[///RMan]

The Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally - An Overview

The annual celebration of the three-pointed Star in the city was announced to be held on the 10th of November 2019.

In it's 6th edition, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR) this year was going to be extra special, as Mercedes-Benz was celebrating it's 25th year of operations in India. The annual event, organised by Mercedes-Benz India and Autocar India and is curated by Perseus Bandrawalla, who manages to pull off such a multifarious single brand turnout year after year with aplomb.

Being an absolute Mercedes-Benz fanatic, the event is something that me and my friends look forward to. The stunning set of Mercedes-Benz machines which turn-up at the event are second to none, in my opinion.

Proceeding with this thread would not be right without thanking the following people, for clicking most of the stunning images you'll be seeing ahead - Viren Parikh, Ashish Rebello, Mahir Javeri and Aditya Karandikar


Run-Up To The Event

Since I happen to be a photography enthusiast, the plan to click the Stars parading around the city has been de rigueur year after year.

However, all such plans went for a toss when a friend suggested I participate with his car, which had been parked away by for over half a decade until he purchased it earlier this year. As exciting as it sounded, the car needed to be retrieved from storage, serviced and checked if it were rally ready.

The prospect of getting a car ready was as exciting as driving in the parade. Time being the only major constraint, I decided to try and get the car ready for the parade.
Got in touch with Loyal, from Loycarz to retrieve the car from storage and get in ready in time for the event. Having someone who is also an enthusiast work on a car is only a bonus, as I came to know during the process of readying a dormant car for the event.

With about two and a half weeks to the event, not knowing what gremlins lay waiting for us, Loyal and myself, accompanied by a friend turn up at the venue with all possible tools, fluids, battery and the works - determined to DRIVE the car to the workshop.

The car had no battery, so a service battery was plonked into it and all four tyres filled with air using a portable inflator. Two cranks and the engine fired right up! Exciting

We immediately pulled the car out and headed to the first fuel station since we were not really sure how much fuel was in the car or if the fuel indicator was even functioning.

The car in being mentioned all this while is a Mercedes-Benz W124 260E, the entry level 6-cylinder petrol variant of the E-Class from that era.


The first picture clicked immediately after pulling the car out of storage - all lights working! An emphatic testimony to the build quality of these old Mercs.



Topping up the air in the decade old tyres, ensuring optimal pressure.


The car required some suspension bits, although the rest of the suspension was in pretty good shape. The owner procured those and sent it in to the workshop and they were ready to be installed.


If and when work took me around the workshop, I made it a point to check on the progress. All fluids were flushed, changed and the car kept making steady progress.


With the basic mechanical work out of the way, we took the car out for a trial run late in the night. The autobox, which had been shifting erratically right from the get go, was working a wee bit better but far far from being optimal.

However, driving a old school car with this butter smooth 6 cylinder motor, even with it's problematic transmission got a massive grin on my face!
The trial run helped us get in a rough list of things that needed to be attended before the rally, and off the car went back to the workshop.


As the D-Day approaches, the number of Mercedes-Benz cars you spot around generally goes up multifold.

Happened to see this Mercedes-AMG G63 in the Autocar office premises...


...and this stunning Ponton out on a trial run.




Also saw well over half a dozen W124s pottering about, in the week before.



Fast forward to the day (which quickly turned into the night) before the event, I drove back from Pune, straight to the workshop to check on the final progress on the car.

At the workshop, another star had landed up straight after being driven all the way from Goa, for a final go-through before the event, the predecessor to the W124, was this W123.


It was not just another W123 though, it was this monstrous V123 300d, the 'Lang' variant of the W123 sedan.


The man behind Loycarz himself getting in the final touches on the car before we set off for the venue.


All set behind the wheel!


My own humble ride, the WagonR, from my Starry perspective that night. A friend piloted it while we drove the W124 and V123 to the event venue, at half past midnight. A decision we made to beat any traffic and ensure a stress free morning on the event day.


