you - The Mercedes

Transcription

you - The Mercedes

Gazette
December 2014
The official Mercedes-Benz Club
Founded 1952
In this month’s issue
GLA45 AMG
Maybach
R107 hazard and
flasher unit
Contents
Board of Directors
Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Ian Keers OBE
Vice Chair and Membership Services Director
Rosemarie Maslin
Finance and Internet Services Director Kenny Ooi
Company Secretary Phil Greaves
Marketing Director and liaison with
Mercedes-Benz UK Michael Chapman
Technical Director Jeremy Stevens
Regional Development Director Trevor Mitchell
Club Services Director Tony De Frates
Correspondence for Club Directors should be sent
to: The Mercedes-Benz Club, PO Box 284,
Stamford PE9 9BY
Honorary President John Surtees OBE
Honorary Life Vice-Presidents
Tina Bellamy, Erika Gupwell, Jacqueline White,
Roger King, Vic Harris, Mike Powell and Chris Cloke
25
Founder R H Johnson
Past Presidents G C Monkhouse (1952-1971),
Interregnum, Roger King (1989-1992),
Tina Bellamy (1992-1995), Interregnum
Past Chairmen C W E Kerr (1955-1963),
A J Ray Whiteway (1963-1970), John Barley (19701975), Gerald Coward (1975-1982),
Dr Herbert Ochs (1982), Roger King (1982-1989),
Jacqueline White (1989-1996), Mike Powell
(1996-2003)
Mercedes-Benz Silver Star Winners
Ron Cushway (deceased), Tina Bellamy,
Roger King, Gordon Hoey (deceased),
Jacqueline White, Maurice Stapleton (deceased),
Vic Harris, Mike Powell and Steve Emeny.
This is a rarely made award from the Mercedes-Benz Museum
in Stuttgart to club officers who have made a particularly long
and distinguished contribution to their club.
Help for Heroes
is the Mercedes-Benz Club’s
adopted charity
The ‘Good Garage Guide’ and contact details for all Club
Officials can be found in the Club Directory distributed
with the October Gazette. The password for access to the
Members’ pages of the Club website is no longer required
as this is now controlled by membership number.
Advice and recommendations in the Gazette are
given in good faith by the authors concerned, but neither
they nor the Mercedes-Benz Club Ltd will accept
responsibility for any direct or consequential loss or
damage resulting from persons acting on such advice
or recommendations.
Reproduction of any part or whole of this
magazine is prohibited, unless written permission has
been obtained from the Editor.
Gazette copy dates
February closes December 12
March closes January 9
Published by the Mercedes-Benz Club Ltd
4
PubMeets DiaryDates
5
ForthcomingEvent
5
News&Views
36
14 YourLetters
20 ClubMerchandise
22 ViewPoint
Features
25 Seven years with a C-Class
28Maybach
33 BTCC
34 F1 news
36 How did he fit it all in?
39 Car of the month
40 Visit to the Mercedes-Benz
Classic Archive
43 GLA45 AMG
44 Paris Motor Show
TechnicalCorner
46 R107 SL combined hazard
and flasher unit
49 Spares register
50 Project 190E
44
50
54 RegionalReports
73 NewMembers
74 Back numbers
74Special notices
78 CarsforSale
Editorial Office: Chris Bass
94 Connaught Road, Brookwood,
Woking, Surrey GU24 OHJ.
Tel: 01483 481836.
E-mail: [email protected]
Advertising, Design and Production:
Hine Marketing, Hill Farm Studios,
Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton
Gloucestershire. GL2 9LN
Tel: 01452 730770
Gazette distribution queries:
Rosemarie Maslin,
PO Box 284, Stamford PE9 9BY
Tel: 01780 460922
■ First ever Mercedes-Benz Club –
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■ Discounts from parts suppliers
■ Discounts from hotels and ferry
operators
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • DECEMBER 2014 • 3
Forthcomingevent
190SL celebration meeting – May 24
2015 will be an important year for the
190SL. Although an early prototype was
displayed at the New York Motor Show
the previous year, the 190SL was ofﬁcially
launched to the public in May 1955.
Therefore, in celebration of 60 years of
this truly beautiful Mercedes-Benz sports
car, we are planning a one-day meeting on
Sunday May 24 and hope to gather together
a total of 60 190SLs to mark this important
anniversary. This will be an ofﬁcial Club
event but both Members and non-Members
will be very welcome (as will owners of all
other Mercedes-Benz models).
Once again we have been very fortunate
to be offered hospitality at Mercedes-Benz
World at Brooklands by Rob Durrant and
his team and those who have attended
previously will know that this means we
will have the use of superb facilities for
Don’t miss this special 190SL occasion.
both us and our cars.
More details will appear in future
Gazettes but in the meantime please put
the date in your diary and please consider
putting aside the time to join us for what
should be a unique event. The registration
form is available to download from the Club
website or can be obtained directly from
Catherine Barlow in the Club Office.
Trevor Mitchell
News&Views
2013/14 Accounts
Due to an unfortunate error, the back page of the 2013/2014
Accounts booklet circulated with the November Gazette was
actually that of the 2012/2013 Accounts. The correct version is
enclosed with this Gazette. I profusely apologise for this error and
I suggest you staple this new back page over the incorrect one.
Ian Keers OBE, Chairman
Daimler AG sells
Tesla stake
36/220 ‘YX 465’ when Bruce Frost owned it – with badly damaged bodywork.
An earlier photo of the car that Markus Kern has found.
Are you, or do you know, Bruce Frost?
The April 2008 Gazette carried a letter from Bruce Frost describing a Mercedes he had owned
in the 1950s. He asked for information on the car – which has now come to light. It, or at least
some significant parts of it, are now in the ownership of Markus Kern. Markus is a Club Member
and might be known to you through his ownership of S, SS and SSK cars – not least the ex-Sir
Malcolm Campbell ‘GP 10’ and others that he races at the Goodwood Revival when invited.
The Club records show that the ex-Bruce Frost car was later owned by a Mr R Ferrari, who put
a home-made open tourer body on it. Markus has confirmed that originally it had Weymann fabric
covered coachwork and he is very keen to find out more about it at the time Mr Frost bought it.
Although there are quite a few Frosts in the Club database, current and lapsed, there is no Bruce.
Of course Bruce Frost might have another initial, but be known as Bruce. If you are he, or know of
him, please contact the Editorial Office (01483 481836 or [email protected]).
Chris Bass
Daimler AG has reorganised its cooperation with electric car builder Tesla
Motors Inc. Daimler has terminated
the ‘share-price hedge’ it initiated in
2013 and has sold its stake in Tesla
of approximately four per cent. The
co-operation between the partners
on automotive projects is unaffected.
Development work for the B-Class
Electric Drive has been completed and
the partnership with Tesla remains in
place.
Bodo Uebber, Member of the Board
of Management of Daimler AG for
Finance said: “We are extremely satisfied
with the development of our investment
in Tesla, but it is not necessary for
our partnership and co-operation. For
this reason we have decided to divest
ourselves of our shares. This will allow
Tesla to broaden its investor base.”
The sale of Daimler’s stake in Tesla
will result in a cash inflow of around
$780 million, which the company says
will be used to strengthen its operational
business. Daimler initially acquired a
9.1 per cent interest in Tesla in May
2009. As a result of capital increases at
Tesla, Daimler’s stake in the company
decreased to around four per cent.
News&Views
Wet 2014 London to Brighton – but a
‘Classic Car Week’ in 2015
Shane Houlihan’s 1904Mercedes in the
Regents Street Motor Show.
d:class celebration
Albert Eberhard’s Mercedes passing
Buckingham Palace on the run.
The 2014 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run was perhaps not a classic edition of this
long-running event – the Brighton to London eco-car run seems to have disappeared, but the
Saturday Regents Street Motor Show, featuring both competing veterans, other old cars and
some moderns, seems to be thriving. The run itself had no entries this year from the MercedesBenz Museum and suffered some heavy rain but, as Ian Keers illustrates in his ‘ViewPoint’,
none of this dampened the spirits of many participants.
Those of us watching at Clayton Hill saw a lot of entrants coming through with just a driver
– their passengers presumably having opted for the dry and comfort of a support vehicle. The
‘Simms engined car’, built by Frederick Simms, a close colleague of Gottlieb Daimler (who
took part in the very first London to Brighton ‘emancipation’ run) was entered this year – but
only got as far as Coulsdon. The heroic crew of the Salvesen steamer – basically a locomotive,
complete with coal tender, and once the property of founding Club Member George Milligen
– had made better progress than usual. It passed us at about 2.30pm, pausing at the bottom of
the hill for its crew to use the portaloo thoughtfully placed there, to let off a little excess steam
and drop a few hot ashes, before setting off at great pace in the overtaking lane.
Whilst this year’s event might have been a little subdued, its running was immediately
followed by the receipt of a press release announcing that 2015 will see a ‘London Classic
Car Week’. Classic & Sports Car magazine is to launch a ‘spectacular international classic
car event, bringing the most beautiful and priceless cars in the world to the UK capital’. Run
in conjunction with the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the Regent Street Motor Show
and the Bonhams veteran car auction, this new event will take place at Alexandra Palace from
October 30 to November 1.
It is not to be confused with the London Classic Car Show being held from January 8 to 11
at the Excel, Docklands. Details of that can be found at www.thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk
Chris Bass, photos by Peter Brown
Chinese
R&D
investment
Daimler Greater China
has opened a research
and
development
centre. 500 engineers
and designers will
work there and €112 G-Code concept vehicle – partly
million
has
been developed in China.
invested in the Beijing-based facility and its associated activities. “For
the automotive industry, China has become the most important market
worldwide. The country is truly in fast forward mode – we recognise
this importance and reflect it in our local R&D activities, which we are
pushing forward to the next level,” said Hubertus Troska, Member of
the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for China.
