Mercedes-Benz at Monterey
THE STATE OF THE ART IN RESTORATION
Article Gary Anderson & Richard Simonds
Images Gary Anderson
At the Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum, Michael Bock, head of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and Museum, was one of a panel of distinguished experts exploring contemporary restoration standards and practices.
One of the new events during Monterey Classic Car Week this year was the three-day Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum presented by Credit Suisse. A highlight of the forum was the session “Stewardship of Significant Cars” with stellar panelists, all trendsetters in the field, commenting on changing attitudes toward the preservation and restoration of classic cars.
Panelists included Michael Bock, head of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart; Steve Babinsky, owner of Automotive Restorations Inc. in New Jersey and avid collector of unrestored automobiles; Richard Gorman of Vantage Motorworks in Florida with 40 years in the classic-car field; Adolfo Orsi Jr., an Italian-motorsport historian, restorer of many significant Italian automobiles and well-known concours judge; Dr. Fred Simeone, neurosurgeon and executive director of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia; and moderators Leigh and Leslie Keno – twin brothers, authors and TV personalities – as well as antique-furniture specialists and vintage-automobile collectors.
The Kenos drew a comparison between antique furniture and classic cars. For collectors of antique furniture, monetary value and collector interest drops significantly if the piece is restored rather than preserved. Similarly, classic-car collectors are beginning to recognize that at least some classic cars should be carefully preserved in the condition in which they are found – as opposed to a ground-up restoration to what a collector and concours judges believe represents the car’s condition when the first owner took possession.
Babinsky underlined the welcome trend toward valuing originality, noting the addition of a preservation class at Pebble Beach and other major car shows, as well as a dramatic rise in prices recently paid at auction for unrestored cars.
However, Simeone argued that cars are not pieces of furniture: A car’s function can only be realized and appreciated if driven, he said – strict preservation of a car in as-found condition could mean that it wouldn’t be drivable.
Bock agreed, noting the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center strives to present cars as originally built, restored as nearly as possible to original specification: Every example represents a compromise between preservation and restoration and must function as a car, one reason why automobiles in the Mercedes-Benz Museum are often seen in motion at classic-car events.
As a Pebble Beach judge, Orsi said he was pleased to see that two trends of deep concern to him – extreme restorations and protecting restored cars – seem to have reversed in recent years. Judges are deducting points for overzealous refinishing of parts, for example, to discourage engine compartments that gleam with shiny chrome and nickel and show little evidence of actually being functional. Orsi emphasized the welcome addition of the Tour d’Elegance at Pebble Beach. Though he couldn’t remember an instance where participation had been the determining factor in a class win – at the Pebble Beach Concours, if two vehicles tie in class competition, and only one successfully completed the tour, it gets the trophy – more entrants are participating each year. This year the Pebble Beach Tour had to offer two separate routes – one appropriate to earlier-technology models and one to challenge later-model cars – to accommodate the number of exhibitors.
Talking about compromises that must be made in restorations, Babinsky said restorers must be conscious of a classic car’s provenance. Not only does the car provide information on original design and construction methods, it also is a physical record of the part the car played in the lives of its owners. Respect must be paid to the stories that are recorded in the layers of paint, and the scratches and wear to the interior and exterior.
Bock noted that while there are few cars remaining in an original but potentially functional state, the Mercedes Classic Center always approaches a new project with a concern for the knowledge inherent in the car itself, which potentially offers additional understanding of how cars were originally built and how they were intended to operate. The company sees itself as a steward of the cars for future generations.
Mercedes craftsmen first work to document the condition of the car as found, comparing that to what they already know about the original specifications of that model, identify anomalies in design and production, and fill in gaps in existing knowledge. In the restoration planning, the goal is to preserve as much of the car’s originality as possible so that when people look at the car in the future, they will see how it was originally built, not how someone thought it might have been built.
As a case study, Bock talked about the approach used for the 1937 540K Special Streamliner that the Classic Center brought to Pebble Beach this year. The car was built as a challenger for a high-speed, long-distance race, he said, so the missing streamlined aluminum body – likely recycled soon after World War II – was a part of its personality, its “soul.” On the other hand, the 540K chassis for the car, complete with the alternate differential for high-speed use, was found in very good original condition.
As a result, the Classic Center defined a hybrid-restoration plan. They preserved as much of the original condition of the chassis as found – no repainting or refinishing of parts that might compromise further research into the original methods used to construct the chassis. Parts would be reconditioned or replaced only as absolutely necessary to return the chassis to a drivable condition, though the goal was the car should be capable of the performance for which it was originally designed.
By contrast, with the good fortune of finding most of the car’s original plans and documentation, a complete new body and interior were constructed to the appearance the car presented the day it rolled out of the Special Vehicle facility at Sindelfingen. The results (see pages 30-37) speak for themselves. Outwardly, the car looks brand new with its impeccable finish, comfortable leather seats and attractive interior trim. However, underneath are the original springs and bolts, still tarnished and unfinished, proof of the preservation of the original chassis. As a result, the resurrected car exceeded the original performance goals set in 1937 and its debut at the August 14 Tour d’Elegance was flawless. Enthusiasts can see the 540K as it looked when originally built, but at the same time researchers can still learn how the original chassis was constructed.
