Part of RM Auction's fabulous selection of supercharged pre-war Mercedes-Benz in Monterey 2012; this standard roadster #105380 is now involved in a high stakes ownership dispute.

German police seize 500k Roadster
Ownership dispute dates to 1945

The Mercedes-Benz name is again in the news connected to a seizure of one of their iconic products. Unlike last month’s report on the seizure and destruction of an unlawful Gullwing replica, the recent seizure of a gorgeous 1935 500K standard roadster is NOT connect to Mercedes-Benz corporate.

Dutch collector, Frans van Haren, purchased the supercharged roadster at RM Auction Monterey in August 2011 for $3.767 million, well below its pre-auction estimate of $4m – $5m. Wishing to share the car with European enthusiasts, van Haren shipped the car to the massive German Techno Classica classic automobile show the second week of April. What was intended to be a celebration of his recent acquisition turned into a nightmare for van Haren when German police seized the car in accordance with the original owner’s heirs claim of ownership.

Murky post-war ownership history

At issue is the car’s immediate post-war ownership history. Displayed on the Mercedes-Benz stand at the Berlin Motor Show February 14-24 1935 and subsequently sold to snap fastener mogul Hans Friedrech Prym of Stolberg, chassis #105380 was rumored to have been ‘sold’ to an American GI circa 1945. As our story of 500K #113658 last year illustrated, GIs purchasing pre-war MB supercars was not entirely unusual. However, there is also ample evidence of German cars being simply grabbed as revengeful wartime booty. Prym’s heirs feel their claim for #105380 falls under the latter scenario.

Reviewing RM’s Monterey catalog description of the car reveals a cryptic note on early history: “Its interim history is unknown at this time, but when it turned up in the collection of pioneer collector Russell Strauch in the 1970s, it was still in excellent original condition.” My sources say the ownership dispute has been ongoing for 20 years and is known in 500/540k circles. The stage is set for a massive and expensive legal ownership fight for the lovely red roadster. What we do know is van Harem has nothing to show for his multi-million dollar investment and RM Auctions is on the hot seat for what it did or did not know regarding 105380′s provenance.

#105380 on the Mercedes-Benz stand during the April 1935 Berlin Auto Show. Was it sold legally in 1945 or was it grabbed in a fit of post war anti-German sentiment. The courts will decide.

Roy Spencer, editor MercedesHeritage.com
Photography from RM Auctions.

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Nico Rosberg's Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 W03 was but a speeding blur to the competition in the Chinese Grand Prix held in Shanghai April 15. It was the first F1 win by a works Mercedes-Benz in 57 years.

Rosberg gains epic win in Shanghai
Mercedes-Benz and Rosberg family heritage shine

We don’t regularly cover the F1 circus but we must recognize an historic win for Mercedes-Benz and Germany in this year’s Chinese Grand Prix. April 15, 2012 will be forever etched in the annals of German motorsport. The Shanghai win not only ended a 57 year drought in F1 wins for Mercedes-Benz but was also Nico Rosberg’s 111th F1 race and the win comes 111 years after the first ever Mercedes was victorious at the 1901 Nice Speed Weeks. There’s more: 2011 marks exactly 3 decades since Nico’s father, Keke, became world champion. And still more: Nico Rosberg is the first German to win a F1 driving a Silver Arrow since Hermann Lang triumphed in the 1939 Swiss Grand Prix.

Rosberg started from pole position and finished 20.626 seconds ahead of Jenson Button’s McLaren-Mercedes capping a stellar day for the 27 year old Rosberg and Mercedes-Benz. While Mercedes has been involved in F1 as a successful engine supplier since 1994 – achieving great success with McLaren – it has just recently returned as a full fledged constructor with the acquisition of the Brawn GP team in 2010.

Rosberg exults at is first F1 win in 111 tries. Mercedes' triumph was absolute with the 2nd and 3rd place McLarens using Mercedes-Benz engines. 2012's crop of GP cars is fairly ugly. Note the stepped nose and bulgy, twin scoop airbox. How much wind tunnel time do you think was consumed to create the intricate and unsightly front wing design?