The announcement of the new centre was marked by the unveiling
of the ‘G-Code’ concept – a ‘two-plus-two sports utility vehicle’.
This is the result of co-operation between designers in Beijing and
Sindelfingen and aims to convey ‘modern luxury in a compact form’.
Its features include extensive driving assistance and camera systems,
plug-in hybrid power and electronic all-wheel-drive.
d:class offers everything from minor
repairs to seats and hoods to full re-trims.
The trimming business d:class will be
10 years old in February and to celebrate
this its boss David Price tells us: “We will
be giving away 10 of what have been our
most popular jobs over the last 10 years
to the 10th customer for each. Customers
won’t know they are the 10th until they
go to pay and will be told its been done
for free.” You will find more information
on the offer and the list of jobs included
in d:class’s advertisements in the Gazette.
d:class is based in Chobham Surrey and can
be contacted via www.dclass.co.uk or 01483
722923.
Christmas greetings
This might be the last Gazette you
receive before Christmas, so may we
offer seasonal greetings to all Members,
contributors and advertisers, and very
best wishes for the New Year.
The January Gazette will be
despatched before Christmas but may
not reach you until after the Christmas
holiday.
Motorcycle co-operation
Mercedes-AMG GT S with an MV Agusta F3 800 Ago.
AMG and the motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta have signed a
co-operation agreement on a long-term partnership on marketing and
sales. Mercedes-AMG GmbH will acquire a 25 per cent interest in
MV Agusta Motor SpA and will appoint one member of MV Agusta’s
board of directors. The partnership is subject to approval by relevant
authorities, but this was expected to be granted by late November.
In 2011 AMG announced links with Ducati but no reference to
that was made in this latest press release.
Chris Bass
YourLetters
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 94 Connaught Road, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0HJ or [email protected]
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.
Windscreen sticker holder
Dear Chris,
I have constantly had a problem trying to keep my Members’ sticker adhered to the inside
of my windscreen. However, yesterday I was able to solve the problem by reducing the
sticker to three inches diameter and inserting it into the tax disc holder – which I felt was
a very appropriate position!
Regards,
Walter Greaves, Southport
CLA45 AMG
Dear Chris,
Upon reading James Lloyd’s highly positive review in the most recent Club magazine, I think your
readers will be interested in a Member’s experience after nine months’ ownership.
We got a CLA45 AMG as we wanted an attractive and fun to drive car car with four-wheel-drive
for the winter. Ours is mountain grey and options chosen are leather, memory seats, mirror package,
reversing camera, standard exhaust and Comand. After taking advice from ‘Honest John’, we
deselected the standard 19-inch wheels, opting for the 18-inch ones instead. These give an acceptable
ride, with the added bonus of part of the wheels painted dark grey metallic, which looks great with
the matching body paint and harks back to the painted Mercedes-Benz wheel covers of the 1970s.
The performance is exhilarating, aided by the rock hard Recaros which are nevertheless
comfortable and enhance the feeling of oneness with the car. It is a bit of a [BMW] M3 killer, and
should also outrun any rear-wheel-drive V8 AMG on a winding road. Gun it through an empty
roundabout and you will be left speechless! In Sport gear-shift mode, the exhaust makes a farting
sound on full throttle up-shifts, so no need to pay extra for the tiresomely loud sport exhaust.
Never having had a speeding ticket, the way to drive it is the occasional squirt to leave traffic
behind!
It is surprisingly practical. On a Calais run, four fully grown chaps were comfortable, with
headroom in the back OK for up to six feet, one inches. The boot held 18 half cases of wine plus some
grocery bags. Great features are that the gearbox goes into park when the driver’s door is opened
and the ‘hold’ feature on start/stop will hold the car indefinitely in serene silence on any slope. Fuel
economy is 30mpg in mixed driving and fully comprehensive insurance with protected no claims
bonus was £250 – it helps to be not entirely young!
A minor annoyance is the limited cabin storage space and the absence of coat hooks. The selfpark only works intermittently, and hardly ever for 90-degree spaces, so the reversing camera is pretty
essential.
With kind regards,
Bjorn Ramell, via e-mail
Guilty as charged!
Dear Chris,
Returning from holiday in Brittany, I found that my SLK had a flat battery. This battery was
original (10 years old), so its expected end was sooner rather than later. The battery was charged
and all seemed well.
Two days later the ominous sound of the starter solenoid trying to engage the starter with
insufficient electrical power could be heard... time for a new battery me thinks. Battery duly
delivered and fitted. Same symptoms as previously – a non-starter. The usual suspects were
contemplated. The starter, solenoid or both, the dreaded ECU. I could see pound signs getting
potentially ever larger!
I checked my original battery with my hydrometer. Sure enough one completely dead cell.
At least the replacement battery had not been in vain, or had it? I checked it also, and to my great
surprise it too had one dead cell. My local tyre dealer had the correct battery in stock. Duly fitted,
my car burst into life. The pound sounds duly disappeared. I was a happy bunny again.
Moral of the tale: Buying purely on price is not always the best policy.
Neil Forker, via e-mail
14 • DECEMBER 2014 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
Tyre
recommendation
Dear Chris,
Here’s one for the ‘Good Garage Guide’. I
would like to recommend Re-Tyred at Unit
8, S M Tidy Industrial Estate, Ditchling
Common BN6 8SG, near Burgess Hill in
West Sussex. I’ve been to this place three
times now and found them to be very
friendly, helpful and cost-effective. They are
an independent tyre specialist that supplies
both new and part worn tyres, at good prices,
and also are one of the few places these days
that, for just £12, will fit a tyre you have
sourced yourself.
While you are waiting you can watch
them working on your car and there is free
wi-fi and coffee – proper coffee, not instant!
Best regards,
Ken Hall, via e-mail
A hose by any other
name
Dear Chris,
I’m sure many of us will have read with
great interest the excellently researched
letter by Christopher Mackeonis published
in the September Gazette on the subject of
under-bonnet fuel hoses, especially those on
R107 and W126 models.
Horrified to realise that the hoses on
my R107 are probably the originals and
therefore more than 25 years of age I decided
to set about obtaining Cohline 3124 hose for
these safety critical items. UK retail sales
of Cohline hose are now being handled by
Thinkautomotive, contact matt@thinkauto.
com or telephone 0208 232 3523. Matt is
very helpful and is offering a 15 per cent
discount to Club Members on the usual price
of £6.80 per metre plus VAT for Cohline
3124 hose, part number SPH3124.0800.
Because of the safety critical importance
of these hoses, Members might like to
include their renewal on a regular preventive
maintenance basis, either calendar or
mileage based. At current prices regular
changing of these hoses, on say a two to five
year basis, is clearly sound practice.
My R107 is garaged in southern Spain,
which is advantageous for bodywork
longevity, but I am acutely aware of the
degradation of rubber, certain plastics
and adhesives that can take place due to
temperature and UV light, so Members
similarly placed might like to consider
carefully the periodicity of renewal.
I would ask for the inclusion of
Thinkautomotive in the Club Directory.
Rowland Vye, East Sussex
ClubMerchandise
Available from the Club website
All prices include UK post and packing
More detailed clothing descriptions, sizes and colours shown on the Club website shop.
Sports-bag/holdall in black with silver
Club logo. £26.50
Flight-bag in charcoal
with silver thread
Club logo. £20.50
Gazette binder – holds 12
issues, complete with year
stickers. £13.00
Wall clock. The ever popular wooden
wall clock is once again available,
for a limited time. £21.50
Baseball caps in navy,
black, red, burgundy or
bottle green with silver
Club logo. £12.50
Club polo shirts in various
colours, ring for details.
£23.50
Waterproof blouson
jacket in navy blue or
black.
£61.00
Suit carrier in charcoal
with silver Club logo.
£25.00
Reversible jacket/fleece.
Wear it as a jacket or
reverse it and wear it as a
fleece. £61.00
Ladies’ rugby shirt in black,
burgundy or navy blue. £35.00
Buy on the Club website
Visit 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 Mike Colls.
All orders will be despatched within 14 days, if there is a
problem we will contact you. UK post and packing is now included
in all prices, please ring or e-mail for overseas rates. Goods found
to be faulty through design flaws or postage damage will be
replaced free of charge.
Tie with Club
logo. £18.50
Club fleece with silver logo, in
navy blue, burgundy, black, grey
or green. £34.50
Contact details
Mike Colls
To order please ring 01934 418364
If 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.
The recreated 540K streamliner coming together, with its aluminium panels being fitted
to the wooden frame.
ViewPoint
by Ian Keers
Presidents’ Conference –
Stuttgart
I represented the Club at the annual
Presidents’ Conference in Stuttgart in midOctober which was attended by the heads
of about 65 clubs worldwide. The event
followed the usual format of an interest
visit on the Friday afternoon, the business
session on Saturday and a conducted tour
of the Museum on Sunday morning. The
Friday visit is always interesting and this
year they bussed us to the Global Logistics
Centre in Germesheim which is on a large
island in the Rhine near Mannheim. This is
an absolutely massive warehousing complex
which is deliberately low-key with midgreen buildings, little signage, certainly no
rotating stars on roofs here! Some other
manufacturers may be larger than MercedesBenz but apparently de-centralise their parts
distribution and Germesheim is the largest
single logistics centre in the industry. The
statistics are all mind-boggling as you might
imagine – they process around 40,000 orders
per day over a two-shift pattern, the place
covers some millions of square metres, I
remember they told us they have 350 forklift
trucks and a lot of robot trains which are
constantly on the move. Deliveries from
suppliers are continual as are shipments
out to a worldwide network of Regional
Logistics Centres (Milton Keynes is one)
and smaller units in other countries. They
use immensely high racking (probably 20
metres) with automated picking machines
for their quick-moving small parts, but
manual picking for slow-moving items. I
used to think that all classic spares were held
by the Classic Centre but it is not so, many
thousands are held here. We walked along a
seemingly endless line of big wire baskets
full of slow-moving parts and I did notice
lots of them full of exhaust sections with
124 part numbers. Understandably we were
not permitted to take photographs.
