All Entries Tagged With: "500SL"
GarageCurrent’s Ye Olde Candy Shoppe
Garage Current’s showroom fresh 500SL Benz.
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG GarageCurrent.com
WHAT’S the Japanese for “Yum” anyway?
I can’t help but want everything in Garage Current’s showroom. The Yokohama based car dealer specializes in selling previously enjoyed -* MINT * – Teutonic (mostly) grand tourers turned recent classics. Each car is presented in immaculate form with a full history for the connoisseur.
Drool with me over the following:
Grey over black 1992 500E with 5,100 km and …
Flawless interior.
Charcoal over black 1990 560SEL with …gulp… 4,700km plus…
5540cc V8.
1992 Porsche 911 in electric blue on black with 87,900 km.
Behold the metallic might of Porsche brakes!
2005 G55 AMG in white over charcoal with 31,500 km.
And COMAND-ing view.
And for good measure – 2005 Lamborghini Gallardo in shock therapy blue over…
midlife crisis blue/yellow.
Yum! Like I said, I take the whole showroom. Thanks.
Fat Cat Capsizing: Much Fun Had In Benzland
By Gunnar Heinrich
I’VE run out of platitudes to praise Johannes Schlorb. Needless to say, he’s a great photographer.
The blogger and very talented photographer runs a site featuring the magnificent Mercedes-Benz 560SEL. Occasionally, his camera lens will find other classic Benzes in addition to W126 generation S-Class sedans and the content – to use gray media language – proves to be every bit as entertaining.
From what I got out of Babelfish (his site’s in German), Herr Schlorb attended a “safety training” get together orchestrated by a local Benz Club somewhere south of the former West German capital Bonn.
As many of the Teutons taking part in the Tri-Star slip ‘n slide were old enough to carry the label “Made in West Germany,” (a practice discontinued after 1985) the location was apt.
It’s not every day that you see a W108 SE drifting running over traffic cones or an R107 SL sideways; which is part of why the event’s shots are so compelling!
Many more polished images are available for sale or simply to peruse through via his website. Never has safety training looked like so much fun.
[Linked: Fuenfkommasechs.de]
Benz’s Best > Top Ten Postwar Models
10) Geländewagen a.k.a. “G-Wagen” W460/461/463 (1979 – )
The ultimate survivor. Built to military spec., there’s solid reason why the UN and NGO peace organizations use the G-Wagen to get the job done. Utilitarian looks as timeless as the Range Rover County and Hummer H1.
9) S-Class W116 (1972-1979)
This solid, stolid generation of flagships included the legendary might-makes-right 450SEL 6.9. The classic three box German saloon, the 70′s S-Class rolls on as a great vestige of the marque’s grand heritage.
S-Class W140 (Sedan) (1991-1999)
Despite being chastised for running out of step with the times, the W140 saloons set the standard for the 90s. Big and beautiful, these chariots were commodious, luxurious, and represented the last generation of Mercedes sedans to embody the vaunted “vault-like” feel.
7) E Class W210 (1995-2002)
Not as solid as its W124 predecessor, but miles ahead in style. No other model in contemporary Mercedes history generated as much excitement or so revolutionized the marque as this generation E. Hugely popular, the line included the torque rich E55 AMG.
6) SL Class R230 (2002- )
Elegant yet sporty, the current generation SL embodies a classic blend of pure style. The SL is the most comfortable and luxurious roadster Mercedes-Benz has yet built and is also the most powerful. The SL55 and 65 AMG models lifted the bar on performance.
5) 300S W188 (1951-1958)
The start of the greatest flagship series the world has known. Subtle design belies solid quality and luxurious craftsmanship. The first of postwar Benz’s opened topped tourers stands as one of the 20th Century’s grandest.
4) SL Class R107 (1971-1989)
An icon for two generations. Greater than the previous W113 “Pagoda”, this roadster rolls with class, style, and substance. The 500SL and 560SL V8s produced performance times that rivaled Ferrari and Porsche. Among the ultimate boulevardiers of all time.
3) 250/280/300SE cabriolet W111/W112 (1961-1967)
Perhaps the best 2+2 convertible ever built. Precious few cars can rival the SE cabriolet’s classic panache. Instantly collectible and reliably solid, this generation will be remembered as among the finest cars Stuttgart ever built.
2) 300SL Gullwing and Roadster W198 (1954-1963)
Sex on wheels. The roadster may rank as the most beautiful car ever built. The Gullwing may rank as the most iconic Benz ever. The symbol of revival to postwar Germany’s auto industry. The straight-six’s performance set the bar for supercar performance for more than 30 years. It’s easy to justify six to seven figure price tags.
1) S Class W126 (Sedan and Coupe) (1979-1991)
The greatest generation. The longest lived S-Class and among the most commercially successful model lines in Mercedes history. Part of Benz’s golden era of over-engineering, the 80s S-Class rank among the most solid cars ever built. The 300SD, 500/560SEC, 500/560SEL are icons. Bruno Sacco’s grand sedan and coupe – penned in the 70s – influenced industry design through the 90s.
