other Club role as one of the Lancashire Regional Officers.

Rosemarie Maslin, Chairman

Mercedes-Benz The best or nothing.

Experience Connectivity.Your Mercedes-Benz could be connected with Mercedes me Adapter.To find out if your car can be connected, contact your nearest retailer and they’llbe happy to help and arrange a free-of-charge fitting at a time that suits you.

For more information visit www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/adapter

The opinions expressed are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect Club policy. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters if necessary.They should be sent to the editorial office at 30 Scotgate, Stamford PE9 2YQ or [email protected] YOURLETTERS


BAD INSURANCE EXPERIENCEDear Chris,Further to the letter in the November Gazette ‘Insurance quote’, I too have had a bad experience with Footman James. My car was damaged in an accident that was not my fault – there was an independent witness, I was exonerated by the police and the other driver involved admitted liability. Despite this, FJ increased my premium on renewal from £372 to £740 and said they could do nothing about it. I changed companies and got a much better premium.

Brian Betts, Bedford

Footman James responds: After checking the full details of the policy through, it appears there are multiple factors that contributed to the increase in premium. We have since spoken with Mr Betts to ensure he is aware that the increase is not purely caused by the claim and this has now been satisfactorily resolved with him directly. Unfortunately the claim wasn’t as straightforward as mentioned and in fact the third party has never been found. ADEN AGAINDear Chris,I read with interest about Mike Livermore’s 190 in the October Gazette, then Robin Morgan’s letter in December and again from Mike in January.

They brought many memories for me as I too was with the Royal Air Force in Aden in 1964-65 and I remember well Mike Livermore’s father. I often flew with him as his Flight Engineer on 84 Squadron’s Beverley aircraft. I did admire the Mercedes-Benz out there, but chose to buy a Volkswagen Variant (sometimes called the ‘Square-back’), an excellent family estate, with a reliable air-cooled engine, which I shipped back to the UK on an Army ship to Southampton (at a cost of three cases of beer for the crew!)

As Mike mentioned, there was plenty of entertainment in Maalla Straight. One incident I saw was both frightening and funny. A terrorist threw a grenade out of

His favourite toy now – a 1997 SLK230.

Tony Brown’s Beverley being unloaded in Beihan, a few hundred miles north of Aden in what is now South Yemen.

his car window half way along Maalla, but what he didn’t realise was that the item would continue alongside the car at the same speed, and he consequently blew himself up, luckily with no other casualties.

Regards,Tony Brown, via e-mail

TRANSPORT OF DELIGHT

Letter of the Month

As a thank you (and as an incentive for even greater efforts) we like to choose a letter of the month. Meguiar’s have kindly agreed to sponsor this and the Member whose letter is selected receives a Wash & Wax car care kit.

ANOTHER SELF-REPAIRING S-CLASS

Dear Chris,I’ve recently joined the Club and am really enjoying the Gazette. I attended the Classic Motor Show at the NEC last year and regret not bidding on the lovely petrol blue 420SL that went well below market average price at auction on day one!

I read with interest the ‘Self-repairing S-Class’ letters from Steven Ashfield and Tim Pethick (December and January Gazettes). My car too demonstrates such idiosyncratic behaviour, only my S600L AMG is a W222 (2014). I have warnings of ‘Auxiliary Battery malfunction’ then the dynamic cruise control, night vision and lane-assist functions drift in and out of functionality.

The car is booked in to Mercedes-Benz Edinburgh shortly, so maybe a new auxiliary battery could solve its behaviour. Like Tim, my car remains mechanically sound and an absolute joy to drive. My kids seem to enjoy the rear seats too!

Best,Chris Humphrey, via e-mail

Chris Humphrey’s S600... ...and one of his children enjoying the rear seats. Ian Hick at work with Richard Mason’s 560SEC.

Dear Chris,Our Club Directory has a cornucopia of recommended products and services, but only one car transporter. Being wary of using on-line bidding services I was grateful to Gary Norrington, Club Valuer, for a recommendation. He suggested Ian Hick of NEX-UK Transport. Although Ian was delayed before reaching me he kept me fully informed of his progress and was profusely apologetic.

He transported my 560SEC safely 109 miles up the road and all was well. Ian’s price was well under other quotes, plus he would only take payment once arrival of my SEC was confirmed. His contact details are https://nexuktransport.com 07803 480847 e-mail [email protected] Please would you include Ian in the Club Directory.

Kind regards,Richard Mason, via e-mail CLUB MEMBERSHIPIn the February Gazette we had a letter under this heading from Brian Crooks raising questions about Club membership levels and a questionnaire being sent to lapsed Members, here is Club Chairman Rosemarie Maslin’s response: ‘It is true that membership over the last year has dropped by 400, but that equates to a drop of 3.7 per cent not 11 per cent as Mr Crooks states. The next possibly dubious statistic Mr Crooks states is that if membership 10 years ago was 11,000 today it should be 20,000. I would be surprised if there is a similar UK car club that has nearly doubled its membership over the last 10 years.

There is always a certain amount of membership ‘churn’, which can be put down to the sale of cars, change of personal circumstances, natural causes, no longer need Club offers (eg discounted insurance etc). Every Member who fails to renew is always sent a questionnaire asking why they are leaving, but unfortunately only about 15 per cent are returned.

I can confirm that the Directors are not happy with the status quo and reference to ‘the Club’s future’ in my AGM report details some of our future actions.’

20 • MARCH 2020 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk

Reversible coat in red £58.00

Red trim jacket in various colours £40.00

Contact details Donna Butter To order please ring 01278 652340If we are unable to answer the phone, please leave a message on the answer-phone and we will call you back.

The e-mail address is [email protected] Sorry, but due to bank charges, we have had to introduce a minimum order value of £5.00.

Buy on the Club websiteVisit our Club website shop where all items can be viewed. Orders can now be made via the site with payment by credit card or cheque.

Log onto the Club website and start shopping the easy way. Please make cheques payable to Donna Butter. All orders will be despatched within 14 days, if there is a problem we will contact you. Post and packing is not included in the prices given above.

Goods found to be faulty through design flaws or postage damage will be replaced free of charge.

ClubShop

Softshell jacket in various colours £35.00

Keyrings from £5.00

Beanie hats in various colours £12.00

More detailed clothing descriptions, sizes and colours shown on the website

Available from the Club website. Post and packing is not included in the prices shown.

Cufflinks £18.00 Pin badges £7.00

Club fleece in various colours £32.00

Holdall in various colours £25.00

Tee Jay jacket in deep navy or hunter green £85.00

Jacket in various colours £20.00

For further details and a full colour proposal contact [email protected], call 01635 31658 or visit www.motor-passion.co.uk

MILLE MIGLIA VIP TOUR 2020Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 May 2020

The original and the best!

Join TV celebrity and motoring legend Tiff Needell as we dip in and out of the epic 1,000 mile Mille Miglia on our all inclusive 5 day hosted tour.

Our carefully planned programme will immerse you in the history of this classic event as you enjoy exclusive viewing and privileged hospitality at some truly memorable locations, transferring in the comfort of our chauffeured vehicles. Our boutique hotels are perfectly located and of course you’ll enjoy wonderful locations, breath-taking scenery and fabulous wining and dining throughout. We will ensure a stress free, relaxed environment for you to fully enjoy this iconic event and Italian hospitality at its very best!

We look forward to meeting you in Italy!

4 NIGHT VIP HOSTED PROGRAMME INCLUSIONS: With numbers limited to around 25 clients this tour is intimate, friendly and exclusive.