Last MB F1 win from the great Fangio

The last win for Mercedes-Benz as a constructor was 1955 Italian Grand Prix, on 11 September in Monza, Italy. Juan Manual Fangio drove a W196 Streamliner to victory.  Mercedes withdrew from all motorsport in the aftermath of the 1955 LeMans tragedy involving Pierre Levegh’s 300SLR.

The next F1 race takes place in Catalunya, Spain on May 13. Mercedes enthusiasts around the globe will be routing for the young Rosberg…and the other guy on the team. I think his name is Michael Schumacher and rumor has it he has won the F1 championship 7 times.

Mercedes last F1 win prior to Shanghai 2012: Monza Autodromo. This is a superb shot of the Monza banking with Fangio holding a very slight lead over Stirling Moss. Mercedes used full-bodied 'streamliner' W196s for this race with its high speed banking. I should mention Fangio was not wearing seat belts and was likely in a short sleeve shirt for the hot Monza event. Speeds on the banking would be in the neighborhood of 175 mph - brave men indeed.

Roy Spencer, editor MercedesHeritage.com.
Photography from Daimler Media.

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O'Shea and the 300SLS: A never before seen 48"x24" stretched canvas giclee of Paul O'Shea powersliding the SLS at Riverside November 17, 1957. Evocative of the era and featuring the most famous competition 300SL and driver, this piece would enhance any automobile art collection. $750 + shipping and handling.

Fine Art from MercedesHeritage
First Piece released

We mentioned in the January newsletter that we were working on a massive art project and now that we’re reasonably well settled into our new facility, we’re turning our attention to this project. While the prime impetus for moving to our new facility was to create a better environment to present our ever changing selection of unique Mercedes-Benz, we were equally interested in creating an environment to display outstanding selections from our massive archive of rare images.

Our new headquarters at 1315 Rollins road in Burlingame, California will be equal parts classic Mercedes showroom and automotive art gallery with a distinct emphasis on Mercedes-Benz heritage and automobile racing from the golden age – the ’50s and ’60s.

First Release
O’Shea and the SLS

Hidden away for over 50 years, this epic image allows us step back to November 17th, 1957 and take our place trackside inside Riverside Raceway’s turn 6. – holding off Bob Oker in Joe Lubin’s Aston Martin DB3S. Taken at the inaugural Riverside Raceway National Sports Car Racing Championship event, the image freezes this furious on-track battle in an almost surreal fashion.

Presented as a large format – 48″ x 24″ – giclee on stretched canvas using the best materials available, this fine art print would enhance any art collection, automotive or otherwise. It combines the golden age of motor racing with arguably the rarest and most exciting production-based 300SL and the most accomplished SL pilot into a piece that embodies the spirit and intensity of competition. A copy now resides in the recently opened 300SL Museum.

Contact us if you would like more information on this gorgeous piece.

‘O’Shea and the SLS’ - $750 + shipping and handling.
Details: Contact Roy Spencer 650-343-7980

Identifiable by their full length chrome beltline sweep spear, the 300SE (W112) series coupes and cabriolets represented the pinnacle of Euopean personal 2-door opulence and technical sophistication in from 1962-1967. How are they viewed today?

300SE 2-Doors: Friend of Foe?

(Daimler Media recently published a piece on the 112 series 300SE two-doors. We’ll publish it as part of our Daimler Learning Series at a later date. For now, we’ll give you our take on these attractive but complicated coach built cars. ed)

If we polled 100 classic Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts as to their favorite pre-1972 series of automobiles valued at $100k or less, the odds are quite high that the majority would vote for a 111 series coupe or cabriolet. While the best-of-series 280SE 3.5 cabriolet stands firmly at the top of this group of 2-doors, its earlier and arguably more exotic 112 series air suspension cousins are lesser known and perhaps under-appreciated.

