Behind the Star
Gary Anderson
A high point of this last editorial cycle was our drive to Forest Grove, Oregon, with Richard Simonds in the 1969 280S that his wife Laura has named Blau Bel. The scenery we enjoyed and the experience my wife Genie and I had in driving this car led us to push some other stories back a bit so we could share the delights of the trip and our impressions of a true classic sedan with other Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. The Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance is also one of those lovely gems that are becoming rarer in this hobby, an event that still has a family and community feeling even though many of the cars on the field could hold their own among international competitors. The trick, it seems, is to continue to focus on your roots and the effort to make an event enjoyable for the attendees rather than aspiring to match some ethereal standard established at shows in Florida or California that have quite different objectives.
I had a similar feeling attending June Jamboree in Montvale, New Jersey, which is among the oldest continuously held classic-car gatherings in the country, but is still hosted by the Northern New Jersey Section with the same spirit of regional camaraderie that has characterized it since the beginning. I’m convinced that there is as much pleasure gained under the shady canopies or on the patio among friends who may not see each other often, except at this event, as there is satisfaction in seeing the cars arrayed on the tiers of the tree-lined parking lots outside the MBUSA headquarters.
Not that there wasn’t anything to see or appreciate in the parking lots. In particular, it was an opportunity for me to renew my acquaintance with a dignified dark-blue station wagon, resplendent with its elegant 300c grille, which I first noticed more than a year ago at the Classic Center in California.
We’re pleased to share that car with you in this issue. Now owned by Bruce Iannelli, who lives just a stone’s throw away from the show, this car must have the most amazing memories wrapped up in its leather trim. As it sat patiently through the day’s judging, we could imagine that it was remembering early mornings on the docks of Palm Beach, afternoons promenading up Park Avenue in New York City, or evenings at the casino in Monte Carlo – all bygone days when it was the custom-built conveyance of a woman whose taste and style matched her wealth.
While in Forest Grove, I was able to catch up with Keith Martin, editor of Sports Car Market magazine, for whom I’ve been writing articles on collectible cars and the classic-car hobby for more than 15 years. Chatting about his recent ownership experiences with two Ponton sedans as we surveyed the cars lined up for the Saturday tour, he passed on one conclusion he’s recently reached.
“Never again am I going to buy a car just because it looks good,” he vowed. “Instead, I’m going to look for a car that has been owned and maintained by an active member of a car club.”
I think that’s good advice, and another reason why belonging to the MBCA is more than just about the cars.
Gary Anderson
A high point of this last editorial cycle was our drive to Forest Grove, Oregon, with Richard Simonds in the 1969 280S that his wife Laura has named Blau Bel. The scenery we enjoyed and the experience my wife Genie and I had in driving this car led us to push some other stories back a bit so we could share the delights of the trip and our impressions of a true classic sedan with other Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. The Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance is also one of those lovely gems that are becoming rarer in this hobby, an event that still has a family and community feeling even though many of the cars on the field could hold their own among international competitors. The trick, it seems, is to continue to focus on your roots and the effort to make an event enjoyable for the attendees rather than aspiring to match some ethereal standard established at shows in Florida or California that have quite different objectives.
I had a similar feeling attending June Jamboree in Montvale, New Jersey, which is among the oldest continuously held classic-car gatherings in the country, but is still hosted by the Northern New Jersey Section with the same spirit of regional camaraderie that has characterized it since the beginning. I’m convinced that there is as much pleasure gained under the shady canopies or on the patio among friends who may not see each other often, except at this event, as there is satisfaction in seeing the cars arrayed on the tiers of the tree-lined parking lots outside the MBUSA headquarters.
Not that there wasn’t anything to see or appreciate in the parking lots. In particular, it was an opportunity for me to renew my acquaintance with a dignified dark-blue station wagon, resplendent with its elegant 300c grille, which I first noticed more than a year ago at the Classic Center in California.
We’re pleased to share that car with you in this issue. Now owned by Bruce Iannelli, who lives just a stone’s throw away from the show, this car must have the most amazing memories wrapped up in its leather trim. As it sat patiently through the day’s judging, we could imagine that it was remembering early mornings on the docks of Palm Beach, afternoons promenading up Park Avenue in New York City, or evenings at the casino in Monte Carlo – all bygone days when it was the custom-built conveyance of a woman whose taste and style matched her wealth.
While in Forest Grove, I was able to catch up with Keith Martin, editor of Sports Car Market magazine, for whom I’ve been writing articles on collectible cars and the classic-car hobby for more than 15 years. Chatting about his recent ownership experiences with two Ponton sedans as we surveyed the cars lined up for the Saturday tour, he passed on one conclusion he’s recently reached.
“Never again am I going to buy a car just because it looks good,” he vowed. “Instead, I’m going to look for a car that has been owned and maintained by an active member of a car club.”
I think that’s good advice, and another reason why belonging to the MBCA is more than just about the cars.