Price Per Person £2,770

HOSTED BY TIFF NEEDELL

» Arrival meet & greet with chauffeuredtransfers directly to your hotel

» Boutique hotel accommodation includingbreakfast

» Hosted chauffeured transfers throughoutthe programme

» Welcome drinks reception and superbregional wining and dining includedthroughout

» Private tour of the Mille Miglia Museumincluding dinner & drinks

» View all the build up in Brescia and viewthe cars as they pass our private balconyoverlooking Lake Garda

» VIP Day in the beautiful walled city ofCorinaldo.The day includes privilegedaccess passes with viewing of the carsjust feet away

» Informal guided tour of Bologna’s key andhidden sights with your own guide

» Private tour of select motoring museumsincluding optional exclusive behind thescenes access to the Lamborghini Factory

» Motor Passion concierge managementon-site throughout the weekend withhosting by motoring legend Tiff Needell


Last month I mentioned the Gazette copy and publication dates that make my ramblings very confusing to write. To continue with this theme, I wrote this to meet an end of January copy date and, whilst you are reading it towards the end of February, I am hopefully sunning myself in Cuba.

As I’m sure most of you know, Havana is the place to see classic American cars from the 1950s, albeit I’m told with Toyota engines! We have for quite a few years wanted to visit Cuba, especially before the historic ambiance of the place is replaced by, for me, less attractive American influences such as MacDonald’s, Burger King and the like, so fingers crossed we will see the Havana of our imagination and that it comes up to expectations. Whatever we find I will tell you a little more about the classic car scene there next month.

February and March are considered our winter, but hopefully nothing like the snow they get in Scandinavia, because I really am a warm weather person and dislike the cold and snow. Well snow is OK if it’s fresh and clean, but it’s the sludge that follows that I dislike. However, this has not put off my other half thinking that an ice driving experience would make a change from my ideal of sitting in the sun. A few companies are offering two and three-day driving experiences, but they are certainly not cheap at around £3,000. It does look like it’s a lot of fun, especially as it’s not your own car you are more than likely to drive into a snow wall! It needn’t be all snow driving either, as there’s snowmobile

safari and skiing options. We’re too late this year, but now the idea has embedded itself in Peter’s mind it’s probably going to happen at some stage. Would anyone else be interested in a snow driving experience? We may be able to organise a trip for early next year when not much else is happening in the Club. Drop me an e-mail and let me know if you are interested.

Another small task for me at this time of year is finding something interesting to write about in the absence of Club activities. I have therefore been guilty of trying to find inspiration from other magazines and this month I found an article describing the release of cars from Toyota, Hyundai and Honda that use ‘Fuel Cells’ instead of batteries. This reminded me that

some years ago I read that Mercedes-Benz was developing a fuel cell car, but then heard nothing more. [I did contribute three pages about it to the June 2019 Gazette – Ed!] This has motivated me to find out a little more, not least because I had little knowledge of what a fuel cell was or where it fits in our ecological jungle.

My dummies’ guide to electric cars and moreIt seems that many of you like me are not wholly convinced that electric cars are the answer to our current (excuse the pun) and future environmental problems. Here I should probably own up to the fact that I have two sports cars that each have V8 engines and I just love the sound they make, so what follows may not be totally unbiased.

I found it interesting that during the years 2013 to 2019 petrol cars accounted for 66 per cent of total registrations with diesel 27 per cent and alternative fuels seven per cent. Another interesting statistic I found was the take up of electric plug-in

Rosemarie’s ramblingsby Rosemarie Maslin

Ice driving.

Some of the tracks we could tackle.

FEATURE


Rob writes... by Rob Halloway

And, not orI’m writing this on the last day of EU membership for Great Britain. It’s the culmination of a pretty poisonous period where people have politically pitted themselves against each other with one of the most devilishly simple questions of a generation: Leave or Remain? Two big words sandwiching a small one, but it’s this two-lettered terror twixt oh-my-God options that’s a pitfall for many, and the focus of this column. Like but, our friend or is often divisive. Red or blue, on or off, yes or no. It’s one thing or another thing.

In management, one of the best and easiest positive things you can do is ‘change the but to an and’. So, when giving feedback you can say something like: ‘It’s good work, and it’ll be perfect when we tweak this or that’, rather than ‘It’s good but that needs changing’. And not but.

On social media all sorts of silly arguments are triggered by or. Some that keep spattering across my screens include: F1 racing or Le Mans? Petrol or diesel? Electric or combustion? I’m an and man. I like Formula One and I like Le Mans. And rallying. And banger racing. And and and. It’s the same with wine as it is for cars. Red or white? Red and white! Rear-wheel-drive

or all-wheel-drive? And and and. All of it!To prove my point, here’s an andecdote.

Recently I was test driving an EQC, which is spearheading a huge number of all-electric cars from Mercedes-Benz over the coming years. It’s a very clever thing, the EQC. It has all kinds of systems to caress you along the road using the merest trickle of electrons, and it can eke out your range so that between AC/DC top-ups you’re likely to cover more miles than you would between tankfuls in a C63 AMG, in my experience. Certainly my beloved 6.3-litre naturally-aspirated V8 variant at any rate.

So, the choice is silent progress or hilarious riotous acceleration. One or the other. Well, that’s what I thought until I hit the ‘Sport’ switch in the EQC. A flick of the wrist and the car was transformed from balmy to ballistic. #OMFG as the kids say. The EQC is an and car. Hurrah! Sport mode imbues the EQC with more accelerative punch than my old C63 AMG could ever muster. From a standstill, the sling-shot of maximum torque at zero rpm had me hurled along the road with as much accelerative force as a fighter jet off the deck of an aircraft carrier*.

The Sport button turned the empty-backroad part of my commute into

an absolute hoot. Lovely, dynamic performance on tap, all the time. It was relentless, gut squelching g-force punching power, and it surprised the wotsits off me (as did the referendum result, to be honest).

When I got to a town, the EQC slipped into quiet Eco Auto mode, and muted Mercedes magnificence was once again the order of the day. Some 100kg of extra sound insulation gives the EQC pretty much the quietest cabin of any car I’ve driven (even the ones with the little winged statue on the bonnet). Yes, the EQC gave me parsimony and punch. I was thrilled and, when I plugged it in to charge up overnight, the pre-heating defrost setting the next morning meant I didn’t even need to scrape off any overnight frost. Marvellous. And and and.

So, as we stand at the front door of unprecedented change in our lives, I urge you to make the best of what’s waiting for us when we cross the threshold. There’s a whole new age upon us, and whilst some will yearn for yesteryear, others can’t wait for the future to arrive. It’s up to us to realise that this odd transitional period is something to embrace rather than to fear.

I am of course talking about the era of the electric car arriving as that of pure combustion seems to be shuffling off. I’ve no idea at all about the political stuff. Fingers on both ’ands crossed on that one…

*Of course I know that fighter jets are faster than an electric SUV, I was just getting carried away.

EQC400 4-Matic.

Lancashire ClassicsUnit 8, Kings Court, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 2LE

[email protected] www.lancashireclassics.co.uk Mobile: 07434784444

Details of these & our other cars can be found on our website

1998 C240 Elegance 4,300 miles £12,995

2006 CLK500 62,000 miles £9,995

1998 SL320 7,000 miles £32,995

1991

1998 SL320 LE 36,000 miles £18,995

1986 300SL 37,000 miles £34,995

1991 300SL 27,000 miles £16,995

1992 230e Auto 23,000 miles £8,995

1988 300SE 51,000 miles £12,995

FEATURE


Wine brings people together,” said Manfred as he took our order. We were sitting at a shared table

in the courtyard of a small restaurant in Schweich on the Mosel (Moselle) river in Germany at the start of a three-day wine festival and our waiter was soon proved right. 10 minutes later we were joined by strangers who were happy to chat and swap stories about how we all came to be there. Marita and Benno had travelled in their camper van from Dortmund to come to the festival. I explained that I wanted a reason to get the 350SL out for a couple of weeks, and a German wine festival seemed like the perfect excuse. Wine-making here has a long history, with the Romans cultivating vines along the Mosel 2,000 years ago. This is the story of our experiences heading for the Roman Wine Route, but of course first we had to get from County Durham to Schweich and then beyond.

It’s a short drive from home to the DFDS ferry terminal at North Shields for the overnight sailing to Amsterdam (Ijmuiden). There were no queues when we arrived, just under two hours before the 5.30pm sailing, and check in was quick and

simple. There’s a look over the car before you board and apart from some concern over the petrol can in the boot (they prefer it to be empty, and it was) the loading is quick and efficient. Once on board I was pleased to see they leave a decent amount of space between adjacent cars, so no dinks. All the doors and decks are clearly marked and you can ask for a card with the location of your car if you want it.

