Many Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA) members and attendees of last year’s Mercedes Freude in Newport Beach, CA may recognize the side profile of an Ikon Gold Mercedes-Benz 450SEL, the picture car for 2022’s premiere national event. 2023 commemorates 50 years since the world introduction of the W116 - the world’s first official “S-Klasse”. The relevance of the Ikon gold 450SEL selected for last year’s Freude theme was no random choice. It was based on the story of this W116 that has been a staple in Southern California’s Mercedes-Benz culture, since its arrival to California with its original owner, until it was acquired by its new caretaker - a local Southern California collector, and active member of the MBCA.

“This 450SEL was ordered early”

On the 12^th of June in 1972, Air Force Colonel Bennie Jew, B-52 Pilot and home mechanic, placed an order for the upcoming Mercedes-Benz 450SEL sedan. After owning three gently used Mercedes-Benzes, Bennie promised his wife Cora that he would buy her a brand new Mercedes-Benz. He knew the upcoming 1973 S-Class would be revolutionary, and trusted that it would be the world’s finest automobile that money could buy. In June of 1972, it was not possible to walk into a Mercedes-Benz Dealership and see a W116. This car was not built yet, and there was no sales literature available. Mercedes-Benz dealers themselves did not know what the upcoming S-Class was going to look like. Bennie’s love, passion, and trust in Mercedes-Benz was powerful enough to compel him to write a cheque for a car that did not yet exist. The only way Colonel Jew could place an order was through Nemet Auto International - an East coast Mercedes-Benz importer. Even Tom Nemet of Nemet Auto International mentioned in his correspondence that “the Mercedes-Benz organization was the only one in the world who could be swamped with orders on an automobile which had not been made yet.”

“What made the perfect 450SEL in his eyes?”

Bennie’s specification of choice was to be finished in Ikon Gold Metallic (paint code 419), upholstered with a Beige & Brown leather interior. From a technical standpoint, a column shift transmission was requested. Col. Jew’s intentions were to retrofit his 8-Track cassette tape player to the center console of the vehicle, where one would normally find a floor-mounted Shifter. He refused to give up his large collection of 8-Track cassettes which he enjoyed listening to on his long cross country trips with his wife. Other uncommon options were specified as well, such as a limited-slip differential, vehicle under-shield, rear headrests, as well as reinforced orthopedic seats. All of these features aided in a more comfortable long distance family cruiser. A sunroof delete option was also noted, as the sunroof decreased headroom by one inch (Although standing at 5’6”, this issue was not pertinent to Col. Jew, but to rather taller passengers who might ride in the vehicle). Col. Jew’s Air Force background shaped him into an extremely detail-oriented person, as he even insisted on a reserve can of Ikon Gold Paint, and a shop manual to be delivered alongside the vehicle. Bennie was a very calculated man, which reflected in his letters to Mercedes-Benz (A 14” stack of letters and documentation resides with the current owner). Mercedes-Benz originally offered the W116 with either a column or floor shift. Sometime between the initial order confirmation and its programming, the column shift option was removed from the ordering guide. As a result, Colonel Jew’s 450SEL was delivered with a floor shift. He was meticulous in his detail of his important request, and the dissatisfaction of this oversight was noted in his letters to Germany, on Air Force Letterhead. 50 years later, these letters still evoke a stern penmanship. In response to his letters, Mercedes-Benz honored the request and programmed another car to be built for Colonel Jew. In their return letter, Mercedes-Benz stated that this would be the last column shift W116 to be made.

“Once a Mercedes-Benz Owner, Always a Mercedes-Benz Owner.”

Upon receipt of their new 450SEL, the family accrued over 6500 miles in the first short months of ownership. Bennie’s love for the W116 was evident in a follow-up letter written to Mercedes-Benz in Germany that read “I would like to say that my wife and I are extremely pleased with this latest effort from Stuttgart. We take every opportunity to our friends who are less informed about the Mercedes. We are looking forward to many trouble free and enjoyable miles of Motoring in the years to come. Again, please accept our congratulations for such an outstanding automotive creation. May the directors at Mercedes never allow styling fads to take precedence over sound packaging practicing and engineering excellence.”

Surely, many do agree with Colonel Bennie Jew’s statements about his beloved W116. As time passed, a constant between Bennie and his wife was their beloved 450SEL. The vehicle resided with them at their residence in Ojai, California and was used and driven for many years. The car made many local appearances to MBCA events across Southern California, particularly, the Orange County Section’s annual Fashion Island Display, in Newport Beach. Colonel Jew & his wife Cora’s collection naturally grew into a vast majority of over 50 vintage Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

There were a handful of special cars that were passed onto Bennie and Cora’s children upon their passing. Bennie and Cora ignited a lifelong passion for Mercedes-Benz in each one of their children. Their youngest son, Tom - had decided to find a new caretaker for his Fintail that he drove and owned since the age of 16. He had scouted a new owner in which he was hoping to be able to sell the car to - Belinda Clontz Sareooei. Belinda is known for her passion for W111’s, and Tom was going to ensure that his sentimental car would end up in the hands of a rightful new owner. After attentively following Belinda’s collection on Instagram @Belindabenzo, he contacted her and invited her to the family’s estate in Ojai, California. Belinda promised her husband she would not bring home another W111 that day, although she knew there was a good possibility of bringing home something special. During their visit, Belinda took notice of the beloved 1973 Ikon Gold family car tucked away behind a garage door. This was the last car to be kept in the 50 car collection. When Belinda and her husband saw the 450SEL, it was love at first sight and all poker faces were off. What started as a leisurely drive to Ojai, resulted in Belinda becoming the caretaker for these two very special cars with a lifetime’s pedigree behind them. What sweetened the deal was the fact that Tom and Belinda lived near each other in Los Angeles, and Tom could continue to be a part of the car’s new journey. In the words of Belinda, “I feel like the lucky chosen one entrusted by Tom with his mother’s car. It is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. My motivation for showing this car at Mercedes events, is to continue the tradition and passion that Cora started, and to continue to build upon those memories for the next caretaker. We are only stewards of the cars we take care of, and I try to remember that. Every car I own has a unique personality, and is representative of the era in which they were built. I use them to educate younger generations, as I believe it is our duty as vintage car owners to continue to inspire youth to grow the passion, so that these cars remain on the road.”

Since acquiring the “Ikonic” 450SEL, Belinda has co-founded a local W116 driving group in Los Angeles. As well, it was used as the official artwork for the Mercedes Freude event in Newport Beach in 2022. Priceless stories were shared around the car in the presence of Tom and Belinda, at a national club event hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Long Beach. This 450SEL has managed to live a very fulfilling life in the public eye, lovingly cared for and appreciated by its past and
current caretakers.

People who knew and remembered the car told funny stories about Cora taking the wheels off to clean it, before quickly transforming into a feminine dress, much like Belinda does with her cars, before being shown at events. In the closing words of Belinda, “Cars are great - but it’s the people and the stories that make them special”. So Ikonic.