German 300SL Convention 2010: Gullwings and Roadsters in Dresden

Mercedes masterpieces under cover at the Mercedes Factory facility. Is that a 280SL embedded among the 300SLs?

31st Annual Convention of the German 300SL Club
May 13 – 16, 2010
Dresden / Germany

May in Germany can be sunny and warm, as we have experienced at prior conventions. This year it seemed like the typical April weather continued into May: it was rather cold and rainy.

Dresden is called again “Elb-Florenz” (which means: it has the flair of Italy’s Florence on the Elbe River). After Dresden was totally destroyed at the end of WWII reconstruction was very slow during the Russian occupation thereafter. Only after the German reunification in 1989 did the real effort begin to restore the city to its former glory. Today Dresden with its many castles along the Elbe River, is a major tourist attraction, being one of the most beautiful cities in Germany.

SLR roadster and ivory Gullwing front grand Trachtenbergpalais Kempinski Hotel located in the heart of Dresden.

The convention was well attended: 216 member brought eighty-three 300SL’s to the luxurious Trachtenbergpalais Kempinski Hotel located in the heart of Dresden, next to the famous Zwinger, the Semper Opera and the Frauenkirche.

Thursday May 13
Arriving members met at the vast Mercedes factory store, an impressive facility even by Mercedes standards. After check-in at the hotel, the convention kicked off with a dinner cruise on the Elbe River onboard the MS “August der Starke”, along numerous castles and villas lining the shores.

Grey, wet weather greets the group.

Friday May 14
The day of the rally was leading us to the Bastei in the Saechsische Schweiz (the Sandstone Mountains in the so-called Switzerland of Saxony) high above the Elbe River. Despite the rain and fog nobody missed the guided tour of this famous area with its stunning rock formations.

Breathtaking view high above the fog shrouded Elbe river.

After a buffet lunch at the Bastei Hotel the rally continued through the beautiful countryside, with a stop at a member’s industrial bakery, where a five foot round “Mercedes” cake was waiting for us. Back to the hotel to get ready for the bus transfer to the beautifully restored Albrechtsberg Castle, for an evening of entertainment, followed by a delicious dinner in the royal ballroom of the castle.

Saturday May 15
The morning offered a guided walking tour through the inner city, followed by the opportunity to attend an organ concert at the beautifully restored Frauenkirche.

A few of the 83 300SLs lined up at a small airfield awaiting a stunt plane demonstration.

At 1 PM a long convoy of SL’s found its way to the nearby Aviation Museum in Grossenhain, for a great buffet lunch. The afternoon was free to take sightseeing flights in historic open double-deckers. The rain stopped just in time to enjoy a flight show by a daredevil stunt pilot. The evening was reserved for the gala dinner at the hotel.

A serious performer closed up against the elements: $1m Stirling Moss Edition SLR rests in the courtyard of the Trachtenbergpalais Kempinski Hotel. What a glorious piece of automotive sculpture!

Sunday May 16
After a farewell breakfast the skies cleared up, which was a welcome site for the members and their cars on the long drive home. We headed for Nuremberg on the Autobahn, where the rented S Class Diesel felt at home, effortless reaching 150mph, traffic permitting.

Gullwings and Roadsters touring Germany.

We do not understand why Mercedes does not make this wonderful model available in the US. The torque and economy of the diesel engine combined with the comfort of the S Class is an unbeatable combination. Yes, there is the S400 Hybrid, but the premium you pay for a diesel vehicle is paid back by lower fuel cost in a shorter time than required for hybrid vehicles.

When was the last time you saw a non-metallic green 300SL of any type? The bumperless red GW looks like its spent some time on the track - note the yellow tow loop next to the number plate.

Our thanks to the organizers for another great convention, which despite the weather could not dampen the spirit of this wonderful group of people. We are looking forward to next year’s convention to be held May 26-29, 2011 in the historic city of Wuerzburg/Germany.

Eckart A. Scheffler, MercedesHeritage.com editor at large
Croton-on-Hudson NY

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