When introduced in late 1961 Mercedes-Benz envisioned the 300SE coupes and cabriolets as range topping, segment defining automobiles for their more discerning clients. “The two new models not only represented the summit of their model series in March 1962, they also set the general standards for two highly exclusive bodywork forms behind each of which a particular interpretation of the fascination for cars stood: the premium-class coupé and the cabriolet.”

Beyond the 220SE

Constructed along side the 300SE, the 220SE 2-doors certainly couldn’t be considered utilitarian for they shared the gorgeous, opulent, interior and fabulous build quality of the 300SE. Both cars shared the same sublime Paul Bracq design. However, in Mercedes-Benz’ product hierarchy the 220SE was down market from the 300SE. For the more performance and prestige oriented buyer, the 220SE’s paltry 134 (SAE) horsepower and conventional steel spring suspension simply wasn’t sufficiently sophisticated, or so Mercedes-Benz deemed.

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Enter the 300SE with a muscular (for the era) 184 hp and self-leveling pneumatic suspension and four-wheel discs. Mercedes-Benz addressed the status of a 300SE buyer discreetly but tellingly by noting, “Driving a luxury-class coupé is an expression of automotive culture that is as exclusive as it is elegant: the two-door, closed touring car combined flowing forms and sporty ambiance with powerful drive systems and fine appointments. ” In today’s parlance, a 300SE coupe or cabriolet buyer would be a member of America’s currently maligned “1%”.

Non-US 111/112 coupes and cabriolets offer a glimpse of the purity of this series' original design. Based on the 'fintail' platform but sans any hint of a fin, these designs have endured well. Early cars - 1962 through early 1965 - were fitted with 13" wheels and two piece full wheel covers. A summer 1965 update saw 14" wheels with a separate trim ring/center cap arrangement. Unlike their downmarket brother, the 300s were also fitted with disc brakes front AND rear.

Foibles: Should you buy one?

The fact that I can rotate in my chair at this moment and see our highly optioned 280SE 3.5 coupe and our 5-speed 250SE coupe sitting side by side in our new warehouse betrays my fondness for the 111 2-doors. How do I feel about the 112s? Not quite so fond.

Auto, Motor und Sport Magazine in its 7/1962 issue hailed the two new 112/3-series cars as the “non-plus-ultra of modern automotive construction”. That was true. Buyers enjoyed self leveling suspension fed by a compressor hung on the front of the engine, a powerful 3.0 liter six cylinder with direct design links to the M198 series 300SL engines, four wheel disc brakes and one of the most sumptuous interiors in the industry. Late series cars were capable of 125 mph. Wind the clock forward 45 years and the massive M189 engine and air suspension become liabilities.

” In addition to checking the typical 60s era coupe issues – rust, missing items, dead wood, dead leather, collision repairs, leaking diffs etc. – one must add a careful engine and air suspension evaluation…and a careful look for engine oil leaks. A leaking rear main oil seal (a rope type seal) requires…engine removal! “

To get an independent assessment of the 112s relative value, I asked one of our most active buyers how he would value two identical Mercedes-Benz coupes – a 1967 300SE and a 1967 250SE. Without hesitation he said he would value the steel spring, M129 engine 250SE/280SE at least 20% higher than the complicated 300. Why? Engine rebuild costs for the 300 would be double the 250′s. Costs to sort the air suspension – the system rarely becomes fully sorted – dwarf a typical suspension refurbishment on the steel spring car. Power output for the 250 is just 14 hp shy of the 300. Interior design is identical – both have the lovely formed veneer surrounding the instrument binnacle – and aside from the 300′s plated brass full length side molding, both cars appear identical.

Was there a more sumptuous interior for the premium buyer in 1967? I don't think so. This is a 1967 300SE coupe we prepared some years ago. Note the finely veneered instrument binnacle. Fitted with a 4-speed manual and Kuhlmeister AC, this car was a joy to drive. The buyer put 30k miles on it whereupon the M189 six gave up most of its compression. Faced with a $20k engine rebuild, he parked the car.