The cabins vary from inside basic all the way up to the ultra-luxurious ‘Commodore’ class. We opted for a double bed in a sea view outside cabin that was small but had everything we needed.

I love eating whilst on the move, watching the world – or in this case the sea – go by. They do food extremely well on board. There are two main restaurants, so set the appropriate course depending on your urge for traditional cuisine or international specialities. The North Sea Bistro is for you if you want posh, and the Explorer’s Kitchen has an all you can eat buffet. We ate in the Bistro on the way out and – here’s a tip – if you want a window table, book it in advance because if you just turn up you might not get one. On our

plates were veal tartare and bloody mary shrimp cocktails to start, followed by classic wiener schnitzel and pork cooked three ways. All delicious. Other options were steak, fish of the day, lamb chops and an interesting looking vegetarian menu.

There’s plenty to do on board – after dinner I watched a film, while Sarah went shopping, arranging to meet for a drink in the bar before retiring to our cabin, leaving the younger passengers to dance the night away.

No hurryAfter a comfy night’s sleep and a splendid buffet breakfast (I had full English but there were plenty of healthy choices, such as cheeses, breads, fruits and cereals to keep Sarah happy) we watched our approach into Ijmuide spot on time. There’s no hurry with this ferry, unlike others, to vacate your cabin well before the ship docks. When you are called to the car, the signage on the upper decks is really excellent and we had no problem finding it. Disembarkation was smooth and prompt.

It was raining in Amsterdam so we decided to keep the top up and use the fastest route to Schweich until conditions

The Mosel and the Roman Wine Route

by Ken Snowdon

Quiet, open roads.

“

FEATURE


F1 NEWSby Will Gardner

MERCEDES As we went to press, rumours that Mercedes is looking to leave F1 were again rife. Plans to alter the sport radically, to make it more competitive from 2021, have left the manufacturer undecided about its future. Meanwhile investors are circling to pick the bones of anyone leaving. Team Principal Toto Wolff said that there is an argument for leaving when you’ve achieved your goals and finding a new direction may be the logical next step. However he stressed that the team was very much ‘in the moment’ and as focused as ever on the upcoming campaign. Rumours of a move for Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari still circulate, though Hamilton has denied on social media that he has entered contract discussions with anyone, whilst Mercedes has long-term contracts to supply engines to Williams and Racing Point, so leaving the sport will be far from straightforward.

The prospect of change is hanging over others too, with Gene Haas apparently uncertain about his involvement in the sport, whilst Red Bull’s long-term interest is also apparently uncertain. Whatever happens on track – and the smart money is on a seventh Mercedes championship double – F1 could be looking very different by the time the chequered flag falls on the 2020 campaign.

CHINASince the outbreak of the corona-virus in China, F1 has been monitoring the situation and as we went to press issued a statement indicating that running the race weekend is far from certain. The Shanghai GP is scheduled for the weekend of April 19-21 and it’s probable that a decision will be linked to the Chinese Formula E race a month earlier. Cancellation of both seems likely at

the moment as China has already cancelled February’s World Cup Skiing races – a key Olympic preparation event – and the World Athletics Indoor Championships. This is because of the declaration of a global health emergency which requires such events, involving large gatherings and foreign travel, to be postponed where possible.

ASTON MARTIN RACING POINTWhen he bought the Force India team in 2018, Lawrence Stroll indicated that the name would be temporary. Now Stroll, who is heading a rescue deal for struggling car maker Aston Martin, has said that the team will become the Aston Martin works team for the 2021 season when Red Bull’s deal to use the Aston Martin name comes to an end. The current project to develop the Valkyrie hyper-car with Red Bull designer Adrian Newey will though continue. Stroll may not stop there, with the suggestion that

if Mercedes does leave F1, he would move to buy the team’s assets in partnership with Toto Wolff who already owns 30 per cent of Mercedes F1.

WILLIAMSAfter a season best described as painful, with a car woefully off the pace throughout the 2019 campaign, this team is focused on an improved performance next season. Sadly for fans it has been issuing similar press releases for too many seasons now. Despite running the championship-winning Mercedes power-train, the team has been significantly less successful than fellow Mercedes customer Racing Point for the last few seasons. Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams went on record as saying last season wasn’t as tough as the previous one and that the hard work and significant restructuring would pay results in the future. However the team hasn’t been able to attract a Chief Technical Officer, a role Williams admits needs to be filled when the right candidate comes forward.

The difficulty for Williams though is that it remains a traditional constructor, making as much of its own car as possible, rather than taking allowable parts from their power-train partner as many other teams do. Williams has doggedly stuck to making its own gearbox for example, rather than buying the Mercedes box which is of course developed as part of the engine package, adding complexity to its design and development, whilst being very resource heavy. For Williams, this is what being a constructor should be about and it’s possible that future cost cutting and rule changes could play to its strengths. Responding to the need to change, whilst upholding its value of fierce independence, the team is to take some external components this season and is keeping these decisions under review.

Poor performance has also impacted sponsorship, but the team is insisting it has not reduced its operating budget, though this is now smaller than that of the leading teams. Financial stability in the short-term has been helped by the sale of a stake in Williams Advanced Engineering; a move which some see as selling the family silver. Of course, time will tell, and another difficult season seems likely, but with the legendary Williams resilience, who knows?

Regardless of the rumours about its future, the Mercedes F1 team has announced a multi-year partnership with AMD, a supplier of supercomputing, simulation, PC and data centre technologies. The AMD logo will be on both sides of the cockpit of the team’s 2020 cars, on the drivers’ race suits and team clothing and on the engineering station.

Toto Wolff (left with the late Niki Lauda): ‘There is an argument for leaving when you’ve achieved your goals’.

FEATURE

Once again the Hotel Villa d’Este played host to the Concorso d’Eleganza and this year’s event

was held under the motto of ‘The Symphony of Engines – 90 Years of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and BMW Automobiles’, with over 50 cars and 40 motorcycles taking part in the event. As in previous years it was a feast of some of the worlds most stunning cars.

As with any event, the weather was to play its part – with the forecast predicting heavy thunder storms on the Saturday the organisers and staff at Villa d’Este were hard at work making sure every eventuality was covered.

With the gates open at 9.30am on the Saturday and the sun shining brightly, the event was off to a cracking start with the cars organised into eight categories, ready to be paraded in front of an exclusive panel of experts to judge them and to select the Best of Show to receive the BMW Group Trophy later in the day.

As you might expect, the first car to catch my eye was a 1954 300SL Gullwing with UK number plates. This car had a well-documented past, with its chassis stamped as number 19. It was presented at the Paris Motor Show before being passed into the ownership of Mercedes-Benz (GB) Ltd prior to being displayed at the London Motor Show and featuring in The Autocar

magazine in March 1955. After various owners through the years it appeared at the Bonhams 2014 auction in Stuttgart. The car was superbly presented at Villa d’Este and I am pleased to say won its class.

From the past to a more modern car, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, which was being shown in the Concept Cars and Prototypes class. This car is reminiscent of the type-57 SC Atlantic Bugatti from the 1930s, a car which won the concours

in 2012 for Ralph Lauren. This new car was specially built for a Bugatti enthusiast, although I did think the owner could have been ‘Batman’. It features an eight-litre engine with 1,500hp. Of course all this doesn’t come cheap and it was sold for an incredible €16.7 million (including taxes). Another car you couldn’t help notice was a 540K cabriolet. This two-tone, two-door, two-seater, which was one of only 83 cabriolet A versions to leave the factory,

Villa d’Este 2019 by Peter Brown

Arriving in style.


FEATURE


People love old cars. Some like them because they are ‘objets d’art’, others because they are reminders of an

earlier time in their lives or of a certain period of time. For many people today, the Mercedes-Benz 540K cabriolet A from 1936 is different. This car needs an introduction to that period and her owners in order to understand the position of this special car in that pre-war society. It was a time of rapid and sweeping changes, a magical era with beautiful cars.

