A place where people and cars meet
STUTTGART (March 14, 2023) – Stylish design and dynamic driving pleasure: where the new GLC Coupé comes into its own. As the sporty sibling of the GLC SUV, it rounds off the best-selling Mercedes-Benz series of vehicles. The first impression, before the GLC Coupé even starts: elegance, dynamism and offroad adventure. Striking proportions, dramatic surfaces and precisely molded edges define an unmistakable look, complemented by a clearly laid-out, high-quality interior. Continue reading
STUTTGART (February 28, 2023) – “Close-up,” the name of the series by the Mercedes-Benz Museum says it all. Each instalment tells a surprising, exciting or behind-the-scenes story by shining a spotlight on details of a vehicle, an exhibit or an element of architecture and design. In the spotlight this time: the bronze sculpture “Juan Manuel Fangio” in front of the Museum.
Life-size: When do you ever have the opportunity to come face to face with one of the most famous racing drivers of all time and even take a seat behind the wheel of his Silver Arrow? This is not possible in the exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, but it is possible directly in front of the building.
Weighing in at three tons: Slightly to the side in front of the Museum, a two-part sculpture cast in bronze has stood since 2006, consisting of the life-size male figure of the five-time Formula One World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio and his legendary Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Silver Arrow – also in real size.
Approachable: The sculpture corresponds to the actual size of the racing car and driver. Fangio has his right hand on the steering wheel and his helmet under his left arm. One foot stands on a deflector plate of the vehicle. His gaze is directed right into the eye of the beholder: It seems as if he is ready to get in and drive off at any time.
Popular photo spot: But Fangio does not get in. The racing driver allows his visitors to take a seat in the W 196 R from 1954/1955. The sculpture clearly shows how much people like to take advantage of this opportunity: the bronze around the entry and on the steering wheel is shiny from the many hands that have held it from all over the world. Hardly anyone misses this opportunity for a selfie or photo.
Lifetime achievement: Juan Manuel Fangio wins a total of five World Championship titles with racing cars from four brands. In 1954 and 1955, he becomes Formula One World Champion with the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R racing car and thus leaves his mark on the second generation of Silver Arrows like no other driver.
Silver Arrow: Two versions of the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R racing car exist and are used depending on the race track: with free-standing wheels (as in the sculpture) for winding courses and with streamlined bodywork for high-speed tracks. The eight-cylinder in-line engine develops up to 213 kW (290 hp) from a displacement of 2,497 cubic centimetres and takes the racing car to almost 300 km/h. In Legend Room 7: “Races and Records”, the Mercedes-Benz Museum showcases both versions of this Silver Arrow as originals.
One out of six: The artwork, which defies wind and weather at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, is a cast of a monument that stands at the Circuit de Catalunya racetrack in Barcelona, Spain. The work has been created by the Catalan artist Joaquim Ros i Sabaté on behalf of the Real Automóvil Club de Cataluña (RACC). The sculpture impresses, and DaimlerChrysler Classic at the time initiates further versions in agreement with the artist. Supporters of the project are the Fangio Foundation in Balcarce, Argentina, where Fangio was born, and as a further sponsor the oil company Repsol YPF (today: Repsol). The Spanish foundry Barberí makes five casts.
Appreciation: The legendary motor sportsman died in Buenos Aires in July 1995 at the age of 84. Thus, all casts will be placed posthumously and in sites related to Juan Manuel Fangio: at the Nürburgring, in Monaco near the Rascasse curve, in Monza at the local Autodromo, in Buenos Aires in front of the head office of Mercedes-Benz Argentina – and at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. The sculpture is set up for the Museum’s opening in 2006.
STUTTGART (February 22, 2023) – Customers can look forward to a particularly immersive entertainment experience in the new E‑Class. Music, games and streaming content can be experienced in the car with almost all the senses. Thanks to digital innovations in the interior, the E-Class is now more intelligent, achieving a new dimension of personalization and interaction. At the same time, the electronic architecture is more software-driven and less hardware-driven. This forms the basis for more individual updating of the interior systems in the future. Continue reading
London/Frankfurt (February 21, 2023) – PROJECT MONDO G recreates the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class with the distinctive design codes of Moncler by merging the characteristic G-Class features with Moncler’s puffer jacket. As a premier the art piece was unveiled at the Moncler “The Art of Genius” show during London Fashion Week today. Hosted by Moncler, Mercedes-Benz is lined-up with brands and artists, such as Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, Adidas Originals, FRGMT, Salehe Bembury, Palm Angels, ROC NATION by Jay-Z. Moncler unleashes a new vision for Moncler Genius through an immersive live event at Olympia London. Transforming its collaboration model into a platform for co-creation across diverse new industries including art, technology, sport, music and design. Continue reading
The Mercedes-Benz GLE model range introduces a host of updates for 2024 with a refined exterior and interior, as well as expanded technology and equipment. Powertrains are electrified throughout the model range and include the new GLE 400 e 4MATIC plug-in hybrid, in addition to mild hybrids with a 48-volt system and Integrated Starter Generator (ISG). The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE model range will arrive at U.S. dealerships in 2023. Continue reading
Mercedes‑Benz is the world’s first automotive company to bring SAE Level 3[1] conditionally automated driving to the U.S., with Nevada being the first state to confirm the compliance of the system with state regulations. This significant milestone sets the ground-breaking Mercedes‑Benz DRIVE PILOT system apart as the first and only SAE Level 3 system in a standard-production vehicle authorized for use on U.S. public freeways. Complying with the requirements of Nevada Chapter 482A for Autonomous Vehicles, DRIVE PILOT will allow the driver to hand over the dynamic driving task to the vehicle under certain conditions. Mercedes‑Benz has the ambition to continue to expand to California later this year with the certification documents already filed with state authorities. DRIVE PILOT will be available in the U.S. market as an option for model year 2024 Mercedes‑Benz S-Class and EQS Sedan models, with the first cars delivered to customers in the second half of 2023. Continue reading
$19,750 – 22,500
Collector status: Buy and hold
The Mercedes-Benz SLC has always been a bit of an odd duck. It was designed to fill the spot being vacated by the W111 coupé, but rather than base it on the S-Class, as previous coupés had been it was a derivative of the R107 SL roadster. It was, and remains, the only time that Mercedes-Benz would not base its “personal luxury coupé” on its flagship sedan.