M189 3 liter six cylinder provides 184 hp and decent torque. The finned cylinder head of the suspension's air compressor is visible just to the right of the timing chain bulge in the cam cover. Serious engine repair costs rival that of a Gullwing

Air suspension: Dodgy in the '60s and expensive in 2012. Black rubber bellow is seen here just below the orange pressure chamber connected to the air supply. Cadillac couldn't master air suspension in their epic 1957 Eldorado Brougham. Mercedes fared far better but potential costs today are a cause for concern.

Rarity doesn’t guarantee demand

For some reason, we’ve never been able to find an untouched, survivor 300SE to fully experience the ‘as new’ air suspension driving experience. I’m sure there have been a few out there but they have eluded us for over 20 years. Lack of use is a 112′s mortal enemy. In addition to the typical brake and fuel system issues, moisture invades the air system and prevents the clever system from behaving as Mercedes-Benz intended. On the other hand, steel springs do quite well sitting idle.

Looking at the relative build numbers reveals the special status the 300s enjoyed at Mercedes. While a total of 16,902 220SE coupe/cabriolets were constructed from 1960 (2 units) through 1965, production of the 300s was a 3,127 units  – 708 Cabriolets and 2,419 coupes -from 1962 through late 1967. There is no doubt a well preserved 112 coupe or cabriolet is a gorgeous automobile and at the right price is worth buying. If you buy one be sure to drive it regularly to keep the suspension issues at bay. But driving it will put wear on that big 20 grand to rebuild 3 liter. You can’t win.

Want to buy one?

Not checking a 300′s engine fitness is suicidal. When I inspected the white car at the top of this page to consider buying it back from our client, it would not run on 6 cylinders. Presuming there was fouled plug or a dying ignition wire set and making a commitment to buy the car was too risky with the M189 engine. I had the car flat-bedded the 2 hour drive to us for a closer look and we found…a dead engine! So, after avoiding a very expensive mistake, I sent the car back to the seller where is sits today.

In addition to checking the typical 60s era coupe issues – rust, missing items, dead wood, dead leather, collision repairs, leaking diffs etc. – one must add a careful engine and air suspension evaluation…and a careful look for engine oil leaks. A leaking rear main oil seal (a rope type seal) requires…engine removal!

Still interested?

No, it's not a low rider. It's an all too typical neglected 300SE coupe - not running and on failed suspension. Only the most committed - and wealthy - MB enthusiast need apply.

Roy Spencer, editor MercedesHeritage.com
Photography from Daimler Media, MercedesHeritage.com and Chris D.

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The first of its kind? The 300SL Automobile Museum is quite likely the first of its kind. The gorgeous facility features the cars, history and SL automobilia.

Gullwings honored with Napa, CA museum
Celebrating the 198 series

I’m not sure how many automobile museums are scattered around the United States but they must number in the hundreds. Some are low key municipal affairs and some are glittering showcases of the established classics. The Blackhawk Museum, the Mullin Automotive Museum and the Simeone Automobile Museum come to mind as top venues. While most of the established museums have at least one example of a Mercedes 198 series SL, we weren’t aware of any museum that focuses specifically on the glorious 1954-1963 300SL. That is until April 28, 2012.

Current Gullwing Group president Pat Matthews and a small group of 300SL uber enthusiasts have created perhaps the only 198 series museum on the planet in California’s gorgeous Napa Valley. While not connected to the 600 odd member Gullwing Group, the 300SL Automobile Museum shares the GWG’s goals of preserving the 300SL’s heritage and dwindling knowledge base while continuing to expose the cars to a younger audience. The museum gives this ethos of preservation a solid, tangible base where enthusiasts young and old can experience the cars and their history first hand.

Main display area can house 4-5 cars and features lovely 300SL art. Located in Napa, the Museum offers a nice diversion for enthusiasts on their way to the wine country.