The purpose of this article is to give a comprehensive overview of this fantastic Mercedes-Benz from 1936 right up until today. This remarkable car has had an exceptional history.

Iconic stars in Paris – Lucy Franchi and her 540K by Robert Scheerboom

Lucy Franchi from Montmartre, ParisIn the period 1890 to 1940 life in France became increasingly imbued with innovations such as the telephone, aeroplane, automobile, film and gramophone. Paris was a bustling city and the cultural centre in this era of ‘La Belle Époque’. On the occasion of the World Fair in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was built as a temporary crowd puller – the iron colossus has remained standing ever since and has become one of the hallmarks of Paris. The Metro started operating in 1891 and science flourished.

Paris quickly expanded. Montmartre was a farming village just outside the city and had no fewer than 40 mills. These

This article was submitted to the Gazette by Ambrose Kluyskens who has worked with Daimler AG and its predecessors in Stuttgart for many years. The author, Robert Scheerboom, is from the Netherlands and has been closely involved with the Mercedes-Benz clubs there. They both wanted to give the Gazette the honour of this article appearing first in the journal of the oldest Mercedes-Benz Club in the world.

Thanks are also owed to Rob Pekelharing for his assistance with photos.

were built against a 134-metre high hill (La Butte). Montmartre remained outside of the city limits of Paris until January 1 1860, when it was annexed to the city along with other communities (faubourgs) surrounding Paris, and became part of the 18th arrondissement. Cabaret venues came into existence here and famous artists gathered around them, including Matisse, Degas, Renoir, Modigliani, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Mondrian, Pissarro and van Gogh. They all had studios in Montmartre, together with their favourite bars. On top of the hill was the picturesque square, Place du Tertre, as well as the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur. At the bottom of the hill there was a totally

Lucy Franchi’s 540K as it is today – which is as it was in 1936 (photo by Louis Blom).


FEATURE


From deep in the Archive

by the Archive TeamA double helping from the Archive this month. Firstly a story featuring a 540K that is the type of coupé that appeared at the 1936 Paris Motor Show to compete with the locally bodied Bugattis and Delages as described in the preceding article about Lucy Franchi’s 540K. The car shown here is also connected with a previous Archive article and the Club Concours.

This ‘From deep in the Archive’ (FDITA) is even more of a team effort than usual, thanks to an e-mail received from Club Member Mark Burnyeat. Regular readers may recall Mark for his generous donation of his personal Mercedes-Benz archive, some of which was featured in the Gazette of September 2018.

Mark wrote to us in connection with the January 2020 FDITA article which featured the work by Ronald Johnson to establish the Club and some of the associated early papers. He wrote, ‘In this FDITA you mention the February 1952 Motor Sport article which covered Ronald Johnson’s idea to set up a Mercedes-Benz register. Also on this page was mention of the formation of a motoring club at Eton, with its inaugural President being G R St Aubyn.

I was fortunate enough to have been at Eton in the early 1970s when Giles St Aubyn was my house-master. He was

passionate about cars and owned many, including a road legal D-type Jaguar. The reason he would have become the Eton Motor Club’s President (when he was only 26) is that he then owned a Mercedes-Benz 540K, the actual car reputed to have been a personal gift in the 1930s from Hitler to Rudolf Caracciola, then of course the world’s greatest racing driver.

Giles must have taken the car to an early meeting of the newly formed Mercedes-Benz Club, because it won the Premier Award for Best Car at the 1953 Concours d’Elegance, and the now traditional trophy. Maybe one day this trophy will find its way back to the Club, but not just yet I am afraid!

On Giles’s retirement as an Eton house-master in 1976 he kindly gave me the trophy, which I still have, because of my strong interest in Mercedes-Benz. He would have sold the 540K later in the 1950s, maybe to buy the Jaguar. His final Mercedes-Benz was a 300SEL 6.3, which he sold before he retired to Guernsey, where he felt with the island’s 35mph speed limit, its performance capabilities would be rather hard to use!’

On receipt of Mark’s e-mail the Archive Team consulted the on-line Archive content to find details of LMG 618, Giles St Aubyn’s 1936 540K, along with photos of him with

Its owner with his concours trophies.

Giles St Aubyn’s 540K.

the car and the winner’s trophy at the Club’s 1953 Concours d’Elegance in Gerards Cross.

The 540K, which featured a striking, fixed-head coupé body, was initially a 500K. At some stage prior to 1952 it was re-engined to bring it up to 540K specification. After Giles St Aubyn sold the car it went to the USA in 1955.

Once again the Archive and Club Members have come up trumps, adding to the sum of Mercedes-Benz history, as this story has demonstrated.

FEATURE

E220d AMG Line coupéAs we move into times of increasing concern for the environment, with the associated growth in electric powered cars, less ownership and more leasing, plus ever more congested roads, driving or ‘motoring’ is becoming less an enthusiasm and more a commodity. Daimler AG has changed its finance arm’s name to ‘Daimler Mobility’ – recognising that in the future, particularly in cities, people won’t buy cars, instead they will just rent time or miles in a suitable vehicle when it is required, especially if those vehicles drive themselves. So there won’t be the complex purchasing process we have come to know, with debates over the type of car, which model and its detail specification.

There might not be a call for articles of

Of PCPs, packages...

and a coupéby Chris Bass

this type and the Club’s role, let alone the Gazette’s, might be very different. We don’t seem to be at the commodity stage just yet – there are still strong market trends. SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz’s GLA, GLC, GLE, GLS etc) are on the up. The once ubiquitous hatch-back is in decline and the saloon is rapidly becoming a museum piece.

Both within the SUV genre and in its own right, the coupé, particularly in the Mercedes-Benz range, continues to enjoy substantial popularity – so the future of the E220d coupé featured here might still lie in the hands of an enthusiast. That is if its diesel engine doesn’t condemn it to an early grave.

The coupé has always been something of an anachronism – invariably you pay

Gazette



Car of the month

If you would like your car to be a Car of the month, please send a good photo (conventional or digital) and a few details to the Gazette Editorial Office: Chris Bass, 30 Scotgate, Stamford PE9 2YQ or [email protected]

Stephen Downham’s CLK280

Stephen writes: ‘In 2018 Kornelia and I replaced our much loved R170 SLK, all because of a dog. This was

never our plan, but when we attended the first SLK Day, held at Brooklands in 2014, we met a kind couple with a delightful little whippet. “No problem accommodating her in our SLK”, we were told. “She simply curls up in the passenger footwell”.

Encouraged by this we later became the proud owners of ‘Foster’ from

Whippet Rescue. Major miscalculation. We had unknowingly committed ourselves to taking a dog whippet, easily twice the size of a whippet bitch, and only comfortable when occupying an empty driver’s seat behind the steering wheel! Our lovely SLK remained virtually unused as our second car for the next three years, and clearly it was now time to make a hard decision. The dog or the car. I’m glad to say we are

now the happy and proud owners of both our much loved whippet and a CLK280 cabriolet with a specially tailored rear seat insert for our four-legged friend.

In my view few convertibles compare with the style and grace of the W209 CLK, whether it be top up or top down. I consider it a real high-point in Mercedes-Benz’s taste and styling. And what a lovely car it is to drive, providing real comfort for all three of us!’

FEATURE


Each August the Monterey Peninsula, which lies just over 100 miles south of San Francisco on the Pacific coast

of California, hosts a week of car-related shows and events. My son Jay and I had decided to make the trip of a lifetime to go and see what it was all about. The reason we were going was because one of the car programmes on television had featured the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance which is the most prestigious event of the week and is held on the final Sunday. We didn’t plan months in advance – in fact we only started booking three weeks before we left, but it all fitted together well.