The business session is a day-long
briefing really, covering many subjects,
some of which I can highlight here, some
of which are about club administration and
would not really be of interest to Members.
In no particular order of priority, my notes
tell me that an independent assessment of
the Mercedes-Benz brand value puts it at
$34-billion, the most valuable automotive
brand in the world. AMG is growing rapidly
and is now selling 40,000 cars per year
and the new AMG GT is aimed fairly and
squarely at Porsche. It has a four-litre V8
putting out 510hp and in Germany is listed
at a competitive €115,000. We should expect
to see a new service brand soon, ‘Mercedes
me’ which will have subsidiaries such
as ‘move me’, ‘connect me’, ‘assist me’,
‘finance me’ etc. It appears it will become
a bit like I-tunes and will be built into new
cars. We also should expect no fewer than 30
new models by 2020, including 11 without
predecessors, so they are clearly trying to
fill every slot in the automotive industry.
Interestingly they are changing their
branding colour for the first time in many
years from a blue background to a black one
and already some dealerships in Germany
are carrying this new colour.
The head of the Classic Centre gave
a very interesting presentation on the
recreation of the 1938 540K streamliner
which was the subject of publicity earlier
this year. It seems they had a chassis and the
original drawings and using 3D CAD and
laser measuring were able to recreate an ash
frame and were then able to use beaten alloy
sheet to cover it. The car was then shipped to
Pebble Beach where it was highly acclaimed
although did not win anything. It is not yet
consigned to the Museum so should appear
at events in 2015. Various other presentations
were made covering the protection of
intellectual property rights – a big issue,
the Museum and its activities, the Archive
I thought it was high time we had another picture of the magnificent ‘Uhlenhaut’
300SLR coupé in the Gazette. It is in the Stuttgart Museum.
Feature
Charles Murray’s C220 CDI.
Seven years
C-Class
“What are you doing?” the salesman asked.
“I want to see how easy it is to control the car
when manoeuvering,” I replied. I had driven
the W203 C-Class one metre and stopped,
then another metre and stopped. This was
my first ever drive in a modern automatic
Mercedes-Benz. After a drive round the
local streets I said I would be interested in
buying the car. For many years my employer
had supplied a company car with a limited
choice of Ford Mondeo or Vauxhall Vectra.
We were offered a change to a monthly car
allowance which meant you could choose
virtually any car you wanted. After four
Mondeos I decided that my last car while I
was still working would be something a bit
special. Next day the salesman telephoned
me at the office and brought the car round
for me to inspect more closely. I gave him
a cheque as a deposit after he agreed to
include a roof rack for our skis and mountain
bikes in the price. So on November 29 2006
I became the proud owner of an iridium
silver 2006 W203 C220 CDI Sport Edition
saloon, registration SE 06 GBX. It was an
ex-manager’s car, first registered on August
4 2006, used to give customers trial drives,
and had just 4,625 miles on the clock. The
with a
Sport Edition has AMG body styling and
17-inch six-spoke alloy wheels with 225/45
tyres at the front and 245/40 at the rear. It
has a three-spoke multi-function steering
wheel, aluminium interior trim and stainless
steel pedals with rubber studs. I took out
the Sport Edition floor mats and replaced
them with more practical rubber mats. I had
not realised till I went on the Club trip to
Stuttgart last September that certain C-Class
models were made in South Africa. Sure
enough the label on the door pillar confirms
mine is of South African origin and not from
Sindelfingen as I had assumed.
Likes and dislikes
I think the C-Class is ideal for someone
over 60. I only use the C – Comfort setting
on the transmission, which makes it very
easy to drive smoothly, and never use the
S – Standard setting. It has nicely weighted
steering and powerful brakes. My son thinks
it is sluggish and has soggy brakes, whereas
I find the brakes on his car far too fierce. I
don’t like the single stalk which operates
indicators, wipers, washers and main beam.
It took some time to get used to this as it is
not visible behind the steering wheel when
by Charles Murray
you are sitting in the driver’s seat. A separate
switch for the wipers on the other side of
the wheel would be better. The windscreen
wipers are designed to stop when you pull
up at traffic lights and the interval between
intermittent wipes increases at slow speed.
This is irritating because it does not take
account of heavy rain. The black ‘Artico’
man-made leather seats are hard wearing,
but are cold to sit on in winter even though
I keep the car in my garage. I can see the
outline of a number five in the base of the
passenger seat, which has always puzzled
me. The car came with an Audio 20 radio
and a six-CD changer in the glove box which
gives excellent sound quality. It is pre-wired
for a hands-free telephone, but since I do
not want to make phone calls while driving
I have not had a telephone installed. The
wide tyres on the rear wheels mean the car is
hopeless to drive in snow, even with the ESP
switched off. I have even been stuck in loose
gravel. I use cruise control on long runs up
the A9 to the Highlands where the police
often have mobile speed cameras parked
in lay-bys to catch the unwary driver. I do
not use the speed limiter. I do not see the
need for headlamp washers and have never
Feature
The future today! A racing version of the 1901 Simplex and a car that was streets
ahead of everything else at the time.
Maybach:
Le Roi des Constructeurs
– part two
by Tim Imrie
In part one, in the November Gazette, Tim
took us through Maybach’s and Daimler’s
early work together, ending with Daimler
setting up a new factory. This marked
a change from their relationship as a
partnership, with Daimler taking on a more
managerial role while Maybach continued to
concentrate on technical developments.
Investment
Instrumental in this transformation was Kilian
Sterner of the Vereinsbank Württemberg
and a specialist in finding new investment
Gottlieb Daimler shortly before his death
in 1900.
for struggling businesses. He brought in two
people Daimler already knew well: Max
von Duttenhofer, manager of an explosives
manufacturer, and Wilhelm Lorenz, who made
metal cartridges. The deal was that Daimler
would hand over the entire business, patents
and all, for 200,000 Marks’ worth of shares in
the new company. (Actually the total valuation
came to 195,913.92 Marks so it was rounded
up to 200,000, still a ridiculously low sum.)
Von Duttenhofer and Lorenz would each
contribute a further 200,000 Marks, making
600,000 in all, and receive a similar number
of shares. Daimler also got 100,000 Marks’
worth of preferred stock, promising a dividend
of five per cent once the board decided the
company had reached an undetermined
level of profitability – something which, in
the board’s opinion, it magically never quite
managed to do.
Though the new company was not
officially registered as the Daimler Motoren
Gesellshaft until March 2 1891, the necessary
contracts were signed on November 28 1890.
It was only at that point that, almost as an
afterthought, Daimler mentioned that his
erstwhile partner Maybach was still owed
30,000 Marks and that perhaps he should have
shares to that value in the concern. Certainly
not, was the frosty reply. That was a matter
between Daimler and Maybach, and the newly
formed DMG would not pay its Technical
Director a penny above his (not particularly
generous) salary.
This was a bad beginning for the business,
and a harbinger of the appallingly short-sighted
and inept way the DMG would be run in its
early years, but for Maybach, the immediate
effect was disastrous. Not only would he
never be paid the capital due on his years of
partnership with Daimler, he was now reduced
to being a mere employee in a company
whose new owners neither understand nor
appreciated his talents. Not surprisingly, on
February 11 1891, he resigned.
For Daimler, too, the board’s intransigence
was a severe blow. He had lost a close
colleague and his best engineer, possibly
the one person in all Europe he knew could
translate his ideas into reality. And he had lost
control of his own company. Von Duttenhofer
and Lorenz combined could always outvote
him over policy, and being neither visionaries
nor engineers, they wanted to concentrate
exclusively on the known profits to be had from
making static, railway and marine engines,
rather than risk any resources on the uncertain
future of the horseless carriage. At the very
moment he seemed about to realise his dream
of viable motorised personal transport, it was
being snatched away from him. He might as
well have been back at Deutz-AG.
Daimler’s response says much about both
his tenacity and his charm. He persuaded
Maybach to come back to work with him, only
this time in private, outside the realm of the
DMG.
Why did Maybach agree? Why, after
being treated so cavalierly by Daimler over
the ending of their old partnership, would he
even consider a new one? Most people are
not prisoners of their childhood but even so,
Maybach’s upbringing at the Bruderhaus
must have had some effect. A naturally
kind, modest, rather introverted personality,
Maybach’s ambitions were directed towards
the quality of his work rather than the extent
of his bank balance. More importantly, though
not blind to Daimler’s faults, he shared
Daimler’s vision. And though Daimler was
the better businessman, Maybach was by far
the better engineer. Quite simply, they needed
each other – neither could reach their common
goal alone.
But this time the partnership was
necessarily going to be structured differently.
Daimler’s continuing commitments at
the DMG prevented him from day to day
involvement in the concern, restricting his
role to little more than that of financier; in
engineering matters Maybach would have a
free hand. And the patents would now be in
his name.
Feature
Adam Morgan brakes at the end of the back straight at Silverstone – discs
glowing red! Note the Club sticker on the rear quarter-light.
BTCC Silverstone – September 27-28
by Paul Kelly
Norman Burgess (right) with Adam
Morgan and Norman’s wife Helen.
