2014 Legends of the Autobahn
The fifth annual gathering of the marques packs the field with German metal
Article Laura Simonds
Images Gary Anderson, Jon Haverstick for Auto-Focused
Cars started lining up for check-in before the 6:30 a.m. start time. That was the first clue of the tremendous enthusiasm and excitement for Legends of the Autobahn 2014 on Friday, August 15. And that excitement continued all day.
Top: Morning mist hovers over beautiful classics.
More than 90 Mercedes-Benz vehicles and countless Mercedes-Benz Club of America members filled the fields with the seven judged-classes cars and an expansive corral. Droves of spectators continually streamed in throughout the day. Car and Driver magazine’s event recap said it best: “… Legends is far more convivial than competitive. Everyone in attendance is there for the love of German metal and that exuberance courses through show-goers and those with cars on display alike.” Carstories.com offered another perspective: “… an interesting event and a great counterpoint to the grand classics and Italians featured virtually everywhere … during Monterey Car Week.”
Continuing to grow in size and popularity, the fifth annual Legends of the Autobahn – co-sponsored by the MBCA, BMW Car Club of America and Audi Club of North America – was outstanding on many counts. More than 300 German vehicles participated in concours judging or were displayed in the corral. This year’s new venue, Nicklaus Club-Monterey, was spectacular with its ample and level greens, the nearby clubhouse, a perfect area for the winners’ circle, close proximity to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, sunny and warm weather, and picturesque surroundings.
This year, Legends became an international event when MBCA members from England and New Zealand shipped their cars to participate.
All three German car clubs celebrated a unified theme, “Motorsport,” which gave the MBCA an opportunity to showcase Mercedes-Benz’s 2014 celebration of “120 Years of Motorsport.” A separate class for performance and motorsport vehicles brought out a great variety of incredible cars, such as a 1955 190SLR, 2010 SLK300, a 1978 450SLC rally car, and numerous SECs, 190Es and AMGs.
For the first time, there was a professional event emcee – Keith Martin, publisher of Sports Car Market – who kept the crowd engaged with lively and informative commentaries and interviews.
Generous sponsorship from Mercedes-Benz USA, Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, Marlow Mercedes-Werks, Vintage Euro Parts and the 300SL Museum was greatly appreciated. The manufacturer’s display tent included a 2015 S63 (provided by MBUSA) that attracted a crowd, and a beautifully re-created 1955 190SLR, fresh from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and owned by Bruce Iannelli.
The Best of Marque Mercedes went to Ianelli’s 190SLR and a Mercedes-Benz vehicle drove away with the People’s Choice award – John Hill’s 1955 190SL. Congratulations to all the class winners, listed at www.mbca.org.
MBCA President Terry Kiwala congratulates SFBA Section member Andy Chan for his second-in-class award.