Cleaned up, polished, waxed and looking good to go for a Starry morning ahead. The paint has definitely aged, rust and patina have taken centre stage but looking at a rather short period from pulling out a car from storage to having this up in time for the event, I feel it was all really worth it.


Getting into BKC, we fuelled both the cars up and headed to the basement of Sofitel to park the two E's in for the night.


Safely ensconced for the night! Over two weeks of prep looking rewarding.


After our cars were tucked away, it was only right to check-out the array of classic Mercedes-Benz cars that had already turned up the night prior.






Seeing this in it's current avatar almost gave me the shivers, after last having seen it in person nearly 2 years prior. More on that later.


This beautiful 300SL-24 had come down from Bangalore just for the event. What a joy to see such enthusiasm!




As we were about the leave for our respective homes, we got a call from a friends driver asking directions, and he was driving in his C124 300CE from Ahmedabad. Since he was only about 20 minutes away, we waited for the beauty to arrive. And this photo-op was too good to resist!




We reached home well past 3AM, and it was in not more than 4 hours that we would be heading back to the same place. Sleep that night was going to be rather short, what wasn't scarce was the energy. To an exciting day ahead!

[///RMan]

The D-Day

While we prepped the W124 deep in the 'burbs, another friend was busy getting two cars ready for the event in the other end of town, a coupe and convertible twosome from the 107 SL Class - a silver R107 500SL and a red C107 450SLC.





Some pics of the two cars as they made their way to the event at the break of dawn. The SL duo was joined by a beautiful S123 300TD as well.











A GLA45 AMG passing by made for a lovely impromptu picture.








The 450SLC was driven by the same friend who was around with me till 3AM the previous night. Like I said earlier, the energy leading up to the event was at an all time high!


Date: 10th November 2019
Venue: Sofitel, Bandra-Kurla Complex
Time: 0730 Hours

Cars began to trickle in around 8AM, and usual tranquility of a Sunday morning in BKC was transformed into a sea of cars driving into the venue.
A group of Marshalls who had volunteered to help the event, most of them participants as well, ensured quick and effective distribution of cars around the venue.



The Mercedes-Benz W136 170V is a popular car amongst collectors of Mercedes-Benz cars. The event saw quite a few of the 170Vs - ragtops, roadsters et al!

This particular 170V is a regular at all classic events in the city.


Coming in from a tasteful collection of 170Vs, this car twinned very well with the one above.




The 170V Roadster finished in a stunning shade of green came to the event from a notable Pune collector, had entered a few other stunning cars.








A pair of blue 170Vs, one a saloon and the other a rarer ragtop looked stunning against the green turf.








This absolutely beautiful W29 500K has been a part of almost all MBCCR events, barring one IIRC. An absolute stunner, and is driven regularly by the owner. Also, something new I learnt about it this year was that it supposedly belonged to the Nazi leader, Heinrich Himmler







Sharing garage space with the 500K is this W143 230 Pullman. I do not recall seeing this car at previous events but like every Mercedes from this era, looked regal and elegant.






A lot has been said, written and discussed about this insane W08 Nurburg, an extremely rare and valuable car across the globe. Been omnipresent at almost all classic car events in the city and looks to be in better shape than before, every time you see it. A part of the growing VG collection, this is one of my favorite Stars from the show.

[///RMan]

The W186/W189 300 series, made famous by Konrad "Adenauer", is a series of beautiful, big cars four-door in a variety of body-styles. The on-road presence of these cars is just too good!

This 300S Adenauer is again a regular at most classic car events in the city. The pale yellow color makes it a tad bit understated but nonetheless, a regal car.







This 300D, with its 4 door pillar-less phaeton body-style looks absolutely stunning. The entire look of the car changes with just the omission of one pillar. Marvellous!


















The larger of the Heckflosses, the W111s!

Cannot go wrong with W111 220S in white.


This beautiful W111 230S is as original as it can get.






Following the 230S was a 220S which regularly attends events in the city. Coming from a collection that primarily consists of S Classes, this one is one of the most used of the lot.