Norman’s wisdom
At Silverstone I had a chance to have a
chat with Norman Burgess, who is the
Commercial and Marketing manager of
Ciceley Motorsport. Norman was one of
my first points of contact with the team and
it was he who offered me the job of team
photographer, for which I am very grateful
(I hope he doesn’t regret it). Norman is
the backbone of the team. He negotiates
sponsorship, oversees the erection and
dismantling of the hospitality unit on race
weekends and runs it to make sure every
guest enjoys a money-can’t-buy experience.
And that is what they receive. Hospitality
is something that isn’t offered for sale
anywhere. You have to be invited by one
of the team’s sponsors or the team itself.
Guests are greeted by Norman and enjoy
fabulous food and drink as well as a fantastic
day of racing. Guests also get exclusive grid
access – and a photograph to take home.
Norman’s portfolio is impressive.
Not only does he have a role with Ciceley
Motorsport, he also is the Commercial
and Marketing Director for Paul Bird
Motorsport. This includes the Rapid
Solicitors Kawasaki British Superbike
team, the PBM Aprilia Moto GP team, and
PBM British Championship Rally team.
He is always busy promoting racing. He
sometimes leaves a BTCC meeting and flies
(by private helicopter or jet) to a British
Super Bike round or Moto GP, anywhere
in the world. He was at Misano recently for
the Italian Moto GP. He said, “I watched the
race, had a pint, helicopter to airport, Lear
jet to Carlisle airport and helicopter home,
then out for a meal with my wife Helen,” All
in the space of a few hours. How cool is that!
Norman told me: “My objective is
to ensure that each investor receives
exceptional value for money and to establish
business to business links.” He has achieved
this with sponsors involved in both two and
four-wheeled motor sports. He is also a
partner in a law firm. How he fits it all in
I will never know. He has a wicked sense
of humour – if he wanted a career change
I’m sure he could be a stand-up comedian.
Racing is a serious game, but we laugh a lot
all weekend thanks to this guy. Top bloke!
Race one
After being knocked out of eighth place
in qualifying in the dying seconds, Adam
Morgan was ninth on the grid in the Ciceley
Mercedes-Benz. A good start and some
great moves soon had him up to sixth, in the
leading group just behind Swiss driver Alain
Menu, until lap 14 when the A-Class ground
to a halt – a broken wire on the alternator
the culprit. Cruel, cruel luck for Adam who
I think could have finished in the top four. A
10p piece of wire can ruin your day! Jason
Plato took the win in his MG.
Race two had Adam starting way down
in 27th place but some great race craft
had him up to 16th halfway through the
22-lapper. A one-place improvement up to
15th was all he could get before the red flags
came out after a collision between the Ford
Focus of Jack Clarke and the BMW of Rob
Collard saw the BMW barrel-rolling off the
track. Collard was airlifted to hospital with
breathing difficulties but is on the mend.
Jason Plato got his second victory of the
weekend to take the championship fight to
Colin Turkington.
Race three
A mid-pack start, in 15th, for the Wix
Mercedes saw Adam battling from the very
start. The safety car come out after a lap to
clear an incident. As racing resumed some
inspired driving had Adam up to 10th by lap
13. I was at the entrance to Luffield, after
the back straight, and Adam seemed to be
braking far later than the cars around him
– with his discs glowing red going into the
corner. This Lancashire lad sure can drive
and got the better of Gordon Shedden on
lap 22 to chase reigning champion Andrew
Jordan across the line in a fantastic seventh
place. Matt Jackson won the race in the
Airwaves Ford Focus. It is such a shame
that Adam was not higher up the grid for the
start. His driving was stunning and would
have surely given him the podium place he
so deserves.
The Ciceley A-Class was now up to
speed and I think in 2015 the top three will
see a little bit more of the three-pointed-star
in their mirrors. The next round was Brands
Hatch for the finale – I couldn’t wait!
Adam gives Matt Neal the hurry up entering the Complex.
Feature
Title
The one-two finish in Russia gave the
Mercedes team its first ever constructors’
title. Mercedes won most points in the
1955 season, but there was no award for
the winning constructor at that time. Ferrari
has won the most constructors’ titles, taking
16 since the award was introduced in 1958.
Cash-strapped
F1news
The safety car out in the appalling conditions in Japan.
by Will Gardner
Jules Bianchi
Under the safety car, in the dying moments
of the Japanese GP, Marussia driver Jules
Bianchi span and hit a recovery vehicle,
which was track-side to remove the Sauber
of Adrian Sutil. The resultant injuries saw
him receive emergency brain surgery.
Marussia ran only one car in the Russian
race, leaving Bianchi’s rebuilt car, fully
scrutineered, in his garage saying this was
a gesture to show that the car was ready and
waiting his return. At the time of writing
Bianchi’s condition remains critical.
Driver changes
The first big name to jump-ship ahead of
the 2015 season is Sebastian Vettel, leaving
Red Bull for Ferrari, the knock on from
this is likely to see Fernando Alonso leave
Ferrari and return to McLaren, looking for
a resurgence of form as it moves to Honda
power. This is likely to leave Jenson Button
without a drive as his current contract with
the team ends this season.
Japan
The Japanese GP took place as the tailend of typhoon Phanfone lashed the circuit
with heavy rain. The race started behind the
safety car but, as conditions worsened, the
cars returned to the pit lane, restarting 20
minutes later. The race was ended on lap 44
as conditions again worsened and Bianchi
crashed, sending the medical car onto the
circuit. Hamilton won from pole, followed
home by Rosberg – another Mercedes onetwo finish. The Williams struggled with
the conditions and came home sixth and
seventh. Wise tyre choices in changeable
track conditions saw Button bring the lead
McLaren home in fifth, whilst Magnussen,
in the sister car, finished 14th. Both of the
Force Indias finished in the points, with
Hulkenberg eighth and Perez 10th.
Russia
Just a week after Japan, and amid talk
of increased safety measures following
Bianchi’s accident, F1 moved to a brand
new track at the Sochi Park, home of the
2014 Winter Olympics. President Putin
attended the event, amid concerns that the
resultant security measures might black-out
TV feeds – they didn’t – just as well, as he
arrived an hour late.
As usual the Mercedes team dominated
qualifying, but Bottas in his Williams almost
grabbed second from Rosberg, but a slide
on the last corner left him starting in third.
Hamilton was bullish after his pole, as the
pressure appeared to mount on Rosberg. And
it told as the race got under way, with Rosberg
chancing a pass that left him flat-spotting his
tyres. He went to the pits and rejoined the race
plumb last. However he recovered and used
pit stops to help him climb the field, finishing
where he started in second place behind
Hamilton, with Bottas a creditable third.
Massa, in the sister Williams, started from 18th
after a fuel problem in qualifying and fought
through the field, just missing out on the points
and finishing 11th. After the race he said he felt
“surprised” not to have scored points, although
he admitted that the tyre choices he had made
had not worked in his favour. The McLarens of
Button and Magnussen came home fourth and
fifth, whilst Force India scraped into the points
with Perez claiming 10th place. Hulkenberg
finished 12th.
Post-race Damon Hill piled further
pressure on Rosberg as he said the German
was “running out of ideas,” commenting on
the error that affected his race and saying the
move looked “desperate”.
Ahead of the American race, Caterham F1
was placed into the hands of administrators
Smith and Williamson, whilst Marussia
F1 also petitioned the High Court and
appointed an administrator. This meant that
both teams missed the American race and,
as air transport takes the cars straight to the
following Brazilian race, almost certainly
this as well.
Bernie Ecclestone granted both teams a
‘pass’ from their contractual obligations to
miss at least the American race, in the hope
that fresh financial backing could be found.
This meant an 18-car grid in America,
and probably Brazil, for the first time in
nearly 10 years. Meanwhile, as the FIA
has accepted an entry from Nascar’s Gene
Haas, there is still the possibility of one new
team lining up to race in 2015. This seemed
more likely after Nikki Lauda commented
that he expected an American team would
be entering F1 next year. Entries for the
2015 season closed on November 1, but as
yet the FIA has made no official comment
on entries for next season.
Texas
The American GP took place on the first
weekend of November at the Circuit of the
Americas in Austin, Texas. As usual the
Mercedes of Rosberg (pole) and Hamilton
locked-out the front row of the grid, with
the Williams of Bottas and Massa filling the
second row. Magnussen qualified seventh
in his McLaren, with Button lining up 12th.
Meanwhile the Force Indias of Perez and
Hulkenberg had to settle for 11th and 13th
respectively.
Ahead of the race, the rhetoric between
Rosberg and Hamilton continued, with
Rosberg stealing one of Hamilton’s
favourite phrases, by telling reporters he felt
“blessed”. Hamilton promised 100 per cent
commitment for a victory.
Come the race, that is exactly what
happened; Hamilton passed Roberg after
the second pit stop and went on to win,
further extending his lead in the drivers’
championship to 24 points. The Williams
were unable to hold off the challenge of
Ricciardo’s Red Bull, which finished third,
with Massa fourth and Bottas fifth. Sadly
neither Force India completed the race,
with Perez crashing on the first lap and
Hulkenberg retiring after 16. Magnussen
brought his McLaren home eighth, with
Button finishing out of the points in 12th.
Feature
How did he
fit it all in?
by Andrew Miles
D
iminutive in physique he may have been, but his character
was considerably larger and more robust, which it continues
to be several years after his death. To whom is this referring?
The Generalmusikdirektor himself, Herbert von Karajan, Austrian
born, self-confessed car nut; amongst other things.