We flew into San Francisco on Wednesday and stayed overnight, picking

What is ‘Monterey Car Week’? by David Atkinson

up a rental car the next morning – it seemed much better not to try driving after a long flight. In the spirit of the trip, I had requested a Ford Mustang convertible with a Chevrolet Camaro as an alternative. It may be a reflection of the quality of the cars, or just our bad luck, but when we went to pick up the car we were told that, although they have three, none of them was roadworthy, so we ended up being given a Jaguar XE. It was nice enough, but I wasn’t very impressed by either the car itself or by the build quality. It definitely wasn’t up to Mercedes-Benz standards. Some things didn’t work; for example the cruise control, while others were only intermittently useable, like the reversing camera.

State Highway OneLooking at the map before leaving, we had decided to choose the option of driving down the coast on the renowned State Highway One. It’s not the most famous section of this road, which goes all the way along the Pacific coast to Los Angeles in the south of California, but we had some time to spare and it was an easier way to get used to driving the American way than going on the freeway – motorway to us.

The biggest difference in driving there is that you are allowed to turn right at a red light if it is clear, provided you give way to pedestrians. I had heard or read that you have to use your indicators every time you want to turn and it certainly seemed to be

Pre-war Mercedes-Benz class winners line up to receive their awards at the Mercedes Concours

at Pebble Beach.

TECHNICALCORNER


I have owned my 190E for 19 years. It was initially purchased because I was having problems finding a decent W123,

and the190 was my second choice. It was not my first Mercedes, I had previously owned a W123 230E for five years up to 1999 and only sold it when I was promoted at work and the extra miles my new job entailed would be unfair on the then 16-year-old W123. I traded the 230E in for a Vauxhall Calibra, but got fed up with it very quickly and returned to the Mercedes fold with my 190 in 2000. I wrote an article for the Gazette, which was published in June 2011, outlining stories about the cars I owned from 1981 to 2011. I thought it was about time I wrote another report to bring things up to date, but to concentrate on what I have learnt from owning my 190 for the last 19 years. I have always had my cars serviced ‘on the button’ and keep all the bills and history. So I thought why not outline what I have had

19 years with the same car by Mark Lee

done to my 190E over nearly two decades. I know owning one car for 19 years is far from unique, and neither is keeping records of everything done, but I thought Members may be interested in what I have spent and learnt from my ownership.

BackgroundMy 190E was registered in January 1990. It is a two-litre automatic, finished in anthracite (a sort of brown/gold colour). Extras fitted include an electric aerial, rear headrests, electric windows all round, ABS, an electric sunroof and a leather steering wheel. The car had done 95,000 miles when I purchased it in March 2000 – at a cost of £3,300. The current mileage is 213,000. I bought the car privately with a full service history and bills. I have kept that up for the last 19 years and have all the bills, from wiper blades to bodywork repairs, contained in a large file giving expenditure each year. Almost all of the work carried out on the car has been done by Montador Motor Engineers in Birkenhead, Wirral. Stuart, the owner, is a classic car fan and when you visit his garage there are normally one or two older vehicles in for repair – he is a big fan of Triumphs. I have always been very pleased with his work and he has looked after all my cars, old and modern.

1990 to 1999During this period the car was owned by three people, and originally registered at a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Cumbria. It was purchased by its second owner from the same dealer as a ‘Selected Used Mercedes’.

The previous owner to me had bought the car from a Wirral dealer, Newhall Motors, which is still in business and a well known local BMW specialist. Bills in the first five years were normal – servicing, tyres, but after-market alloys (still on the car) and a Thatcham-approved alarm system (again still on the car) were installed.

2000In the first year of my ownership I did 12,000 miles. The work carried out was a full service, an interim oil change, the fitting of two tyres (Firestone) and a Waxoyl of the underside.

A new first aid kit was fitted as the original had been removed when I got the car. A second hand speedo was purchased from Dronsfields as the old one packed up at 99,000 miles.

Plastic trim on the A-posts were fixed as they had come loose. A new V-belt (a recurring problem) was fitted – it used to squeak regularly and this was only solved when a new tensioner/shock absorber was fitted in 2005.

A new ignition barrel from Mercedes was fitted as the old one had worn and you could not move the key. New front brake pads were fitted and touch-up paint was purchased from Road Range, the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Liverpool.

The total spend in the year was £540.

2001I did 13,000 miles in the second year and the work carried out was an MoT test, a full service, two oil services and the fitting of two new tyres (Firestone). A clear indicator lens set was fitted (a fashion at the time and still on the car, but I kept the originals) plus a new electric aerial and a wooden zebrano gear knob (another fashion at the time and still on the car).

Mark Lee’s 190E.

Interior – with some modifications, including a zebrano gear change knob.

TECHNICALCORNER


I wrote an article about our W208 CLK200 that appeared in the June 2016 Gazette in which I pointed out

the problem with the baggy leather trim in the rear quarters, and the fact that, having been identified as ‘dealer fit’ leather, there was no warranty cover to get this resolved. This has always been a disappointment in an otherwise superb car.

Photo two shows the starting point – the leather hung loose (worse in warm weather) and had no contour lines or stitching to echo the door trims. Well, having owned this 2002 car for 16 years I decided to fix it for myself and having tried (and failed) to glue the leather into place I was lucky to find a pair of genuine anthracite leather rear quarters for £28 including postage on Ebay (other auctions sites are available!)

Fitting was relatively straightforward thanks to step by step instructions taken from the Workshop Information System (WIS), which sadly is no longer available

W208 CLK rear quarter trim replacement by David Beardsley

1. David Beardsley’s CLK200, he says, “Maybe I’ll do better in the

Concours now...”

2. How the trim was.


SPARESREGISTER A FREE Service For ALL MEMBERS

FOR SALEBreaking W123 280 coupé; 1998 C250 CDI estate; 2000 W208 CLK

cabriolet; W124 300D multi-valve estate, good vented wing; W126 420SEL, good engine and box; W108 280SE. Parts off the shelf for W111 coupés and Fintails, W108, W123, W201 190 series, W124, W126, W202 C-Class and W210 E-Class. Please phone or text on 07710 672986 or e-mail [email protected] Dave West Yorkshire.

Workshop manuals, parts catalogues, special tools, owners’ handbooks and sales literature too numerous to list. These are all original (not reproductions), factory-printed books for all post-war models up to 1984. Contact me with your requirements. Geoff Marshall 07414 538004 [email protected]

Breaking W124 1989 300E Complete. 1989 W124 260E panels. 1985 W201 2.0 complete. 1990 W124 300D complete. Set of four wheels and tyres from SLK. Charlie 01787 461751 07909 171330 Essex.

New old stock brake discs Sold as pairs, Mercedes-Benz part numbers 210 421 25 12, 202 421 09 12, 202 421 02 12, 210 423 05 12. Please check correct part number £20 a pair. Collect or post and packing at cost. [email protected] Hertford.

Sales brochures R107 1985-89 £35. R129 SL (hardback) £25. Limited Edition covering Atlantic, Almandine and Silver Arrows £10. R230 SL (hardback) £20. R170 SLK (face-lift edition) £30. W201 190E £10. W202 C-Class £5. All prices include post (within UK) and packing. Michael 01932 245711.

Four 16-inch alloy wheels 7½ J 16 H2, part number 140 401 10 02 to suit W140 S-Class. With tyres, two of which are good winter snow tyres £140 00. Set of Mercedes-Benz roof bars to fit W140 S-Class £50.00. Five Intra 6½J x 14-inch ‹Mexican hat› alloy wheels £200.00. M189 complete engine and auto gearbox from 1966 W112 300SEL, also front and rear axles £1,500.00. John 01304 274494 (evenings) 07711 327852 (any time) Kent.

W121 190SL and W180 220S Pair of rear lamps, complete and in good condition £180. robertcoxshall{@outlook.com 01992 302238.

W201, W124 or W210 Original equipment mud-flaps, various set available, £15 per flap or £50 per set plus post and packing. Eric 01516 390149 Wallasey.

W113 Pagoda SL Locking petrol cap, camshaft for M127 (230SL) engine, factory hard-top, roof rack, hard-top chrome mouldings, exterior door handles, grille barrel and star, fuel gauge, speedo head, viscous coupling and many other chrome mouldings and more. David 01773 835462 Derby.