The W111 220SE Convertible has been the talk of the town ever since it broke cover. Sweeping awards at all shows it has attended, this beauty from the VG stable attracted so much crowd that I barely managed ONE pic at the event.


Another one from the extensive VG Collection, and what a beauty this 230S is! Love the color and everything else on it.




The W108 series is the direct successor to the W111, and IMO looks better than its predecessor, especially in the American guise.

This blue 250S would have had my heart....






... if this absolutely MINT 280S had not turned up. What a looker!

[///RMan]

The solitary W116 that turned up for the the event, the 280S sported a lovely shade.


The W126 bastion was spearheaded by these two monsters, an impeccable duo of 560SELs.














A rather clean 280 turned up as well.






A stunning pair of W180 Ponton 220S from the VG stable. Love how every car from this collections is super clean!


Pick your weaknesS Class


This W120 Ponton 180D is one of the most driven and cleanest examples around. And the color shade just takes its desirability quotient higher!






A 190b Ponton rolling into the event, while a 190D Ponton is seen in the background.


Another regular at the event, a 190D Ponton.




Beautiful W110 190D Heckflosse.


The W114/W115 series had a pretty healthy turnout as well.

A friends absolutely clean W115 230 flanked by some lovely Stars in the background.




A black and white duo of W114s














A stunning green W114 220.

[///RMan]

This red W121 190SL is a regular at events and is an absolute treat every single time. Looks so much better with the optional hard top on it IMO.











Another stunning example of a 190SL, the black and red combo really comes on its own out in the shining sunlight.












The W113 230SL 'Pagoda' from a Mercedes fanatics collection has a beautiful shade adorning it.




This W113 250SL has just come out of a year long ground up restoration, and looks lovely in its new silver avatar.






A red SL is always welcome - and this W113 230SL pulls off the shade with aplomb.




This 230SL comes from a varied collection and is often seen at events with some of its stunning garagemates.




The SECs have always been personal favorites. As a fan of hardtop pillar-less coupes, and a Mercedes-Benz nut, the SEC ticks almost all boxes in terms of desirability. Been absolutely lucky enough to know two rockstars who happen to own these cars pictured below.

This monstrous black beast, the 560SEC has had a rather tumultuous life until it was saved and painstakingly restored over the years by its current owner. Having seen the car (and the owner) go from strength to strength, and the V8 motor now functioning at it's very best in decades, it is only going to be on and upwards for Vader, as christened by the owner. Also happens to be the first SEC I've sat in.











This C126 380SEC is an absolute beauty. The Pentas wheels, and that coloration just makes it one of the loveliest SECs in the country. Minute attention to detail has ensured that even parts like the seatbelt extender still works like it did when it left the factory. Have been lucky enough to drive this, and while the 380 motor kinda seems small on paper, the power delivery and the butter smooth nature of the engine ensures a BIG grin on your face every time you press the throttle.

[///RMan]

The 107 series of SL's were the 'Star' attractions this year, in my opinon (pun intended). The sheer variety of these that turned up was amazing!

Fresh out of a ground up restoration, the R107 380SL was on it's maiden MBCCR run.




A regular at events in the city, this R107 500SL belongs to a varied collection in the city.














This R107 560SL has to be heard to be believed. The V8 rumble is unmatched!


What debuted at the last edition of the same event, did this years drive with ease. A stunner with those BBS wheels and that shade of red doing full justice to the design, this American spec C107 450SLC is a looker!




A friends absolutely mint C107 450SLC, have had the good fortune of driving this beauty quite often. The V8 sings, and being the first classic Mercedes that I ever drove, have a soft spot for this one.






The 450SLC twins on the Bandra-Worli Sealink.








This silver R107 500SL is one of the cleanest examples around, and is seen at events pretty regularly.












The SLs lined up!






From L to R - the R107 500SL, R107 380SL, R107 560SL, C107 450SLC and C107 450SLC. What an assortment!

