The Classic Mercedes-Benz Car Rally, now in its eighth year, will be larger and better than ever. Here are some of the show’s main characters.
When you’re in the midst of some of the finest Mercedes-Benz cars of all time, it’s impossible not to be star-struck, and it’s much more overpowering when more than 60 three-pointed stars align. The eighth Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR) took place on December 5 on the enormous coastal lawn of Taj Land’s End in Mumbai, with the theme of ‘Reimagining Excellence.’ You may think that’s a tough order, but it’s not when the show’s stars are some legendary and breathtakingly gorgeous machines.
Cabriolet 170S
After WWII, Mercedes-Benz produced a small number of cabriolets, and they are now exceptionally rare classics. Zahir Merchant, a Mumbai-based businessman, owns the 170S Cabriolet. The automobile made its début in the MBCCR 2020 event. When Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister, the automobile is thought to have transported him.
The ‘Pagoda,’ which received its nickname because the removable coupe roof reminded people of temples in the far east, was the first roadster in the world to be equipped with a safety body consisting of a rigid passenger cell and front and rear crumple zones when it was unveiled in 1963 at the Geneva Motor Show. A few Pagodas will be seen at the 2021 MBCCR, including a 230 SL owned by Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad of Baroda and one owned by Fali Dhondy, whose daughter Rashna Poonawalla will bring the car.
Sir Stirling Moss, the great actor, was a big fan of the ‘Pagoda.’ “In all the years I have been driving, I cannot remember ever driving a car that I would have wished to own more (save for racing cars)!” the period described in the letter he wrote to Alfred Neubauer, the racing director of the Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix team.
Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer W186 & W189
The Mercedes-Benz 300 Adenauer was the firm’s flagship vehicle and a class leader. It is still a symbol of luxury after more than 60 years.
The W186 and its successor, the W189, have been referred to as the Adenauer since Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of West Germany, used six custom cabriolet, hardtop saloon, and landaulet versions from 1949 to 1963. A Dubash family W186 Limousine, Abbas Jasdanwalla’s W189 Limousine, and two W186 Cabriolets, one of which belonged to the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar and will make its premiere at the event after being rebuilt by Mayur Khasrani of Rajkot, will also be on display at the show. Gautam Singhania will bring in yet another W186.
Mercedes 500K(W29)
Between 1934 and 1936, the Mercedes-Benz 500K (W29) was a grand touring automobile. The factory designation W29 was first displayed during the 1934 Berlin Motor Show. The letter ‘K,’ which stands for ‘Kompressor,’ distinguishes it from the 500 sedans (German for supercharger). Hormusji Cama of Mumbai owns this extremely rare automobile, which is highly sought after around the world.
170V Range
At least three different body styles of the immensely popular 170V line are available to classic automobile enthusiasts: a rare limousine cabriolet, roadsters, and four-door limos. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Mercedes-Benz 170V was a best-seller and a predecessor of the E-class.
The MBCCR 2021 will also feature a rare 1950s 220S Cabriolet belonging to a well-known industrialist family.
“Reimagining perfection demands something truly extraordinary – like a classic Mercedes-Benz, which is the essence of classic design language and future-oriented technology and engineering,” MBCCR curator Perseus Bandrawalla said. At MBCCR, we honor the world’s most recognizable Mercedes-Benz automobiles, and it’s a joy to see them all – and their owners from throughout the country, who are always so passionate about participating – come together to make this the most memorable Sunday of the year.”
The owners were honored with certificates, trophies, and mementos as a mark of appreciation from the organizers at the end of a beautiful Sunday. The eighth edition of the MBCCR maintained a tight social distancing strategy in the midst of the current pandemic “as read and reported by www.autocarindia.com”.
Which of these cars do you want to see the most? Please comment below to let us know which car do you like?