Mercedes SL – The Restorer’s Guide by Laurence Meredith, soft-back edition, 112 pages and many pictures, covers Gullwing to Pagoda £14 to include postage. [email protected]

W112/W111 220SE/230SE/300SE Saloon front offside bumper half section, good chrome, no dents £200. Also nearside and offside top sections, good condition £50 each. All plus post and packing. [email protected] 01992 302238 Hertford.

R170 SLK AMG style front grille and perspex wind deflector – offers. Marcus Simmons 01543 251234 [email protected]

W123 saloon front bumper From 1984 230, very good condition with rubber and number plate backing £45. Also two headlights, complete but different lenses – any offers. Pete 07939 233614 [email protected]

R129 SL Two front wings off a 2001 SL320, black. I replaced both at great expense and now have two used wings for sale which are only rusty in the normal place. Malcolm Cowle 07952 936714 [email protected] for photos and offers before they go on Ebay. West Midlands.

W205 C-Class Four Mercedes-Benz alloy wheels fitted with 225/70 R17 Bridgestone winter tyres. The wheels are undamaged and the tyres have approximately 4mm of tread remaining.Photos on request. Nigel 07734 325929 [email protected] Bedfordshire.

2004 W203 C-Class Gear lever in grey leather £30 plus post and packing. I sold my car before fitting it. Roy Price [email protected] 07957 977113.

W124 A pair of Weissenfels 09 snow chains for 15in wheels £35 plus post and packing. Alan 07770 484977.

W111 220SEb Bosch two-element fuel injection pump. Bosch reference number EP/ZEB 2 KL 75 R11. £ 100. Bob 01992 302238 [email protected]

Air filter Genuine part, number A003 094 58 04 £12 including postage. 07472684635 [email protected]

W169 A-Class Four 17-inch alloy wheels complete with very good Michelin 215/45 ZR 17 tyres. One of the wheels is scuffed. £240. Stephen 07766 800015 [email protected] Hampshire.

R107 SL Spare wheel and tyre. Believed never used. Ideal as spare for concours. W123 280CE new surplus parts – air, fuel and oil filters, pair of springs, cam roller chain and gasket, steering joints and control arm mount. Part numbers available. [email protected] 01590 622175.

AMG Aero One eight x 17 alloy rims Correct period, full set of five, marked 1987/88, with pre-merger AMG face engravings with German TUV certification. Refurbished through an eight-stage process to excellent condition. Developed by AMG for the 560SEC/SE cars without the need for wing modifications. Painted in the correct colour, MaxMeyer B0005 twin pack metallic silver and complete with the correct, plain, screw-fitting centre caps. Best offer please. Chris 01460 271749 [email protected] Somerset.

W208 New, boxed, unused steering lock and screw pin, Mercedes-Benz, original price £273.86 in 2014, now £400. Part numbers A208 462 0430 and A208 462 0271. My price £175.00 ono plus post and packing. Clinton 07958 247402 [email protected]

W124 Original Mercedes-Benz product data manual, detailing refinements for 200-300E 1990 model year. W113 Pagoda SL original chrome, re-chromed, good condition, complete apart from centre star. Colin Jailler 07717 133499 [email protected]

1966 W110 FINTAIL 190C Front and rear two-part bumpers, no rust, good chrome, usable not perfect, over-riders present on front, rear over-riders may also be available – subject to negotiation £550.00. 1963 W110 Fintail complete set of four door-cards in cream/ivory MB-Tex, good usable condition, clips and door furniture also available by separate negotiation. £300.00. W115 saloon seats, original Mercedes-Benz (real) leather, ivory, excellent ‘patina’ condition, no rips or tears or bolster wear – with runners, chrome, plastic trims present. Fronts adjustable, rear has arm rest £700.00. Matching front armrest and centre console tray and seat cushion in cream/ivory MB-Tex (both VGC) by separate negotiation. Dean [email protected] 01787 378797.

W124 cabriolet/coupé Nearside door, green with electric mirror, no window regulator £95.00. New genuine Mercedes-Benz offside door skin £85.00. W208 MB wind-stop, as new, boxed £125 plus carriage. 07881 840822 [email protected] Kent.

R170 SLK Original equipment floor mats in black velour, unused £75. Coverzone Stormforce all-weather four-layer tailored car cover £150. Original equipment fabric wind deflector, unused in original packaging £65. Geoffrey Hunter 07766 953084 [email protected]

W115/123/124/201 diesel engines Three OM 617 910 240d 3.0, two OM 617 for W123 and Hymer, one OM616 240d, one OM601 2.3d for 190/124/308, one OM602 2.5d plus auto gearbox for 190/124. M115 920 six-cylinder 2.5 petrol engine for spares or rebuild. Lots of parts for these and conversions. Alan 07973 481161 [email protected]

W180 Ponton 220S Behr radiator, fully pressure and flow tested, in good order, Mercedes-Benz part number 180 500 03 03, with cap and drain tap £250. MB parts manual for W128 220SE Ponton, Edition B, in good used condition, all pages clean and intact, covers saloon, cabriolet and coupé £85 plus post and packing. Chris Cloke 07925 348559 [email protected] Bath

WANTED W123 Driver’s seat base in moss green. Martin Clark martinandjacqui007@

gmail.comR107 Replacement door cards for 1979 350SL, good condition, covered in

black interior material or if new blank. Colin Muir 01461 403640 [email protected]

1995 W140 S500 coupé Glass sliding sunroof parts, specifically 140 780 11 12 and 140 780 11 14. Mike 07802 211875 [email protected]

1995 W124 facelift estate Rear bumper insert (painted type) and headlight wiper blade. Mike 07956122293 [email protected]

Mercedes-Benz Club Gazettes Pale blue, most issues from 1957, 1958 and 1959. Geoffrey Hunter 07766 953084 [email protected]

All Spares Register entries should be limited to 40 words maximum and sent to Bob Coxshall, 55 The Avenue, Bengeo, Hertford SG14 3DS to arrive by the 26th of the month preceding publication. All correspondence should be by post or e-mail to [email protected] In emergencies only, telephone 01992 302238.

REGIONALREPORTS


ANGLIA – NORTH

Monthly pub meeting at our new venue Our next pub meeting will be on Wednesday March 4 at the Park Farm Hotel, Hethersett, Norwich NR9 3DL from 6.00pm onwards in the Georgian Room next to the conservatory and bar. Note the new venue. Please get in touch with Richard Lee-Warder ([email protected] 07979 771377) for further details or simply turn up on the night.

Drive It Day! The St George’s Day Run from Sheringham to Holkham Hall – April 26

The legendary Anglia – North Christmas Party – Sunday December 8

What better place for our Christmas party than the world’s only end of the pier show, held at the Cromer Pier theatre? Before the show 50 Club Members and guests met at Galton Blackiston’s famous No 1 Fish and Chip Restaurant in Cromer with its stunning sea views and award winning food. They enjoyed their choice of cod or haddock served with crisp and golden chips and optional mushy peas. There were even pickled onions for the hard core chip shop enthusiasts, followed by a selection of desserts.

All fed and watered, our tinsel-time parade made the short walk to the pier and settled into the theatre seats waiting for the show to begin. The pier theatre echoes a time gone by, when repertory and variety theatres thrived all around the country, with its Edwardian splendour resembling the London Coliseum theatre in miniature.

The show started with perennial Norfolk host Ollie Day as compère, who introduced

all of the high kicking dancers, singers and magicians as well as singing some popular numbers himself. The show was directed by Club Member Nigel Hogg, who joined the Club a number of years ago after our first visit. Nigel was previously Ken Dodd’s musical director and could be rightly proud of the high production values achieved.

Just before the grand finale there was one unexpected surprise, two members of the audience were chosen to take part in a grand magic trick and former Regional Officer Paul Jobling was chosen along with Jason Beckett. Between the two they managed to get an entangled Ollie Day disentangled from handcuffs in a mock escapology sketch with much accompanying hilarity.