Hard work  and MBZ support

The opening luncheon was well attended and featured three 300SLs on display on the airy main museum floor surrounded by attractive 300SL themed artwork. The entire facility is particularly attractive and absolutely spotless. As Pat Mathews mentioned in his introduction, cooperation with Mercedes-Benz was essential and Mercedes-Benz Classic Irvine director Mike Kunz’s presence reinforced MBZ’s support of the project. The Museum represents a massive time commitment by Matthews and a small group of dedicated 300SL nuts that included Wally Buch and Patti Paulson. They have created a gem.

The current board of directors is headed by the Seattle’s Dennis Daugs. The tentative plan is for the Museum to be open the second Saturday each month with a docent on hand for tours. In addition to the display area, there is a racing room and a Museum store with SL related books, models and art available. Contributions of 300SL memorabilia are welcome and the Museum will be available for event bookings. For those wishing to contribute, memberships will be available as well. We’ll keep you posted.

300SL Automobile Museum
2545 Napa Valley Corporate Drive
Napa, CA 94558
Website: http://300slmuseum.org/
PH: 707-996-1805

The museum store offers a number of SL related items - art, miniatures and books.

Roy Spencer, editor MercedesHeritage.com
Photography from MercedesHeritage.com

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Is this the moment of truth in a Gullwing restoration when the body is once again joined to its chassis? Not quite. We're looking at the bowels of the Mercedes-Benz Used Parts Center and this particular Gullwing body is being crudely removed from its chassis to be crushed and disposed of.

Mercedes-Benz steps up pressure on replicas
Gullwing design copyright status affirmed in Germany

Ever mindful of the impact of poorly conceived replica Gullwings on its heritage brand, Mercedes-Benz recently seized and destroyed a German built Gullwing replica’s fiberglass body. For decades the Silver Star has  viewed any road going copy of the iconic Gullwing shape with derision, particularly those with badging as per the original. During the ’80s Tony Ostermeier’s generally respected Gullwing Cars operation in California skirted the badging issue by delivering their replicas with altered grille/deck lid star designs and no ‘Mercedes-Benz’ or ’300SL’ insignias. Predictably, as soon as new owners took delivery of their cars, an original grille star and original insignias were installed. Other replicas employed similar trickery to avoid attention from Stuttgart.

This will no longer be tolerated by Mercedes-Benz. Badging or no, the glorious Gullwing shape is a work of ‘applied art’ and has been under copyright protection for decades. It’s the enforcement that has been spotty. That is, until 2012. Emboldened by a December 2010 Stuttgart regional court’s ruling affirming the Gullwing design’s copyright status, Mercedes stepped up investigating copyright violations. It is not legal to copy the Gullwing design – at least not in Germany. Gullwing AG, a German firm which planned to introduce a new Gullwing using the original Ostermeier plans and fitted with modern drivetrain, was shut down shortly after the court ruling.

“However, as well as the creators of this vehicle copying our parts and designs, the use of the Mercedes-Benz name and logo is in clear contravention of our trademark rights and we will look seriously at this.”

Unlucky German replica owner

Daimler Media’s release outlines Mercedes-Benz’ attitude succinctly, “A case had arisen in which a company based in Germany had built an unlawful replica of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.” The replica was seized by German Customs officials which may indicate the car was being processed for export. While the entire experience had to be a nightmare for the owner, he/she likely did receive the rolling chassis back after its illicit body was unceremoniously removed and crushed. The issue involved the coachwork only. Case closed for this particular replica.

The offending fiberglass skin awaits destruction. We're not sure who built this car but will try to find out. A serious precedent has now been set in Germany which will undoubtedly send other such replicas, regardless of quality, into hiding.

This photo makes a strong statement indeed. The offending body has been officially destroyed by 'certified equipment' and officially documented with a signed and stamped 'confirmation of scrappage.'