This article is purely and simply dealing with HvK’s (as he will
be referred to here on in) enthusiasm for automobiles and is in no
way definitive or complete. There are many books and countless
internet pages concerned with every tiny aspect of his life. This is
just my take about his, admittedly extensive, fleet.
My curiosity into HvK’s cars was awakened by that other fine
publication, Mercedes-Benz Classic, a boon for every Club Member;
free, delivered and expertly written and photographed. The current
issue appertaining to the ‘Two white swans’ 600 series. Whilst not
beautiful in the svelte curves and fluid lines of say a 190SL fashion,
one could paint a Grande 600 austere, industrial, even, but garnering
more majesty and a regal, swan-like purposefulness. On reading that
HvK had one and knowing just a soupçon of his character, he struck
me as more a driver than one being driven. But it is easy to imagine
him being cosseted in both air-conditioned and suspended serenity
to the opera house, his wife at his side and the doors attended to by
minions. Then conducting, milking the applause and heading out
to his next project (more on this below) and all in extremely nice
luxury. Having said that, I’m guessing that the interior of a 600 is a
pretty quiet place, something that may not have sat well with a man
so concerned with matters aural. Yes, it has a big engine but never
would the Grande 600 set a race track alight, how could it? Not the
car’s purpose and this perhaps alludes to HvK seeking out cars with
not only handling and character, but with soul and a beating heart
of sonority.
On even a little investigative digging, his hectic lifestyle and
other choices of motor car suggest his make-up was for speed not
comfort. Before we get into his liking for the swifter end of the
Mercedes-Benz range, check out some of his other steeds; some he
kept, all were used – most appear to have been abused too.
A blue Ferrari 275GTB, a red Lancia Stratos – a wild card if
ever there was one, a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud (go on, you would
with the wonga... no?) a Ford GT40 from John Wyer, the main man
in beating Ferrari at Le Mans, a Renault 5 Turbo (pow!) and with no
other identifiable information, a Citroen. Personally I hope it was a
V8 SM as opposed to a 2CV. But then was HvK a Traction Avant
man? Or DS?
He was also a purchaser from that other Stuttgart based firm,
beginning with P. HvK did appear to be almost an ambassador for
them, with far more pictures, interviews and anecdotes about them
than all the others; but naturally it his interest in the three-pointedstar that concerns us.
There are photos of HvK in a Gullwing, a 190SL, the 600, but
unfortunately little else. Surely a Fintail would appeal? Stylish,
but perhaps too slow and quiet? A Pagoda must’ve been if not
on the shopping list then at least researched and test driven? And
even if the ‘joke’ about HvK is true (see below) a taxi ride in a
Merc sufficed. Mercedes models
are hinted at but not with much, if any,
other information to lead us into prospective
Sindelfingen models, but as the title of this piece
suggests, just how did he fit it all in?
If he wasn’t rehearsing Mahler or Wagner for hours
on end then his time was filled with skiing, flying his plane,
yachting or driving his cars; and as with arguably everything in
his life, commendably and capably. On a non-car related side,
HvK was once watching some water skier’s in action. Studying
their obviously fluid style for a while on shore he soon fancied his
chances and, naturally, within minutes was skimming the lake as a
flat, light stone and entertaining the party concerned.
Brakes-a-smoking
Reading several accounts of HvK belting along an autobahn waving
to those who recognised him, or zipping through those romantic
Alpine passes we all hanker to be driving, as well as testing and
purchasing all those cars previously mentioned. My favourite
snippet is of him leaping out of a breathless, brakes-a-smoking,
engine pinking, travel-stained and top down 190SL so that a minion
could park it properly whilst he entered the concert hall; it’s the
stuff of films and dreams – that only a successful and iconic career
can lead to.
He carried this off with such panache, aplomb and
professionalism – it’s difficult to imagine today’s celebrities
conducting (pun intended) their car purchases with such brio.
Footballers seem only interested in the garish; the uber-rich in
speed and exclusivity. HvK certainly added style with interest and
one quote of his is: “This is a sports car and meant to be loud.”
Of course, even in their day, the purchase of a Grosser or a
Car of the month
Car of the month
Dr Sherif Hegazy’s 280SL
Dr Hegazy writes: “I first fell in love with the iconic R107 SL in the 1980s
when I was a child watching glamorous American TV shows, such as Hart
to Hart (with Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers), Falcon Crest and
Knots Landing. In each of these there was a stunning SL – a yellow one in
Hart to Hart and Falcon Crest, a silver one in Knots Landing. Many other
1980s shows featured this iconic sports convertible. In fact every major
film or show featuring rich American families always included an SL.
In real life many Hollywood stars, and other celebrities, had them
– John Travolta (a yellow 350SL), Farah Fawcett, Bruce Willis, Grace
Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Alfred Hitchcock, Bobby Ewing – everyone
who was anyone in the 1980s had one. And it’s no surprise. The R107
is often hailed as one of the most popular and reliable Mercedes of all
time, having been in production for almost 20 years – one of the longest
Mercedes-Benz production spans. It was dubbed the ‘Panzer Wagen’ for
its reliability and build quality. In the looks department, in my opinion
at least, it is the best looking convertible of the 1980s. I don’t need to go
on about the engineering, but it’s worth mentioning that the SL was one
of the first production convertibles to feature a hard-top as standard and
a fully covered soft top compartment (instead of the usual cloth hood
covers, which look a mess and break the lines of the car).
Anyway, my dream came true when, back in 2005, I saw a Sahara
yellow 1984 280SL for sale, a Jersey car with only three owners from
new. After viewing it and negotiating the price, yes, you guessed it, I had
my dream car. It had to be yellow (for obvious reasons, see above!) My
wife, Karen, called her ‘Daisy’ and the name stuck With a full service
history and only 91,000 miles on the clock it is a joy to drive. She has got
all her original handbooks and manuals, data card, owner’s wallet and
three keys. The contrast of the black trim with the yellow paint really sets
it off. One of the best colours on an SL (I am very biased!) I also love the
chrome all around the car in the right places, which adds the magic and
quality touch of a true classic.
Since we have had the car we have enjoyed many sunny Sunday
drives, many shows, and Daisy always attracts attention. In most classic
car shows red, green and blue colours dominate the scene, so having a
yellow SL always makes you stand out, which attracts people to come
and look at the car and admire it. I have heard so many people say, ‘That
is a proper 1980s icon’. Many people come and say, ‘Wow, that is my
dream car!’ I always reply: ‘Mine too!’
Daisy has her original hard-top, which is hardly used as she only
goes out in the sun, and the soft-top isn’t used either, but I treated it with
Mercedes-Benz soft-top conditioner just to preserve it. I unfold it once a
year to prevent cracks. Daisy has got her original radio/cassette, which
means we can make use of all the old cassettes we have in the loft! It
adds to the charm of the car. Since we have had Daisy I have replaced the
engine oil and filter every two years (despite not doing much mileage of
course) and done some major maintenance jobs, like a full underbody seal,
brake fluid replacement and brake reconditioning. This year I replaced
the automatic transmission fluid and filter and it made a huge difference.
Other routine maintenance jobs have included spark plugs, air filters, fuel
filter, belts and coolant. A new Bosch battery made starting the car after
long periods of sleep much easier. I always use genuine Mercedes-Benz
parts and George Philips at the local dealership, Drayton in Stafford, has
been extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He shares the same passion
for classic Mercedes and we have long chats about them.
When I got Daisy she had the original Mercedes mud-flaps, which
are very functional, but I thought they detracted from the streamline
look, so I removed them, it made a huge difference. This year I took the
headlamps apart and cleaned them carefully inside. It is a tricky job, but
again it made a huge difference to the look of the car.
All in all the car has been a pleasure to own and show, and always
gets attention. Recently Daisy was featured in several newspapers in their
coverage of a local classic car show at Stafford Castle. She won a gold
prize in the modern classics category. She was also featured last year in
Classic Car Weekly.”
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, 94 Connaught Road, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0HJ or [email protected]
Feature
Models of prototypes and design
concepts in the archive.
Left to right: Jon Bell, Lynne Bell, Sophie Holmes, Uwe Heintzer and Andy Holmes – with
a replica of Gottleib Daimler’s motorcycle.
Technical drawings.
Visit to the
Mercedes-Benz
Classic Archive
by Jon Bell
Some members of the Club Archive Team
(Lynne Bell, Sophie Holmes, Andy Holmes
and myself) were very fortunate to be given
the opportunity in July to visit the MercedesBenz Classic Archive at the headquarters of
Daimler AG at Unterturkheim, Stuttgart.
The visit was kindly arranged by Ian Keers
and Rainer Finkbeiner, of Mercedes-Benz
Classic Club Management, and hosted by
Jurgen Wittman, Uwe Heintzer and Levent
Ozturk of the Daimler Classic Archive team.
The principal aim of the visit was
to learn as much as possible about how
Mercedes-Benz had set about digitising its
archive and particularly the lessons that it
had learnt along the way, in preparation for
the Club setting up its own digital archive.
The physical archive
The Mercedes-Benz Archive was begun in
1936 and is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of
material, consisting of around 3.5 million
photographs, videos, films and sound
recordings, 12,000 books and articles and
many thousands of documents (the archive
team estimates that if all the material was
stacked end to end it would stretch 17km
(about 11 miles). Some of these documents
are very large. For example, there are a
number of technical drawings relating to
historical vehicles on a scale of 1:1. The
Archive also stores the many hundreds of
trophies, cups and awards that have been
received since Daimler, Benz and MercedesBenz were established, and even some large
models of experimental cars!
The material is housed in a large, airconditioned building on the headquarters
site at Unterturkheim, as well as in five other
locations around Germany. All company
documentation (except that belonging to
the Board of Management and the CEO of
Mercedes Jellinek’s birth certificate.