We are lucky to have such a great event in our region and regardless of whether you come along to the Christmas party, supporting this great institution is a must!

The Pavilion Theatre at the end of the pier at Cromer.

Members enjoying festive fish and chips.

End of the Pier Musical Director Nigel Hogg and front of house colleague Heidi Jarvis (nearest the camera) enjoying the No 1 Fish and Chip Shop in Cromer.

High kicking at the show.

The Christmas party ended a very successful 2019 which saw our Members attending some very enjoyable events which ranged from Gooderstone Water Gardens and Sandringham House to the Stamford Classic Car Show, all of which were well attended, with some very interesting vehicles from our own and neighbouring regions. We have therefore decided to carry forward the most successful of these events to 2020, with our programme as follows.

Sunday lunch and spring drive from Wymondham to the Sea Marge Hotel – March 15Our first event of the year will be a scenic drive from Park Farm near Wymondham to the Sea Marge Country Hotel, Overstrand, where we will enjoy a lovely Sunday lunch. This delightful hotel is a former Edwardian mansion, now Grade II listed, and a favourite of ours. Relax for the afternoon and take in the hotel’s ambiance and views. It boasts five acres of well-tended gardens and terraced lawns. Good early spring weather has been planned!

Please contact Richard Lee-Warder if you would like to attend ([email protected] or 07979 771377) as we will need to inform the hotel how many to expect for lunch.

This will be our third attendance at the superbly organised St George’s Day Run. All credit to the organisers – despite 300-plus cars attending last year, the variety of well organised routes to Holkham Hall completely avoided classic jams!

Very popular with those who’ve attended, this event begins at Sheringham Railway Station car park

Members’ cars on a previous Drive It Day run. Members enjoying coffee en route to Holkham Hall.


CARSFORSALEApproved Insurance provider to � e Mercedes-Benz Club

Call for a quote today

01376 574000www.classiccarinsurance.co.uk

300SL. 1989, G reg. 80,800 miles. Auto 2996cc, 2 door cabriolet. Signal Red. Immaculate 300SL automatic with low genuine miles. FMSH with full black leather. A rare and appreciating asset. £34,750 ono. Tel: 07847 774663 (London) (03/20/02)

R129 Silver Arrow, SL60, Milli Miglia wanted. Must have full service history. Low mileage, no more than 60,000 miles. No major repairs or accident damage. No more than 4 owners. Tel: 07726 155689 (03/20/01)

WANTED

RU a MacDonald or MacIntosh? You may like my ‘C’ Class 190 saloon. Blue. One owner, 1988 reg. Main dealer serviced since new. Fine condition. 184,000 miles. Offers please around £3,000. Tel: 01788 817353 (Midlands) (03/20/NM1)

W126 300SE. 1990. 98,000 miles and 1 previous owner. Smoke silver (gold) with tan cloth trim. I have spent thousands over the last 4 years bringing the car up to its current excellent condition. Fitted sunroof and alloys. One of the better examples on offer. £6,750. Downsizing my classic car collection. Tel: 01704 893251 or email: [email protected] (North West) (03/20/12)

S320 W140. Blue. It has been cared for and m e t i c u l o u s l y maintained for years and, at 74,000 miles, is in superb condition and an utter joy to drive. The asking price is £7,999. Contact Barry Stretton. Tel: 0161 624 0707 (Lancashire) (03/20/10)

300SL Sports. 1989 (June). One of the last. Beautiful rare Almandine met, original Champagne leather interior. Head rests, hard and soft tops. Automatic, abs, alloys, Merc stereo, power windows, original tool kit. Stored for 10 yrs, now extensively refurbished. Only 74,600 miles, extensive service history. First £28,750.Email;[email protected] Tel.+35386 8433277. (Dublin, Ireland) (03/20/07)

SL500. 1999. 84,000 miles. One of the final R129’s. Great condition, recent service at MB garage, stainless steel exhaust, good history, pan roof, new MoT, original wheels included. £17,995 ono. For more information Tel: 07879 452054 (Norfolk) (03/20/05)

WANTED.....WANTED...VERY URGENTLY WANTEDPLEASE PHONE NOW, ALL MERCEDES SPORTS, ANY

YEAR ANY CONDITION & ALL CLASSICS, INSTANT SETTLEMENT

WE TRAVEL IMMEDIATELY ANYWHERE,

TOP CASH TOP SERVICE,PLEASE PHONE ANYTIME DAY

OR NIGHT PETER JARVISTEL: 01322 669081

MOBILE: 07836 250222 EMAIL: [email protected]

WANTEDALL MERCEDES MODELS CLASSIC TO MODERN. ESPECIALLY WITH

LOW MILEAGE.All conditions wanted, from restoration

projects to concours. Complete collections purchased. Right and left-hand drive. Cash

buyer. Discretion assured. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in selling your Mercedes and are looking for a prompt hassle-free cash

buyer! Please feel free to contact me for a no obligation friendly chat.

I am especially interested in the following models: AMG & ‘50s to ‘00 SL’s.

CALL DIRECT ON:

07787 528131UK Based Buyer

ANY MODELANY CONDITION

WE WOULD LIKE TO BUY YOUR MERCEDES

Fast Discreet Service.Highest Prices Paid.

Tel: Peter 079430 96940

MERCEDES WANTED

• ANY MODEL • ANY MILEAGE

• ANY CONDITION

WE COLLECT ANYWHERE

TELEPHONE Peter Cecil 07903 822886 anytime EMAIL: [email protected]

H I L T O N & M O S SA C H I E V I N G P E R F E C T I O N

MORE STOCK URGENTLY REQUIREDAs the demand for good quality W198 Coupe & Roadsters, W121 190SL’s, W113 Pagoda’s & W107SL’s remains high, we are currently looking for more low mileage vehicles to replenish our stock.

01279 813907 www.hiltonandmoss.com Email: [email protected] and [email protected] Raynham Road, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 5PJ

H&M More stock needed ad Aug 2013.indd 1 06/09/2013 20:22


CARSFORSALE Approved Insurance provider to � e Mercedes-Benz Club

Call for a quote today

01376 574000www.classiccarinsurance.co.uk

SL500-32 Auto. 105,000 miles. 1990. Garage stored, excellent condition. Silver with hard top, blue soft top and blue interior. £7,250 ono. Tel: 07796 175637 (Norfolk) (03/20/NM2)

380SL. 1984. Thistle green, resprayed in 2012. 84K miles. MoT to December. Garaged by last owner for 14 years. Hardtop and stand. Original owner’s and maintenance booklets fully stamped. £17,000. Tel: 07939 520172 (Oxfordshire) (03/20/09)

E240 W211. 2003 automatic. 2 owners. 63,000 miles. Excellent all round. Full s/history, mostly M-B m/agents. 12 months MoT. 2 keys. All tools & handbooks. £2,250. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: 07803 261712 (Leeds) (03/20/06)

Octogenarian member giving up motoring offers:- immaculate high spec CLS350 (petrol) 55 reg. 116k miles but with £2,650 main agent service at 112k miles. Bright silver with black leather. £4,250. Also equally immaculate SL350 at 36k miles in black with special cream soft leather trim, £9,000. Tel: 01702 213511 (Essex) (03/20/03)

300SL. 1988. (R107) Signal red. 45,000 miles MoT. Service history. Maintained regardless of cost and always garaged. The perfect combination of Signal red and luxurious cream leather interior. Current ownership 12 years. Genuine reason for sale. Car is located in Northern Ireland 30mins from airports or ferry ports. £32,950 OVNO. Additional photos available. Contact Adrian Tel: 07860 208454 (N.Ireland) (03/20/13)

R129 500SL. 1993. 94,000 miles. Substantial s/history and excellent MoT history. Almadine with tan leather trim and black hood. Zero rust, mechanically excellent with good original interior. Fitted air con, heated/electric seats, rear seats, headlamp wash/wipe. Lovely car which drives superbly. £8,500. Downsizing my classic car collection. Tel: 01704 893251 or email: [email protected] (North West) (03/20/11)