Wheatcroft W125 Recreations
Mercedes-Benz Classic speaks out

Stuttgart’s attitude toward protecting its cherished Gullwing shape is now clear but how will the Factory react to the specter of not one but five EXACT duplicates (4 open wheel versions and one streamliner) of the epic 595hp 1937 W125 Grand Prix car? Two have been completed and one was featured in a massive article within the February 2012 issue of the superb Octane Magazine. The brainchild of the now deceased historic Grand Prix disciple, Tom Wheatcroft, this project began in 2003 and has VERY quietly yielded two cars. Wheatcroft’s plan was to amortize costs by building five, selling 4 and placing the remaining car in his extraordinary Donington  Park Racing Car Museum located within England’s Donington Park racing circuit.

With Wheatcoft senior’s death, son Kevin stepped in enthusiastically and kept the project moving ahead, utilizing the best fabrication shops in the world that conveniently happen to be located in England. This program is producing not just ‘replicas’ but, according to reports, DUPLICATES of the original car. How is this possible? The team’s mysterious acquisition of 2,500(!) original drawings and access to two of the original cars that escaped the factory into private hands has insured a mind bending level of accuracy. We must credit the extraordinary fabrication and research skills of Crosthwiate & Gardener and master coachwork fabricator Roach Manufacturing as well.

Mercedes-Benz Museum CEO comments

How does Mercedes-Benz feel about this project which comes to fruition the same year it decides to actually race it’s W125 in selected top tier historic events? Michael Bock, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Museum GmbH and Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic, responded with a tactful but revealing statement also in Octane’s Februry issue, “The Mercedes-Benz w 125 is an iconic racing car, and whilst we can see the logic in companies recreating those cars lost forever, like the Auto Unions and Von Trips’ ‘Sharknose’ Ferrari, there’s no justification to create a facsimile of the real deal, especially when these cars are still regularly shown.” Bock continued by citing trademark issues, “However, as well as the creators of this vehicle copying our parts and designs, the use of the Mercedes-Benz name and logo is in clear contravention of our trademark rights and we will look seriously at this.”

Mr. Bock closes with, “We support – at any time – all collectors of original Mercedes-Benz cars with all the passion, experience and knowledge we have but we have no understanding (tolerance? ed.) for facsimiles of the real deal.” Strong if slightly veiled words. We have a feeling none of Wheatcroft’s W125s will see German soil anytime soon. This fascinating saga centering around the passion for and protection of two of Mercedes-Benz’ most enduring and cherished sporting creations is certainly going to evolve. I feel there will be more confrontations ahead.

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Kevin Wheatcroft lives the dream of any pre-war Grand Prix nut - power sliding a virtual duplicate of one of the awesome Silver Arrows of the latter '30s Grand Prix era. Why the grainy image? Mysteriously, there is not one image of a Wheatcroft W125 sitting on the web, not even on the websites of the vendors who created it. Hence we use an Octane magazine scan. It's puzzling and quite likely the result of Mercedes-Benz taking a keen interest in projects "in clear contravention of our trademark rights."

Historic racing master, Tony Dron, demonstrates the 'real deal', an original Mercedes-Benz 1937 W125: 1,770 lbs and 600hp on Mercedes' exotic W.W. fuel blend.

Roy Spencer, editor MercedesHeritage.com
Michael Bock quotes from Octane Magazine
Photography from Daimler Media and Octane Magazine

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Held at undoubtedly one of the finer concours venues, Amelia Island's March 11 show was stunning. The epic Cobra/Ferrari rivalry of the middle '60s was featured. The Ferrari 250 GTO's 50th anniversary was also celebrated.

Mercedes at Amelia Island 2012
W194 Shown

Amelia’s founder Bill Warner and his associates once again displayed exceptional taste and creativity laying out this year’s event. While celebrating the Ferrari GTO and Shelby Cobra’s 50th anniversaries was entirely predictable, celebrating Road and Track cover cars, custom bodied Cadillacs and the clever automotive art of the amazing Stan Mott offered visitors a wider glimpse into the art of the automobile.

Mercedes-Benz’ top tier collectibles were well represented and thanks to Connie Schmitt, we present a short slide show of Amelia’s Silver Star gems. Click the rectangular icon in the lower right corner of the viewer to view images full size.
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And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the art of Stan Mott, we present an example of his whimsical work.