[///RMan]

The R129 is one of the most popular SL series around and extremely coveted as well. Some lovely R129s turned up at the event, all in unique engine configurations.

This stunning R129 300SL-24, came down from Bangalore only for the event. Shod on those Monoblock wheels, it looked almost perfect!










Another really clean example, this R129 SL320 has lovely Brabus wheels and a Brabus exhaust tip as well. Once a part of Anil Ambanis collection, it now is a regularly used car in the city.













The Unicorn! The only example of its kind in the country, this R129 SL600 is powered by the gargantuan V12 motor. Owned by Sachin Tendulkar back in the day, this absolute gem made its way to Mumbai earlier this year from down South and made its maiden appearance at a MBCCR event. Hope to see more of this stunner!






















The SLK class was included in the event for the first time this year, and this yellow R170 SLK230, with its owner since new, was the perfect example to be showcased at the event.


This red R170 SLK200 provided the perfect contrast to the yellow R170 at the event.


Also seen was this R171 SLK200.

[///RMan]

The W123 was probably the most well represented generation at the event. A smattering of body styles, engines and specs were seen.

Fresh out of restoration, this 200D used to be a burnt orange shade but this dual tone is definitely a fresh take on a W123.










This 240D drove in from Pune and made in in time for the 8AM reporting time. This one has done highways runs, intercity runs and interstate runs with aplomb and is a part of a massive collection.




Love the shade on this beauty, a 300D belonging to a Parsi gentleman from Mumbai.




The rivals catch up! More on the Bavarians who happened to pass by the event, probably keeping tabs on their competition.


A Yankee spec 300D!








A personal favorite in terms of the overall spec - the green shade, the Pentas wheels and the tan interiors just gel so well together.












A 200D, is occasionally seen at events around the city.


One of the cleanest W123s around, this one had under 20k miles on the odo when I'd been in it a couple of years back. A literal time capsule!




Another friends recent acquisition, this black 300TD drives brilliantly.








Another lovely W123 with a dual tone paintjob.

[///RMan]

Belonging to a friend, this S123 300TD has been christened the 'Imaginewagen' as a tribute to John Lennon, who happened to have a similar spec S123.



The newest entrant in the Starry collection of a total Merc nut, this V123 240D Limo looks stunning!










Another one thats just fresh out of the oven, this 300TD too drove in from Pune for the event.








Another lovely restoration, this grey 240TD is a part of a rather lovely collection.










Another personal favorite, have had some fantastic joyrides in this S123 240TD.




Part of a young collectors garage in Pune, this V123 300D is a recent acquisition. Quite a lot planned for this, should be an exciting project to watch out.












The C123 280CE is one of the very few C123s in the country.

[///RMan]

But before the W124, another car that is seen at events across the country. Owned by a collector from Goa, this drove in straight from Goa a day before the event and was going to head out straight to Bangalore to participate in an event the following weekend. My friends happened to get some rather lovely pictures since the car drove with me almost the entire length of the parade.



















The C Class was only represented by this triumvirate of W201s since the W202s failed to show up.

This W201 190E with the Evo2 kit is an absolute looker! Those wheels, which have come off a legit Evo2 just elevate the overall look of this beast. Owned by a friend who probably is a one stop shop for everything W201, this one is the crown jewel of his collection.









A car that has probably attended all editions of the MBCCR, this W201 190D is an extremely clean example.




Another W201 190D that is absolutely MINT, in terms of interiors and everything else - this one is a literal time capsule with less than 50k kms on the odo. And it is daily driven!



The W124 is one of the most popular choices for someone looking to get a taste of classic car ownership. With parts available rather easily, and moderately heavy on the pocket, it is said to be the stepping stone to get into an old car ownership experience. The W124 E220, manufactured by Telco in India, kicked off the Indian journey for Mercedes-Benz India 25 years ago.

A freshly repainted W124 E220, this dual tone E-Class is a total workhorse.




A super clean E220 with the much coveted auto transmission.


