All Entries Tagged With: "Benz"
Spied on 95: Mercedes 300SL Gullwing
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img ADLX ::: Mercedes-Benz W198 Gullwing
WIKIPEDIA tells me (and it must be true, surely) that between 1955-1963, Mercedes-Benz produced 1,400 (W198 gen.) 300SL coupés otherwise known as the famous “Gullwings”.
Or infamous – if you were caught off guard by the playful rear swing axle only to catch the wrong corner, flip and then land on the roof such that the doors couldn’t open. But I digress – we’re talking automotive legend which invariably requires expert prowess when driven fast.
So, in so much that I wasn’t A) visiting the Mercedes Classic Center in Irvine but B) driving on a fairly tame strip of I-95 along the Connecticut coastline, the chances of spying a 300SL on the road (even if on flatbed) in strictly mathematical terms are about as likely as my winning the Powerball.
Well, my lucky numbers just may be in the next draw because yours did in fact spy this remarkable Gullwing specimen enroute from Massachusetts to who-knows-where but my-oh-my did this beauty shine.
Amazing how some (extraordinary) cars can do nothing at all to garner our lust except pose as immaculate rolling sculpture from atop a lofty perch (otherwise known as tow truck).
Re: Your Old Benz Prob: Advice on Getting Advice
By Gunnar Heinrich
GILBERT & Sullivan were they alive today would’ve cited yours truly as their inspiration for their all-knowing Modern Major-General such is my authoritative nature on all things animal, mineral, and Mercedes-Benz.
Chalk it up to a liberal arts education.
And while I do profess to know a thing or two about cars – and Benzes – I dare not comment on the how-to specifics of changing your old 190’s transmission fluid. Or knowing, off hand, where the best place to purchase aftermarket rims for your W140. Or having an insider who can get you a real deal on a reliable W116 300SD.
With my apologies, I wish you luck.
Of course, advertisers for these products – repair manuals, literature, parts, etc. are well advised to sign up for placement here 
. Such are the rate of tri-star technical inquiries at times I’m tempted to email Stuttgart an invoice.
Here are some links which we cannot endorse but may be of help:
Rendezvous: Lelouch Benz Visible In Film
I spy…
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG via IMCDB.org
CLAUDE Lelouch, the French director-turned-stunt driver extraordinaire who shot the 1976 cult classic C’etait un Rendezvous, has long since confirmed that the car in the extra-legal race-through-Paris short was not a Ferrari 275GTB (as the film’s sound dubbing implies) but rather a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9.
The benefits of using the W116 Benz as the stunt / camera car are clear.
Thirty years ago, Mercedes’ flagship produced Ferrari-grade speed while maintaining a hydropneumatically suspended ride that provided the fixed camera rig a smooth platform as Lelouch (the driver) raced over Paris’ lumpy 19th century streets.
However, because our P.O.V. is facing out from the front bumper, we never actually see the car in action from a roadside perspective (hence the Ferrari illusion).
…Or have we?
The above and highlighted screengrab posted on IMCDB.org claims to show the Benz’s headlights reflecting in the street-level windows of some magasin on the corner of l’Avenue Opéra and Rue d’Antin.
According to Google Street View map that same storefront today is home to a Serge Blanco boutique.
What makes this interesting is that it’s akin to catching a magician’s turn of hand – mid act. Equally notable is the dedicated sleuthing of one fan who took time to find this proof. Such discovery only compels us to further admire the original feat.