R129 SL320. 1997. Super smooth straight six. 96,000 miles. MoT Sept 2020. Present owner since 2009. Azurite blue metallic grey leather interior. Rear seats, hard top. Quality replacement dark blue soft top fitted by D Class Aug 2016. Very reluctant sale. Too many cars not enough space. £11,495. Tel: 07711 142 838. Emai l :markpescud@tiscal i .co.uk (West Sussex) (03/20/08)

R129 320SL. 1998. Miles 44,500. £18,750 ono. Azurite Blue. Mushroom interior, separate hard top. Concours winner. VGC. Brand new wheels and tyres, serviced and MoT July 2020. Straight six engine. Tel: 01536 712248 (Northants) (03/20/04)

The Copy Deadline

For The

Next Issue is

4th MARCH

The Copy Deadline For The

Next Issue is 4th MARCH

GLA220. 2015. Avantgarde-AMG 4x4 Package. Full MBSH. 30,700 miles. 1 previous owner. Tel: 01243 264056 or 07927 212401 (West Sussex) (03/20/14)

SL55. Full years MoT. Mileage only 49,117. 2003 (REG NO V8 COM). Two x brand new rear tyres. Two Brand new batteries starter & leisure. Leather upholstery, anti lock brakes, curtain airbags, driver airbag, ISOFIX, passenger airbag, electronic stability programme (ESP), air conditioning, climate control, remote central locking, £6,500. 20” Brabus split rim alloy wheels £6,500. Power assisted steering (PAS), traction control, alarm, front & rear electric

windows, cruise control, satellite navigation, electric seat adjustment, heated front Seats, front parking sensor, rear parking sensor, headlight cleaning system, CD autochanger, CD radio, electric & heated door mirrors, front fog lights, height adjustable drivers seat, lumbar support, steering column -

adjustable, remote boot release, fuel computer, leather steering wheel, brilliant silver metallic paint, service history. Price £21,999.Tel: 07956 871404. (Bromley, Kent) (03/20/15)

CHELSEA CARSINTERNATIONAL

WANTED SLs

We have clients for all Mercedes SLs from 1960-present. Best prices given

for good examples.TELEPHONE 0208 870 9977/8

MERCEDES SERVICE & REPAIRSBRIAN NAIR (FORMALLY MERCSTAR)

SPECIALISTS IN MODELS 124, SL107, 129, S-CLASS 126, 140, 220SPECIALISTS IN E-TYPE AUTOMATIC GEARBOX AND PAGODA

Unit G1 Phoenix Industrial Estate, Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow Middx HA1 [email protected] www.nairautos.com

Unit G1 Phoenix Industrial Estate, Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow Middx HA1 [email protected] www.nairautos.com


SPECIALISTSERVICES

JUST WHEEL REPAIR10% off all services upon presentation of current membership card.

London, Essex and Herts please call 0333 2079971 quoting MBOC19

[email protected], www.justwheelrepair.co.uk

CAR STORAGE

INTERIOR WOOD TRIM SPECIALISTS

Richard Thorne The Courtyard Garage, James Lane, Grazeley Green, Reading RG7 1NB Tel: 0118 9831200 Fax: 0118 9831414 www.rtcc.co.uk Dehumidified, alarmed storage. Transport from anywhere, MOT. M4 J11 3 miles.

Nick Martin, The Workshop at No 39, 39 Albert Street, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 2LDTel: 07977 741889 www.nicholas-martin.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

VANLEIGH COACH WORKS Unit 7, Central Ave, West Molesey, Surrey KT8 2QH Tel 0208 783 [email protected] All aspects of repair undertaken to the highest standard at competitive rates

P J Smith Classic and modern paint and bodywork Ltd Unit 2, Manor Park, Windsor Rd, Bedford MK42 9HW Tel: 01234 341410 Accident repair and restoration specialists

Unit 1, 28 Send Road, Caversham, Reading, Berks RG4 8EHTel: 0118 946 [email protected]

Specialising inMercedes-Benz servicing & repairs

Established 15 years

Limited

Lazarus Court, Woodgate, Rothley, Leics, LE7 7NR Tel/Fax 0116 230 3801From classic to modern all MERCEDES BENZ vehicles serviced & repaired, MERCEDES Trained Technician, full workshop facilities available, free quotations and friendly advice Discounts for club members.

SilverStar Garages Limited

www.silverstargarages.co.uk

With over 40 years experience in restoration, we are Mercedes specialists maintaining and restoring these cars to customer requirements with Historic event preperation and modifi cation as part of our services. Please remember we also cater for other main marques from 1900 to 1972 and that

we are agents for Penrite oils. We look forward to your enquiry!

Tel: 01603 880522 Fax: 01603 880058www.adamsautomotive.co.uk

email: [email protected]

ADAM’S AUTOMOTIVEENGINEERINGRedcastle Classics Limited 19 Sir Alfred Owen Way, Pontygwindy Industrial Estate, Caerphilly, CF83 3HUTel: 029 20882110 www.redcastleclassics.com [email protected] in 190SL restoration, servicing & repairs Also Pagoda 113 series, Fintail, Ponton etc. 1950s-1980s

CAR MATS

ALLOY WHEEL REFURBISHMENT

SERVICING SPECIALIST REPAIRS

Classic Mercedes Mats

www.classicmercedesmats.co.uk07919 885705

Steve Redfearn Motor Co Ltd 169 Gladstone Rd, Wimbledon, SW19 1QSTel: 0208 540 2311 Fax: 0208 [email protected] in Mercedes Benz repairs & servic-ing. Full test & report facility available before you purchase your new car

ACCIDENT & BODYWORK REPAIR

Merc-Care has been established since 1988 with fully equipped Mercedes workshops and fully trained technicians. We at Merc-Care offer a personal service to your vehicle with all the latest Star computer diagnostics and Mercedes special tools. NO JOB IS TOO BIG OR SMALL. All types of body repairs and insurance work undertaken

ONE CALL AND MERC-CARE DOES IT ALL!

Tel: 020 8361 6750

Service & Repairs in S.W. LondonEngine Rebuilds • Servicing • Diagnostics

Air Conditioning • MOT Preparation • Accident RepairsTrevor Brown Service Engineer

Tel: 020 8675 8505Mobile: 07956 309767

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.twb mercedes.com23-25 Oldridge Road, Balham, London SW12 8PL

TECHNICAL SPECIALISTSTWB

Andy’s AutobarnHenry’s Yard

Challenge RoadAshford, Middlesex

TW15 1AX

AUTOBARNANDY’SNew and Used

Mercedes Body Parts Available

Prestige Vehicle Body Repairs

WWW.ANDYSAUTOBARN.COMtel/fax 01784 243426

mob. 07956 360293

email. [email protected]

www.justwheelrepair.co.uk

www.justwheelrepair.co.uk

PRESTIGE MERCEDESMercedes Specialists run by a genuine enthusiast Charles Wells with over 40 years experience.

Specialising in the following models: R107, W123, 124, 116 and the superb 126 coupés & saloon

We would also like to introduce “Bezza.biz” a company dedicated to ecologically sound under body treatments far superior to current traditional under body treatments that are available

Please ring me for details 01732 763956, 07970 553071, 07773 583583Kemsing, Kent

Hindsight Restored Vision for ConvertiblesTreat your screen before it splits

Tel: 01780 749449www.morethanpolish.com/

hindsight.aspworld-wide shipping

• Restores clarity by removingscuffs and opacities

• Lubricates & protects from frost• Reduces risk of splitting• Avoids replacing rear screen• Particularly effective on SLs• Restores milky acrylic head/tail lights• Renovo Fabric Hood restoration

products also in stock

“Hindsight miraculously removes scratches and opacity, and is

environmentally friendly”

Mercedes Gazette

“By far the best screencleaning product

I’ve tried”

Editor - Classic & Sportscar

gazette - mercedes-benz club...ramblings 63 regionalreports 80 specialnotices 81 newmembers 81...

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