Daimler AG) is transferred to the Archive
five years after being produced. Board
of Management and CEO documents
are transferred after 10 years but are not
accessible for 40 years to anyone in the
company other than those with special
clearance. Old photographs are gradually
being restored (many of the negatives are
on glass plates). Unfortunately many of
the early films were recorded on cellulosenitrate based stock, which becomes unstable
Feature
GLA45 AMG.
GLA45 AMG – SUV
W
hen this car arrived I thought
Mercedes-Benz South West had
returned the car I had last month –
same colour, same wheels – but with a spoiler
on the rear. No they had not made a mistake,
this model is the latest of the quick AMG
cars which Mercedes calls an SUV (Sports
Utility Vehicle). At a first glance the inside
is the same as the CLA45 AMG, the only
difference from the outside is the spoiler. I am
not sure if I like this, but time will tell. I was
sure the unit under the bonnet would give me
great pleasure, with its 355hp, four cylinders,
two litres and turbo. I could not wait to floor
the right pedal.
High performance cars
These powerful AMG turbo engines need
to be treated with respect, so never drive in
flip flops. According to statistics 1.4 million
accidents or near misses have been blamed
by James Lloyd
on this type of footwear – they decrease your
braking by 0.13 seconds or 11 feet, six inches
if you are travelling at 60mph, so make sure
you are wearing good shoes. As this car can
be used off road it has a modified chassis and
dampers plus beefed-up springs. It has a higher
driving position and an upgraded anti-roll bar,
but at £49.500 you expect these added safety
changes and this car, like all AMG models, is
very safe and stable.
I will not go into all that this car will do
as I would be repeating what I said a month
ago with the CLA45 AMG, but it is good.
The GLA has slightly more roll on corners,
but nothing to worry any driver, it will still
corner with road-hugging grip. The ride is
smooth and comfortable and there is little
road noise. I have previously said I think the
A-Class-based range is fantastic. I am sure
it has to be a winner but at £49,500 for the
GLA45 AMG many Mercedes fans will go for
the C or E-Class unless they must have AMG
performance. These new smaller cars will give
many a thrill though, with all the latest safety
devices and around 35 to 37mpg.
Thank you to Peter Rees of MercedesBenz South West for allowing me to have this
wonderful new range of cars.
Same 355hp power unit.
GLA45 AMG – a higher
ride-height and rear
spoiler set it apart from
the CLA externally.
Similar interior.
Feature
The Smart (foreground) and Mercedes-Benz stands in Paris.
The Paris Motor Show
by Peter Brown
T
he chance of a trip to Paris for the
motor show was not to be missed.
With a cheap Eurostar ticket at a
reasonable £59 return and a hotel booked
for an overnight stay in Paris, it was an early
start, leaving Northampton at 6.00am, but I
was in Paris by 12 noon, having a spot of
lunch and a bit of sightseeing before the
show started the following day.
The last time I attended the Paris Motor
Show was in 2002 when the Smart roadster
was launched and although the Paris show
isn’t as big as Geneva or Frankfurt there was
going to be more than a few new models
to have a look at from Mercedes-Benz and
Smart. With the show opening at 6.30am I
did think what on earth am I doing at this
time in the morning as I waited for the gates
to open, however the early bird catches the
worm and the advantage of getting there
early paid off as very few people were on the
Mercedes-Benz or Smart stands at that time
of the morning, which was ideal for taking
some pictures.
I have to admit that the first car I headed
for on the Mercedes-Benz stand was the new
Mercedes-AMG GT. Having seen numerous
pictures in the press I wanted to see if it
looked as good in the flesh so to speak. The
car has a 3,982cc, V8 bi-turbo engine and
rather than have the turbochargers fitted
outside the cylinder banks they are situated
inside the V configuration or, as the AMG
experts call it, ‘hot inside V’. Two models
are available – the GT with 462hp and the
even more powerful GT S with 510hp. As
soon as you open the doors you are greeted
with the AMG start-up screen and an
animated GT appears on the TFT display in
the instrument cluster. The car is a delight
to sit in and of course your eye is drawn to
the red start/stop button and you can easily
imagine the noise the engine makes. The
GT S version comes with AMG exhaust
system with fully variable flaps which
allows the driver to vary the engine sound
depending on which dynamic setting has
been selected. The list of options would take
too much space, as would the words needed
to describe a stunningly gorgeous car and
another winner from Mercedes-Benz.
Tricolore
The Mercedes-AMG GTS gets the thumbs up from Daimler boss Dr Dieter Zetsche.
There was also a display of the new B-Class
with a ‘tricolore’ theme. With changes to
TechnicalCorner
E
2. ...and base of the combined unit.
1. The side...
R107 SL combined
hazard and flasher
unit
by Jeremy Stevens
3. First stage of dismantling.
arly R107 SLs used a conventional
three-pin flasher unit with a separate
hazard switch. In later cars these
functions were combined into a single unit.
This combined flasher and hazard unit was
also used on W123 models and when I fitted
flashing indicators to my W136 170V I chose
this unit because of its neatness and availability
on scrap W123s. There are two variants of this
flasher unit, part number 123 820 01 05 which
incorporates a trailer warning lamp terminal
and the somewhat simpler (internally) 123
820 02 05 which does not. Photos one and two
show the ‘01’ unit.
The availability of second-hand parts
has moved on somewhat and these units
are no longer so plentiful and suffering the
ravages of time. New ones are extremely
expensive if you can get them.
When Irish Member Skip Heinecke
got in touch with me because his flasher
unit was playing up and he was having
difficulty sourcing a new one, I managed to
find a second-hand unit in the UK. As my
170V has the same unit I had a particular
interest in taking a look at the failed one, so
I suggested he send it to me to look at in case
anything could be done in the way of repair.
Like many units from this era, if one
is careful, non-destructive dismantling is
possible. With this part the first step is to
release the plastic locking tabs holding the
two halves of the body together. I used a
couple of small screwdrivers. As the two
halves separate the spring-steel mounting
latches will drop out, so be prepared to catch
them (photo three).
Next the springs and switch latching
mechanism are lifted off, revealing the
electronics Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
The pilot lamp holder simply pulls out of
the base of the unit (photo four).
There are two soldered joints for
terminals 31 (0V) and 49a (flasher output)
which need to be cleared of solder before the
PCB can be removed from the base housing.
Once this is done the unit is down to its basic
sub-assemblies (photo five).
With the PCB extracted from the body
(photo six), I spent rather more time than I
should have in drawing out the circuit diagram
and finding out how the unit was designed
and functioned. I could have spent less time
by simply replacing all the capacitors on the
PCB as these are the only parts (apart from
TechnicalCorner
SparesRegister
A FREE Service For ALL MEMBERS
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.
NB Complete cars for sale must be advertised in the classified section.
FOR SALE
Breaking 1991 W126 500SEL, 420SE. W123 280CE. W140 S320, S500.
W220 S600, S320. W210 300 diesel estate, E240 saloon. W124 230
estate. Parts off the shelf for W108, W111, W123, W124, W126 and
W201 190 range. 1984 W123 230E, 1992 W124 300TD, complete at
the moment, both with good engines and auto gearboxes. Dave 07710
672986 [email protected] (no text messages).
W105 Ponton 219 Gearbox for left-hand-drive column change, clutch
pressure plate and driven plate, various electrical switches, starter,
dynamo and regulator. 1964 W111 220Sb and 220SEb many
mechanical and electrical parts. Martin Williams, Chester, 01244
675925 [email protected]
W124 parts Breaking W123. Parts for 1962 W111 220SEb Fintail. Parts
for W114 parts. W113 hard-top glass and chrome. R/C107 Fuchs
wheels and tyres. Roger or Joe 07831 432186 or rj.tompkins@
ntlworld.com
W113 230SL Bonnet, boot, doors, rear bumpers, windows, complete
hood frame, four-speed gearbox, exhaust manifold, crank case and
shaft, cylinder head, injectors, heater and box, front axle and brakes,
fuel and water pumps, radiator, steering wheel and column, starter
motor, seats, various chrome strips etc. Offers to buy as one lot. Tony
07781 103065 or [email protected]
W113 Pagoda SL Hard-top lift, professionally made by an engineer, will
not damage hard-top or interior lining, picture available, also wooden
stand for hard-top. Lift £40, stand £20. 01303 489219 Kent.
Breaking for spares W202, W220, W123 etc, all models – saloons,
coupés and estates – 230E, 230CE, 280E, 280TE etc. Interior parts
and trim, mechanical, panels etc. Can be shipped worldwide. Leigh
07734 858970 [email protected]
2001 R170 SLK Headlamps, rear lights, heater controls, grille, roadster
bag set. Viponds interior paint 211A. Set of Ventus V12 Evo tyres,
205/55ZRx16 and 225/50ZRx16, all have 6mm tread. Ian 07834
W111 Crankshaft, fuel injection pump, power steering and water
pumps, fuel injection pipes, full set of dash instruments, handles,
switches, steering wheel, electrical bits, radiator grille, chrome
strips, hub caps, centre tray, glove locker cover, wood trim, new
star, beautiful full burgundy hide etc. Contact for full list. St Albans.
[email protected] 01923 678595.
R129 500SL Mercedes-Benz hardtop shuttle Part number B6 781
1057, crane for safe, single-handed removal, moving and storage of
hardtop. James, Exeter, 07546 525911 [email protected]
R129 SL Five 235/45R x 17 five-hole wheels and tyres. One wheel and
tyre new, four tyres nearly new, four wheels require refurbishment.