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Aside from the later style MB wheels, Paul Reynolds' clean RHD Euro specification 380SL was just a sedate top down cruiser and 'dog taxi' at this stage. There is no hint of the monster SL that would soon emerge.

107 Action Down Under
Paul Reynolds creates a 600hp 380SL

(We present in its entirety our friend Paul Reynolds’ story of an epic 380SL transformation. We hope you enjoy it. We certainly did. Ed.)

I purchased the vehicle from a friend in Sydney in 2003 as a weekend cruiser.  Whilst I had owned many European and Japanese go fast road cars this was the first Merc I had owned. It attracted me as a very elegant car that had “old school” character and a great car to cart blondes and Malamutes around in.  I also used the vehicle as a commuter for soft days to the office and back and hardly ever put the roof up.

The Australia weather offered magnificent motoring opportunities and it was an instant hit with friends and colleagues.  During this time i decided to upgrade the 3.8 litre engine to a 5.6 litre unit that came from the backstreets of Germany.  This was the factory derived high compression 225kw motor.

In 2006 on the basis on its superior engineering and style I also purchased an R230 to replace it in its commuting role as I had moved to Melbourne and needed all the creature comforts associated with suit wearing behavior. Of course I had to get matching colour and wheels. The W107 became a weekender only as well as a dog taxi – the rear parcel shelf was the perfect size to sit a 50kg malamute in. Its usage decreased and it was mostly garage bound in winters.

Taken by his SL's build quality and style, Reynolds acquired a 2005 SL500 to complement his 107. And of course the color and wheels needed to match the 380SL.

Catching the Rally bug

Having a shack in the bush in Tasmania meant an opportunity to trailer it to the frontier and to wiz around on the endless windy roads in the local area. There is also a large tarmac rally called Targa Tasmania that ran close to my place.

I assisted with roadside controls for a few years and then was invited to do a road control car which meant running with road cars that paid to run on closed roads but without FIA safety certification. This was typically the exotic supercar club that were not racers. After doing this for a few years and continually having to restrain the old girl and realizing that maybe I am not that old yet, I decided to enter the entry level rookie rally. This fundamentally meant mainly safety equipment, some suspension work and limited race equipment.

“The exercise in fitting the engine was an engineering epic. After taking several months of staring at an engine bay, we finally got the new engine to fit.”

Alas, it turned out to be an engineering disaster with the engine breaking 3 times during the race, though we did solder through and finish the race. However as the navigator was driving the car back to the boat it finally let go. The next year we spent much more time on the engineering side and ran the full event and also finished well.

We were also highlighted in the award ceremony with our exuberant driving from the official photographer who captured the SL on three wheels. There was a lot of positive feedback from the crowds who I believe have become bored with watching modern racing with their “tyre strategies” and all that internal motorsport stuff that doesn’t translate well to anything entertaining. A lot of people enjoyed seeing an exotic classic being operated in such an irreverent mode.

Reynolds displaying some seriously 'irreverent' SL thrashing during a Targa Tasmania. The The 302 hp 560 powered SL's exceptionally stiff suspension is evident here.

More Muscle required

I think it is something about the “Top Gear” flippant approach that the fans seem to find exciting. Much of the modern road racers take themselves far too seriously and their personas are not very popular with crowds. It seems to me that the classic cars represent a great era before computers and polished egos sapped all the joy from the street based races.

Alas, not long after this yet another engine let go and this caused a dramatic rethink as the budget was well and truly blown. After much soul searching we decided to run 2 motors, an authentic one for large events and a Chevy LS3 as a track engine. The philosophy behind this was to preserve the 5.6 MB motor for events where factory conformance was critical and flog the track (LS3) engine night and day. This was borne of extensive research on the engine metallurgy and discussion with Silver Arrows racing in Belgium. It appears that the first MB alloy engines had a serious flaw with the levels of silica in the metals. Coupled with this and the very tight engine bay fit, the engine was getting wildly hot, pinging and eventually causing catastrophic failure.

