Here’s a special look at some of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles showcased at
the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance—models driven by royalty and
racing legends alike.
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| There are more similarities between these two than just the obvious. For one thing, both are essentially road-going versions of winning racecars. |
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| The 1910 Benz 21/80 Prinz Heinrich. Four seats, 80 hp, leaf springs and as long as a modern GL, this ran in a precursor race to what would become the German Grand Prix. |
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| The start-up procedure for the 1910 Benz 21/80 Prinz Heinrich. Just remove the engine cover, prime the engine with hectane fuel and, while somebody else adjusts the steering wheel controls and foot pedals, stand in front of the car and use the hand crank to get the engine started. After three or four attempts at firing the engine, replace the engine cover and enjoy. Easy! |
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| The iconic and legendary 300 SL on Rudge wheels. But here’s the thing about Rudges: they’re more than wheels. They are, in fact, an entire setup consisting of front and rear hubs, brake drums and axles. And by the way, that’s the iconic and legendary Sir Stirling Moss behind the wheel. |
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| A 300 SL Roadster with single-unit Euro headlights. By 1961, the 300 SL's straight-six had come a long way since being plucked out of the Adenauer limousine and hot rodded in 1952. Gone were the Solex carburetors, replaced by Bosch mechanical direct injection, boosting horsepower a full 100 to 215. |
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| The S-Class was one of the stars of this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and to celebrate, we surrounded the all-new 2014 S550 and S63 AMG 4MATIC with its predecessors, including the 300 SEL 6.3, arguably the spiritual ancestor of all AMGs. After his first turn behind the wheel, legendary drag racer Don Garlits summed up the 6.3 as anyone would the S63: “This car is just plain fast!” |
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| Like the plate says, a 1960 300d—but the "d" doesn't stand for diesel. What it means is that it's the fourth iteration of the 300 Adenauer, the 300d having of course been preceded by the 300c. And in a nice bit of turnaround, the 300d used a version of the 300 SL's 3.0-liter straight-six, which itself started as a hot rodded version of the engine found in the original Adenauer. |
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| The W116 450 SEL not only ushered in a new, sleek look for the Sonderklasse, but when equipped with the 6.9-liter M100 V-8, it became a legendary performance machine. Even if you've never driven one, you know what the 6.9 (as car enthusiasts the world over call it) is capable of if you've ever seen John Frankenheimer's film "Ronin" or David Lynch's "Lost Highway." |
Photos courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.