Photos can be supplied. Genuine offers invited. Buyer collects. Geoff
01375 643857 Essex [email protected]
W124 300CE Brand new Mercedes-Benz middle and rear exhaust boxes.
MB price £531, will accept £400 ono for both. Malcolm Vance 07798
726989 Co Durham.
W124 estate Mercedes-Benz rigid boot liner £75. Rare original MB
‘doughnut’ seven-litre reserve fuel can, made by Bellino, Cöppingen
to fit inside spare wheel £65. Both in good condition. Barry 01981
Parts for 1960 models onwards Coupés, convertibles and saloons,
W111, W112, W113, R107, W108, W109, W114, W115, W123,
W124. W108 280SE auto engine and gearbox, complete with
injection and accessories, low mileage. Also handbooks. Vic 0208
890 3220.
W124 cabriolet/coupé Offside door skin, new, part number A124 7720
0209 £95. W208 CLK cabriolet draft strap, hardly used, boxed,
part number DA 208 860 00747 £180. Nick Goode 01732 832545
[email protected]
Breaking W123 estate Manual, could be put back on road but only by
serious enthusiast. Engine seized and some bits missing, been laid
up for a long while. On SORN. Set of blue MB-Tex seats for W108.
Derek Matthews London 0207 474 5953 or 07795 575962.
W121 190SL Set of four original old stock Bosch spark plugs,
ref W200T 27, as shown in handbook. Unrepeatable £45 plus
postage. John Williams 01255 870954 Essex.
Winter tyres Four absolutely as new, unmarked, 8mm tread,
Continental TS 830 205/55 R16 91T – the best available, they
make a real difference. Cost £393 in December 2010. Stored
indoors. £150 or offers. North London 0208 292 1420 laurence_
[email protected]
W203 Sports Coupé Westfalia tow-hitch assembly type-313189
with detachable ball, complete with control unit for the seven-pin
socket, two keys and operator manual which includes full fitting
instructions. Very good condition. I believe Westfalia hitches
are supplied by MB. £225 collected from north Manchester or
delivered for £30 extra (weighs 36kgs). Roger 0161 705 2599
after 6.00pm [email protected]
W202 estate Cloth interior, sandy beige, usual wear to driver’s seat
bolster. Free to anyone who wants to collect. 07759 724123 or
[email protected]
W108 Front bumper, grille with star, headlamps, nearside doors, front
wings, windscreen, rear lights, reconditioned starter, brake master
cylinder with servo, power steering pump, other parts. Tom 02890
869314 Belfast.
W126 front and rear seats Beige velour, good condition but
small tear on driver’s seat, easily repairable. Space needed as
moving house. First reasonable offer secures. 01253 762302 or
[email protected]
W123 Brand new, still boxed nearside W123 headlight and indicator
set, made by Bosch, complete with halogen headlamp bulb.
Part number A 123 820 2959. MB price around £290, asking
£150 ono. W124/W201 etc genuine new unused eight-hole alloy
wheel, part number A1240111202, 6.5J x 15 H2 E44, slight shop
soiling £100. Barry Pope 07831 556732 KT15 barry.r.b.pope@
virginmedia.com
R129 Four AMG-style split rim alloys with Dunlop SP Sport 265-35
ZR 18 (rear) and 245-40 ZR 18 (front), approximately 5mm tread,
good condition £375. One standard eight-hole alloy with unused
Dunlop tyre £75. Hard-top stand, non-folding £65. B Parkin 0121
554 1650 or 07936 172959 Birmingham.
W126 Complete black dashboard in exceptional condition, for cars
from 1983 to 1991, to replace examples that have become cracked
or damaged through sun, age or damp. 01460 271749 cjmfp@
totalise.co.uk
W114/W115 coupé Complete MB-Tex black interior, dash, chrome,
wheels, window mechanisms, engine parts and other bits. Collect
from Kings Lynn. Colin 01485 570286 [email protected]
WANTED
W124 cabriolet UK driver’s side black rubber over-mat, must be
original equipment with central MB star in good condition with
no holes. Geoff Chapman [email protected]
2005 CL600 Bose amplifier The following is written on the top:
A215 820 19 89, HW A 220 827 06 62 0002, 293 001, AMP
4166 MOST, C215-ROW.PR, 22.01.2004, Made in USA. Mike
Thompson 077404 79145.
W124 cabriolet Nearside black-enamelled rising rectangular hood
recess cover-plate with spigot/spring. Original equipment
wind-deflector. Silver foil sill-plate strips. Whereabouts of any
W124 cabriolets being broken. 01732 832525 Tonbridge, Kent
[email protected]
1996 R129 Set of four alloy wheels including tyres. Graham Boxall
Devon [email protected]
W180 220S/W121 Ponton Nearside front door window. 07800 500
356 john.j81dobson@btinternet
TechnicalCorner
Project 190E
O
ver the years I have owned a few
190Es and always had a soft spot
for the ‘Baby Benz’ after first seeing
one in 1982 whilst holidaying in the south of
France. We were in a hypermarket in Frejus
having driven down in my Ford Granada
Ghia X-pack and I will never forget standing
and admiring this little car long before I ever
saw one on UK roads.
I bought my first 190E in 1993 to replace
my first ever Mercedes, a W123 230E. It
was a 1990 car and cost me about £9,000 at
the time. After signing on the dotted line it
was (nearly) ours and we loved it. A couple
of years later I sold it and bought a 1992 car,
and have had a few more 190Es as second
cars along the way. Those cars were 100 per
cent reliable but a young family moved us
onto W124s for the extra space.
These days, with my wife Julie using
our W211 estate more often, I was thinking
about buying a run-around for when I do not
want to use our R107 SL. As an avid user of
the Club website I saw a car came up for sale
there. I read the advertisement and thought it
would be a nice, cheap project for someone,
but did not give it much thought.
Ray Waker’s 190E.
by Ray Waker
The ad said:
‘Hi Folks,
I have lost patience with this particular car
so want to move it on to someone who will
give it the TLC it deserves. The car has many
good points which means in my opinion it’s
too good to break. It really needs someone
who knows KE-Jetronic fuel injection well
enough to diagnose the fault.
Spec: 1992 (K-reg), 146,000 miles,
auto, electric front windows (working),
electric sun-roof (cable broken), eight-hole
alloys with good tyres all round, pearl grey,
non-ABS model, MoT till August, tax at cost.
Good bits: Drives very well with no
squeaks or rattles. Excellent grey check
interior with no real wear – with a good
clean it would look new. Replacement
engine with 87,000 miles (2.3-litre, eightvalve removed from a W124 230E complete
with the air-flow meter, fuel distributor and
inlet manifold – very good and smooth for
an M102, has plenty of power). Superb
auto-box – very smooth changes. Just had
full service (plugs, ATF, HT leads, coil,
distributor cap and arm, oil, filter and
coolant). New thermostat and housing.
New engine mounts. Chassis totally solid.
All wheel-arches are rust-free. Upgraded
headlight bulbs. Brand new Bosch battery.
New water pump. New rear exhaust box.
New heater fan motor. Very little diff whine.
Two keys. Original owner’s pack, service
books etc.
Bad bits: Category C insurance writeoff (ie uneconomic to repair) – due to
damage on nearside doors (this could be
repaired as no paint damage, just shallow
but wide dents). Sun-roof not working. One
interior vent is broken. Boot leak (pretty
sure it’s coming from the C-pillar sunroof
drains as usual – not had a chance to fix this
yet). Paintwork is generally good but one
small area on the nearside C-pillar which
has been blown over. Small oil leak. Engine
under-tray missing. Chips in windscreen.
Heater is not very hot. Starts first turn, but
won’t stay running for more than a second
or so (suspect fuel pump?)
As you can see I’ve put a lot of money
into this car and I’ve spent countless hours
under the bonnet. The engine change alone
went well into four figures. I feel it would
make an ideal project as so much work
RegionalReports
Anglia – North
Out with the old, in with the new
As the year draws to a close we would like to thank Members and
friends who have supported our meetings at the Marsh Harrier and our
full programme of events during the year. What began as meetings of
Members have morphed into gatherings of friends; Club nights have
evolved into warm, sociable events. Thank you all. Thanks also for
the suggestions for our activities programme; do keep them coming.
At the time of writing we are making arrangements for our Christmas
party at Dunstan Hall, Norwich on December 7. We are delighted
with the level of support for this event, at which the Anglia – North
Choristers will give their world premiere performance(!) and we
have many surprises in store.
Bluebells will again feature in next year’s spring programme – but
with a difference. On April 26 (diary note please) we will visit a 5,000acre Norfolk estate. Our theme this year will be an exploration of the
way in which this quintessentially traditional English country estate,
with all its complexities, has changed over the centuries in response
to economic and social developments and the vision of a number of
key, strong personalities. We’ll be able to walk the grounds under the
tutelage of an expert in the subject and see how the estate has evolved
with the generations. This will be a most unusual opportunity.
Don’t forget our regular ‘noggin and natter’
meetings
These are held on the second Monday of each month from 6.00pm
onwards. We meet at the Marsh Harrier, Ipswich Road, Norwich NR4
6DX, just a short distance from the A47 southern by-pass. Many eat,
some just have coffee or a drink, but mostly we chat! The banter
is friendly, amongst like-minded enthusiasts. Here’s where we share
great ideas and get details of planned events. Andy, the landlord, and
his staff look after us very well. The pub has a good menu, the wi-fi is
free and the website often has vouchers and offers, saving us money
on already reasonably priced food and drink (www.vintageinn.co.uk/
themarshharriernorwich). So why not come along and join us? New
faces turn up regularly and are made most welcome!