The exercise in fitting the GM LS3 engine was an engineering epic. Taking several months of staring at an engine bay we finally got the new engine to fit. I had researched others who had gone through the same conversion process but found all of them had really just kept the shell and made major modifications to the entire car. There is a particularly fine example of how to pimp my ride built by a guy in a wheelchair in western Australia.

However, our design principles were to make the operation completely reversible so that we could retrofit a new M117 engine. Much of the conversion issues revolved around engine placement as the bay is actually quite small and the steering arm is exactly in the way. Most people rip it out and after that they own a drag car not a racer. Our fit out can be unwired, unplumbed and unbolted and the original engine fits back in without any modifications, though we need different tailshafts and gearbox mounts.

In the end the clearances were very close with 4mm clearance where it was tight and 5mm where there was plenty of room! In fact it is so seamless that the non aficionados can’t actually tell it isn’t the factory engine. Of course the fit out design was highly problematic and quite likely unique for anywhere in the world. We wanted to go fast point to point. To this end horsepower is not that relevant as the chassis can really only cope with circa 450 horsepower which is 100 horsepower more than the factory ever got to.

To cope with the excess power the list of suspension and brake modifications got more serious. None of the original suspension geometry was modified but springs and shocks were upgraded. This has happened 4 times during the life of the car and now front spring rates are a ridiculous 1250 lbs, about the same as a light truck.

600hp GM LS3 engine install caused 'epic' fabrication issues. Reynolds engineered the big block installation to be easily reversible when the M117 560 engine was required for rally events. Very impressive fabrication is evident here.

Big block installation from underneath reveals tube header arrangement and automatic transmission. Front spring rates had to rise to 1,250 lbs!

Harnessing 600hp

However the handling is superb even though it is a still loose on the road as you can see from the video at the local track in Tasmania. The shocks are all custom built gas Bilsteins as the car was originally lowered 3 inches but then raised nearly an inch to counter for the extreme travel needed in tarmac rallying. The rear brakes are standard but have to be basically rebuilt after each race whilst the front brakes are similar to specifications to the Australian V8 supercar specs. They have never faded but do shudder dramatically whilst they are warming up. The roll cage, like most of the modifications was custom made and much analysis took place to ensure the modifications were both effective and modified aspects of the car were minimized.

Looking at the car externally it is hard to tell that it is not factory – apart from safety equipment and standard performance upgrades the engine is the main aspect of the car that would make the aficionados cringe. The next project is to attempt to get a high performance original engine.

To this end I have been in discussions with Silver Arrows Racing in Belgium  who run the authentic cars in Europe. Alas, the options to buy from European engine builders are expensive and there is virtually no expertise in Australia to install and maintain them, let alone tune high performance options. As such, without any sponsors, this option is currently on hold and I will run club events that do not require strict factory specification conformance. Should there be any readers of this article that are interested in getting involved I would obviously more than interested in talking to them.

It's all business now inside the once luxurious 380SL. Roll cage, proper gauges, racing seat and harnesses mix with original door panels and dash pad.

Getting Serious

To promote the brand and keep the “old school traditions” alive I have developed a poster that can be given out to spectators. This shows the car in various extreme postures from various races as well as some of the engineering aspects. Another type of racing I’m contemplating is more serious track events. The Tasmanian Super Sprint series which has 3 classes of vehicles ranging from million dollar Lamborginis and Godzillas down to cars of a similar performance of Der Panzervagen. This is a more serious race event as opposed to track days or club events. These are run like LeMans where the cars with dramatic speed variation are all on the track at the same time but a scored on class times. It differs from a normal club event where i am in the right lane overtaking to being a little fish in a big pond. I would spend a lot of the day in the mirrors, but it would be a good personal discipline challenge.

There are a number of other club Merc racers in Australia who run more authentic cars but not in the aggressive competition environments we do. We might produce more articles based on their activities, should they be of interest to readers.

(You can watch some of Paul’s Rally exploits in the video below)

Text and photography from Paul Reynolds.

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