When Patti and I purchased our first Mercedes-Benz, nearly 25 years ago, our dealer salesman told us that we should consider joining the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. We were in our early 40’s at the time and replied, “Not that we want to be mean or disrespectful in any way but frankly didn’t feel that this would be a club that we would really have any interest in joining."
We pictured a group of old, snooty folks, who would have no real connection with us. Of course we could not have been any further from the truth with that assumption. To this day, truly some of our dearest friends are members of this club. Our fellow members are actually some of the most down-to-earth, interesting, and fun-loving people that we know.
A car guy finds his favorite brand
I have always had an interest in cars. At a very early age I could call out the make, model, and probably the year of any particular car that would drive by. My Dad was very handy and also very conservative. In the 60’s he would generally order Chevrolet Bel Air station wagons and I would say, “Come on Dad, get the Impala. The Impala has three taillights on both sides, versus two and you get a little more chrome, along with power windows and power door locks, all for only $250 more.” My Dad would say, “Son, I don’t need all of that. These cars are just going to have more things to go wrong.”
When I was in high school, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I loved the Camaros, Mustangs, and Corvettes. But, unlike my buddies, I also lusted over the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. To me, that was one beautiful, magnificent automobile!
I loved my Dad, he taught me a lot, and we unfortunately lost him over 35 years ago. He always talked about someday getting an older gray-market Mercedes-Benz and would absolutely love seeing the many Mercedes automobiles that I have owned over the past 25 years. Dad eventually bought in on my wish for him to purchase the Impala, but I inherited his connection with station wagons. I have absolutely loved the three E Class wagons that we have owned.
Choosing a 190SL
About 20 years ago I had the opportunity to purchase a beautiful 1957 190SL. No, it wasn’t a 300SL Gullwing, but it was certainly more affordable and had some distinctly similar styling. The 190SL, sometimes known as “Baby Merc” or the “Little Brother” to the 300SL, is a two-door, front-engine, rear-wheel drive roadster. This was the first unit-frame and body Mercedes-Benz, using a steel chassis with aluminum hood, trunk lid, doors, and dash, sharing the same wheelbase as the 300SL.
I purchased the car through a friend who had just bought it at an auction. It turned out that the previous owner was a doctor in Kansas City and he had performed a multi-year, frame-off restoration on the car. It was certainly a nice example, but as one often encounters when owning a classic/historic vehicle, there are always improvements and maintenance items to take care of. I enjoy the whole process of purchase negotiations, further mechanical and cosmetic enhancements, and then the eventual sale to the next owner. But this is one car that I have no plans to sell.
Our car was built in Stuttgart, Germany on December 9, 1957. The paint color is Feuer Rot (Fire Red) which fits the car perfectly, as it has an orangish-red appearance. The interior is crème in MB-Tex and the convertible top is a light tan.
As I got to know this SL, I found the car to be a solid 90% in all respects. And that is a significant compliment from me. But there was one aggravating problem. Once the car was shifted into fourth gear, a vibration in the shifter would occur and it would pop out of gear and go into neutral. Upon discussing the problem with Joe Alexander, a good friend and very long-time MBCA member and 190SL, 300SL, and Pagoda expert, he agreed to do whatever it took to repair the issue.
Past St. Louis Gateway Section President John Dorsey, who had owned and maintained many older Mercedes vehicles, offered to assist me with the job of removing the transmission and bell housing from the car. The transmission was shipped to Joe who disassembled it and discovered that it had been fully rebuilt during the car’s restoration, but two keys in the re-assembly process had not been installed properly. Joe reassembled the transmission appropriately, actually painted the housing in the appropriate greenish color, constructed a custom wooden shipping box, and then shipped it back to me. Joe’s final bill for his efforts in direction on the removal and re-install in the car was beyond fair and reasonable. This all occurred over twelve years ago and Joe and I continue to remain very good friends. He is a perfect example of the wonderful connections that MBCA members regularly make with one another.
Our 190SL has received awards at numerous Concours and car events throughout the country, including the St. Louis European Auto Show, the Ault Park Concours in Cincinnati, Art of the Car Concours in Kansas City, MBCA’s StarTech and Mercedes Freude National Events.
After numerous stints as the St. Louis Gateway Section President, seven years on the National Board as the Central Regional Director, National Awards Chair, National Events Chair, and participant in numerous other committees, it is once again great to be closely involved with our local Section. Camaraderie abounds among our members, which Patti and I continue to enjoy immensely.