Those all-important e-mail addresses
Thanks to those of you who have been in touch to ask to be added
to our e-newsletter and e-diary mailing lists. When we send these
out we are still getting a few e-mails which bounce back to us,
generally because we have an out-of-date address. If you find you’re
not receiving your e-newsletter, have recently changed your e-mail
address or would simply like to ensure our records are up-to-date,
would you kindly let Roger know ([email protected]). He’d rather be told several times than have our e-mails
come bouncing back. Such a waste of electricity! And before you
panic because these e-items aren’t turning up as expected, in spite
of you having provided an up-to-date e-mail address, do check your
‘spam’ or ‘junk mail’ in-box!
Your pictures
We are always on the look-out for good pictures of our events to illustrate
our newsletter and our reports in the Gazette. The higher the resolution,
the better. If you have taken photos which you think will enliven these
publications, Roger Hinton would welcome them and would, of course,
acknowledge your contribution (roger.hinton@mercedes-benz-club.
co.uk). They will be much appreciated, so don’t be shy.
Roger Hinton and Richard Lee-Warder
Anglia – South
Coffee and Star Cars – September 28
The last Star Car of 2014.
Star Member Paul Downing and his ‘new’ SL.
Automotive art in the purest form.
The last meeting of the year was one of the best yet – well supported,
24 cars – then a cream 1961 300SL roadster drove in – must be Ed
Daniels’, and it was. With both Roger Wyncoll and Robin Beer
away, I got there at 9.30am to greet the early birds myself. Then I
had to wait 20 minutes for someone else to arrive – so I polished
and photographed my car while I waited in case I was the only one
there! Fortunately others started arriving a little before the proper
10.00am start time. Soon the front of the house was full and late
comers were posing a parking problem. Red Mackinnon, Jeremy and
Michael Morrison all arrived from London in Michael’s splendid
new E-Class, followed quickly by Philip Thain in his W108. Then
David and Tina Bellamy came and a bunch of Compasses’ regulars
– Malcolm King, Ian and Jane Dewsnap, Richard Hinds, Angie and
John Cannon, Ron and Sue Capes, Barbara and Tony Dring, David
Thornton and Bob and Iris Ball (Iris won the last raffle prize later –
Call for a quote today
01376 573033
The best policies for either
classic or modern Mercedes-Benz
CarsforSale
www.peterbestinsurance.co.uk
280SL Auto 1985. Petrol, convertible 2
door, 85,000 miles. In very good
condition, looked after like a baby. Drives
like a dream, owned by a lady, lives in my
garage. Stunning Diamond blue with
matching interior. Other bonuses:
Headrests, hard top, soft top, auto power.
Alloys, stereo system. ABS. Power
windows. Very long service history. Taxed.
Full MoT. Needs to be seen and ridden in
to appreciate the quality. Price £13,500 ono. “Whoever buys would you please look after me
like my present owner. We have been together for 12 years. Selling due to owner’s health
problems.” Tel: 01485 572691 (Norfolk) (12/14 01)
E-mail. [email protected]
190E 2.6 Auto 1989.
White 130,000 miles. Blue
leather seats, ABS, Air Con,
electric windows/sunroof,
M-B alloys, FSH with M-B
specialist, 12 months MoT,
very good condition, a
delight to drive. £3,750
Tel: 029 2076 4887
(Cardiff) (12/14 03)
1953 MERCEDES BENZ 300S ROADSTER
744 Signal Red with bamboo, S/N 18801200282/53150hp 3.0 litre in-line 6
cylinder engine with three Solex carburetors, 4 speed manual transmission,
86,300 kilometers from new, Becker Nurburg radio, two piece Baisch
luggage set in trunk, extensive recent major service history, recent retrimming of interior and convertible top, nicely presented older lacquer
repainting, completed at the Sindelfingen factory September 12, 1953,
(original colors 334 Blue with grey,) matching numbers, one of just 120 or
so W188 chassis roadsters built.
C240 Elegance (W203). 1 MB Club
owner, 62,000 miles. Full service history,
MoT 9/15. Automatic, Electric front seats,
driver’s has 3 position memory. Metallic
travertine beige, black cloth Interior. This car
is in mint cond. Lots of extras. £1,950
Tel: 07973 414595 (N W Kent) (12/14 05)
1989 300SL RIO7. Almandine red.
69,300 miles. MoT June 2015, taxed
Feb 2015. Full service history. Cream
leather seats. Hard/soft tops. Beautiful
condition. £16,500. Tel: 028 406 23108
(Northern Ireland) (12/14 08)
THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING A CAR FOR SALE ADVERTISEMENT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH
i.e. 3RD NOVEMBER 2014 FOR THE DECEMBER 2014 EDITION
NAME
DAYTIME TEL NO
MEMBERSHIP NUMBER
❑ NON MEMBER
ADDRESS
POST CODE
Please print wording below (up to 30 words)
MODEL
YEAR
PRICE TEL NO
APPROX LOCATION/COUNTY
VALID FROM
CARD NO
E
190 Ponton 1957 Black, low mileage,
original car, full service history from new,
full length Webasto roof, 2 owners from
new, MoT Jan 13, tax Jan 13, lots of
documentation. £POA. Tel: 01234 567890
EXPIRY DATE ISSUE NO/SEC CODE
Please either complete your credit card details above or call us for added security. Alternatively please make cheques
payable to: Hine Marketing
Please tick as appropriate: Single Boxed Advert: Members £18 inc VAT
Non-Members £36 inc VAT
Double Boxed Advert: Members £36 inc VAT
Non-Members £72 inc VAT
HINE MARKETING, HILL FARM STUDIOS, BISHOPS NORTON, GLOS GL2 9LN
TEL: 01452 730 770 EMAIL: [email protected]
E
PL
M
A
X
THIS SERVICE IS FOR MEMBERS’ PRIVATE SALES ONLY. TRADERS MUST USE DISPLAY ADVERTISING.
SpecialistServices
ACCIDENT & BODYWORK REPAIR
CAR STORAGE
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
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.
VANLEIGH COACH WORKS
Unit 7, Central Ave, West Moseley,
Surrey KT8 2QH
Tel 0208 783 1212
[email protected]
MERCEDES DISMANTLERS
Mercman Ltd
Unit A, St Erth Industrial Estate
Rose An Grouse, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 6LP
Tel : (+44) 01736 757777
Email [email protected]
www.mercman.net
Mercedes parts from 1960 to 2014
BREAKING
Mercedes SL & SLC
Tel: 01322 669081 or 07836 250222
SERVICING SPECIALIST REPAIRS
All aspects of repair & restoration undertaken
to the highest standard at competitive rates
AIR CONDITIONING
Bristol & North Somerset
Top marques specialist
AIR NOT WORKING? Motor Climate UK Ltd.
re-charging service, diagnostic reports,
(UV leak detection) installation, R12/R134
conversions, friendly service
Tel: 0121 766 5006
Comprehensive Insurance
07776
196796
[email protected]
www.premiervehiclestorage.co.uk
CAR MATS
HARD TOPS, STANDS &
ACCESSORIES
Classic
Mercedes Mats
Mercedes Sport hard tops for sale, all
models. Tel: 01322 669081 or 07836 250222
INTERIOR WOOD TRIM
SPECIALISTS
City Polishers Ltd
156 Broadgate, Weston Hills Spalding
Lincs PE12 6DQ.
Tel: 07977 741889
www.nicholas-martin.co.uk
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 020 8361 6750
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
07919 885705
www.classicmercedesmats.co.uk
ONE CALL AND MERC-CARE DOES IT ALL!
Advertisers’ Index
Adrian Flux...................................... 58
Airflow.............................................. 58
Avantgarde....................................... 48
Bonhams............................................. 6
Brian Nair Mercedes Service
& Repair........................................... 79
British Motor Heritage Limited... 56
Carcovershop................................... 75
Carus Parts and More.................... 60
Charles Ironside.............................. 75
Chelsea Cars.................................... 79
Cheshire Classic Benz Ltd............. 35
Classic Preservations...................... 66
Classicline Insurance...................... 18
Copley Motorcars........................... 78
County Classics................................ 76
Coupe and Cabriolet...................... 24
Cover Systems.................................. 79
d:class.......................................... 12, 13
Evans Division of Hydratech......... 35
Footman James............................... 42
Hamilton Classic............................. 79
Hilton and Moss..................... IFC, 80
Howard Wise Classic Cars............. 10
Lancaster Insurance Services........ 64
Liege Sofia Liege............................. 38
Mercedes-Benz Milton-Keynes
Parts................................................... 64
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd................. 32
Merparts Ltd.................................... 58
Norton Insurance............................ 74
Peter Best Insurance....................IBC
Peter Jarvis MB Specialist....... 75, 82
PJ Hodge & Sons Ltd..................... 48
R M Auctions............................. OBC
Rees Bros......................................... 75
Roger Edwards Motors.................. 76
Sandown........................................... 38
Scenic Car Tours.............................. 17
SLS.................................................... 76
T&D Heaney................................... 48
The SL Shop........................21, 76, 80
Tudor Mercedes Specialist............. 77
H I L T O N & M O S S
A
C
H
I
E
V
I
N
G
P
E
R
F
E
C
T
I
O
N
MORE STOCK URGENTLY REQUIRED
As 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.
WANTED
01279 710877 www.hiltonandmoss.com
Best prices paid for 113/107/129 SL’s
or sale or return
Email: [email protected]
CALL THE SL 107 SPECIALISTS NOW ON 0844 414 2116
OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.theSLshop.com
Raynham Road, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 5PJ
80needed
• DECEMBER
2014 1•
H&M More stock
ad Aug 2013.indd
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk 06/09/2013
20:22

you - The Mercedes

Transcription

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