To the rear edge of its doors, it is identical to the SL but then gets stretched 14 inches to accommodate a “functional” rear seat. To eyes accustomed to the much more common roadster (over three times as many produced), the proportions seem off. But taken on its own, the design has some merit. Its more upright roofline, complemented by the lovely louvers between the C-pillar and rear quarter glass, are in keeping with the language of the late 60s and early 70s. When taken from certain angles, the width of the R107/C107 suits the larger appearance of the coupé.
Power comes from the same 4.5-liter V8 as in the roadster, rather unfortunately bogged down by US emissions to a sluggish 160 hp (down more than 50 from its RoW counterpart). This was the only motor offered in the SLC through Mercedes-Benz North America dealers. However a few gray-market examples of the much more impressive 237-hp 500 SLC (made between 1979 and 1981) turn up now and then on auction sites. With the 5.0-liter V8 under the bonnet, the SLC in fact enjoyed a brief but successful rallying stint. While it is a long way from the ancestry found in the legendary 300 SL, it demonstrated that the SLC can be capable of more sporting performance than its “personal luxury” denotes.
The idea of a four-seat hardtop 107 never really resonated with buyers, who didn’t seem to mind two-seats (or opted for the mostly unusable kinderseat) in favor of wind-in-the-hair motoring. Mercedes-Benz took note and with the 126-S-Class, returned to the big-bodied coupé that continued through to the C217 of the last generation. But that also means that they can be overlooked in the collector market as well. With their roadster counterparts regularly selling at over $25,000 and climbing (some low-mileage 560s approaching Pagoda money), the SLC lurks as a potential bargain.
Stuttgart (January 18, 2023) – With numerous innovations and upgraded standard equipment, Mercedes-Benz is strengthening the position of the CLA Coupé and CLA Shooting Brake as trendsetters in the compact segment. The newly shaped front apron, the revised radiator grille with star pattern and the new rear diffuser sharpen the sporty character. Added to this are the modernised graphics in the LED High Performance headlamps, which are standard for the first time, and the LED rear lights. The new paint colours hyper blue (exclusive to the CLA models) and spectral blue, as well as three additional wheel-rim designs in sizes up to 19 inches, extend the choice for individualisation. As standard, the new CLA Coupé and CLA Shooting Brake models are fitted with 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels in vanadium silver or a five-double-spoke design in high-gloss black with high-sheen finish. Continue reading
$19,750 – 22,500
Collector status: Buy and hold
Mercedes-Benz upped the ante in 1998 in its ongoing battle with BMW’s M3. Taking advantage of its newly acquired majority stake in German tuner AMG, they dropped a 4.3-liter V8 engine into its compact C-Class sedan. This gave it an over 60-horsepower advantage over the E36 M3 (US models with the comparatively anemic S52 motor), propelling the Baby Benz to 60 mph in under six seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. These figures are comparable to the M3 and would have likely benefitted from a manual gearbox (not available on US models). Best of all, the performance is cradled in the comforts of a Mercedes-Benz.
The W202 C43 AMG is relatively rare with less than 1,500 coming off the line (the first AMG car to be built entirely at the Mercedes-Benz factory). This compares to over 12,000 E36 M3 sedans, which Hagerty values at $47,700 in No 2 condition. The MY2000s are particularly rare, with only 91 built, and they have the added benefit of the 5G-Tronic Speedshift auto-manual gearbox. But a C43 AMG from any production year would be a unique and enjoyable motoring investment.
What’s special about this car is not only what it is—an impeccably maintained W116 S-Class that has was driven sparingly by a single family over 45,000 miles—but what it isn’t. It’s not a 450 and it’s not a longer wheelbase SEL.
What it has are the original books, tools, Becker Europa, and complete service records dating back to 1977. What it doesn’t have is the 4.5 (or 6.9) liter V8. It has the stalwart M110 2.8-liter inline six. It doesn’t have the Bundt alloy wheels. It has steelies with hubcaps painted in the same Medium Red as the pristine and original body. It doesn’t have leather upholstery. It has Bamboo MB-Tex in likewise pristine and original condition.
What it has is a history dating back to the New York Auto Show before being purchased by the seller’s grandfather. There would be know way to drive, or even sit in, a car like this and not feel its soul. It’s on the MB Market where bidding is underway at $5,000, ending January 19, 2023 at 05:25 p.m.
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