'Parsi owned' - the condition says it all!




An E220 with a full Lorinser bodykit and Lorinser wheels. Looks epic!




Restored and repainted a year ago, this E220 is a very clean example.






The gold standard for W124s in the country, this E220 along-with the curator of MBCCR, Perseus Bandrawallas E220 blow my mind away every single time I happen to sit in them. Both these are examples something can be kept so clean and mint after nearly 3 decades after they left the factory.
This particular one recently got a full paint-job and new tyres and wheels, making it almost as good as it left the factory decades ago.

[///RMan]

Stunning color on this 300D!


Often seen around South Bombay, this 300D is a prominent collectors daily drive.




Stunning red shade on this 300D.


And the diesel onslaught continues with another 300D!


A friends S124 250TD, this wagon is regularly seen at events.






This 250TD drove in all the way from Rajkot for the event.










A W124 has a rather interesting set of wheels - made by BBS for Pininfarina. Unique!


A menacing looking 300E.


Another 300E, but this one is a LHD. Very clean!


The car that has been mentioned right at the start of the thread, and the one I drove in the parade, a W124 260E.






The solitary C124 at the event, this 300CE drove in from Ahmedabad all day,just one day before the event and I happened to be around to receive it at 2AM on its maiden visit to the city.

[///RMan]

A bunch of modern Mercedes-Benz cars were seen in and around the event.

This V240 Maybach 62S out in public after being away from the limelight for a long long time. This 62S was picked up by the current owner a little over 2 years ago, and since then, under the aegis of Allan Almeida, has been painstakingly restored to its present glory. The transformation is mind boggling, right down to the minute details being looked into. Gotta love a well done car!










Driven almost every weekend, this SLS is one of the most driven and photographer SLS AMGs in the city.










One of very few SLS Roadsters to be sold in India, this brown example is a part of a collection that has a penchant for BIG engined Mercs.


















A garage-mate of the SLS Roadster pictured above, this W221 S65 AMG is a V12 twin turbocharged behemoth, and one of just two of such examples in Mumbai.










An extremely clean and low run example, this R230 SL500 has just changed hands and cities, making its way to Mumbai from Pune.


The C43 Coupe got a lot of attention while parked outside the venue.




Matte Black Geländewagen - so much want!


A few friends came in from Pune to catch a glimpse of the Starry parade in their GLC, and gotta say, it looks cute in front of the butch G-Wagen!

[///RMan]

A bunch of group shots from across the entire day of the Mercedes Benz Classic Car Rally.

[///RMan]

A lot of other brands were seen roaming around the event, BMW taking the forefront and keeping a watch on its most direct rival!

The event marshal rolled up in this F02 BMW 760Li.


'The Complete Man' turned up in this G11 740Li with some stunning wheels.


A F87 M2 Competition happened to slip into the parade....




A E36 and M2 exchanging glances looking at the Mercedes turnout.


While this F30 328i and different E36 316i kept a watch from the sidelines as well.




The VG Collection had their mighty looking Cadillac Escalade doing transport duties. Incidentally, this earlier was owned by my friend whose GLC I have posted earlier in the thread.






While an MG eZS did multiple rounds around the venue.




A stunning Mitsubishi EvoX attracted some attention










And a CaymanS too stopped by to get a glimpse of the Stars!




As for the poor M2 which got into the parade earlier, this is how it ended up for the mighty M!

[///RMan]

As they say always, save the BEST for the last! This W198 300SL Roadster, with the owner since new and has been seen at the last three editions of the MBCCR. This year, the car debuted with its hard top for the first time and I love the way it looks.










































The run-up to the event, participating in the event, driving amongst the Stars in the parade all-in-all has been an experience in itself! The enthusiasm of the owners and enthusiasts has only been on the upside with every passing edition and I hope the next edition gets bigger, better and with even more Stars adding up to this already fantastic line-up. Hope to be a part of this event someday with a Star of my own

Hope you'll have enjoyed the pictures and whatever little I could write about them.