Concluding the forum, the participants agreed that there are no hard-and-fast rules to appropriate stewardship of significant cars. Rather, each example should be respected for what it will offer to educate future generations about earlier models and how they looked when new – and at the same time, by protecting its history after production provide insights into the roles that the car played in the lives of its owners.
TOP: Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and Managing Director of the Mercedes-Benz Museum makes a point during the panel discussion. BOTTOM: Distinguished participants included (from left) Adolfo Orsi Jr., Michael Bock, Steve Babinsky, Leigh Keno, Leslie Keno, Dr. Fred Simeone, and Richard Gorman.
THE STATE OF THE ART IN RESTORATION
Article Gary Anderson & Richard Simonds
Images Gary Anderson
At the Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum, Michael Bock, head of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and Museum, was one of a panel of distinguished experts exploring contemporary restoration standards and practices.
One of the new events during Monterey Classic Car Week this year was the three-day Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum presented by Credit Suisse. A highlight of the forum was the session “Stewardship of Significant Cars” with stellar panelists, all trendsetters in the field, commenting on changing attitudes toward the preservation and restoration of classic cars.
Panelists included Michael Bock, head of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart; Steve Babinsky, owner of Automotive Restorations Inc. in New Jersey and avid collector of unrestored automobiles; Richard Gorman of Vantage Motorworks in Florida with 40 years in the classic-car field; Adolfo Orsi Jr., an Italian-motorsport historian, restorer of many significant Italian automobiles and well-known concours judge; Dr. Fred Simeone, neurosurgeon and executive director of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia; and moderators Leigh and Leslie Keno – twin brothers, authors and TV personalities – as well as antique-furniture specialists and vintage-automobile collectors.
The Kenos drew a comparison between antique furniture and classic cars. For collectors of antique furniture, monetary value and collector interest drops significantly if the piece is restored rather than preserved. Similarly, classic-car collectors are beginning to recognize that at least some classic cars should be carefully preserved in the condition in which they are found – as opposed to a ground-up restoration to what a collector and concours judges believe represents the car’s condition when the first owner took possession.
Babinsky underlined the welcome trend toward valuing originality, noting the addition of a preservation class at Pebble Beach and other major car shows, as well as a dramatic rise in prices recently paid at auction for unrestored cars.
However, Simeone argued that cars are not pieces of furniture: A car’s function can only be realized and appreciated if driven, he said – strict preservation of a car in as-found condition could mean that it wouldn’t be drivable.
Bock agreed, noting the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center strives to present cars as originally built, restored as nearly as possible to original specification: Every example represents a compromise between preservation and restoration and must function as a car, one reason why automobiles in the Mercedes-Benz Museum are often seen in motion at classic-car events.
As a Pebble Beach judge, Orsi said he was pleased to see that two trends of deep concern to him – extreme restorations and protecting restored cars – seem to have reversed in recent years. Judges are deducting points for overzealous refinishing of parts, for example, to discourage engine compartments that gleam with shiny chrome and nickel and show little evidence of actually being functional. Orsi emphasized the welcome addition of the Tour d’Elegance at Pebble Beach. Though he couldn’t remember an instance where participation had been the determining factor in a class win – at the Pebble Beach Concours, if two vehicles tie in class competition, and only one successfully completed the tour, it gets the trophy – more entrants are participating each year. This year the Pebble Beach Tour had to offer two separate routes – one appropriate to earlier-technology models and one to challenge later-model cars – to accommodate the number of exhibitors.
Talking about compromises that must be made in restorations, Babinsky said restorers must be conscious of a classic car’s provenance. Not only does the car provide information on original design and construction methods, it also is a physical record of the part the car played in the lives of its owners. Respect must be paid to the stories that are recorded in the layers of paint, and the scratches and wear to the interior and exterior.
Bock noted that while there are few cars remaining in an original but potentially functional state, the Mercedes Classic Center always approaches a new project with a concern for the knowledge inherent in the car itself, which potentially offers additional understanding of how cars were originally built and how they were intended to operate. The company sees itself as a steward of the cars for future generations.
Mercedes craftsmen first work to document the condition of the car as found, comparing that to what they already know about the original specifications of that model, identify anomalies in design and production, and fill in gaps in existing knowledge. In the restoration planning, the goal is to preserve as much of the car’s originality as possible so that when people look at the car in the future, they will see how it was originally built, not how someone thought it might have been built.
As a case study, Bock talked about the approach used for the 1937 540K Special Streamliner that the Classic Center brought to Pebble Beach this year. The car was built as a challenger for a high-speed, long-distance race, he said, so the missing streamlined aluminum body – likely recycled soon after World War II – was a part of its personality, its “soul.” On the other hand, the 540K chassis for the car, complete with the alternate differential for high-speed use, was found in very good original condition.
As a result, the Classic Center defined a hybrid-restoration plan. They preserved as much of the original condition of the chassis as found – no repainting or refinishing of parts that might compromise further research into the original methods used to construct the chassis. Parts would be reconditioned or replaced only as absolutely necessary to return the chassis to a drivable condition, though the goal was the car should be capable of the performance for which it was originally designed.
By contrast, with the good fortune of finding most of the car’s original plans and documentation, a complete new body and interior were constructed to the appearance the car presented the day it rolled out of the Special Vehicle facility at Sindelfingen. The results (see pages 30-37) speak for themselves. Outwardly, the car looks brand new with its impeccable finish, comfortable leather seats and attractive interior trim. However, underneath are the original springs and bolts, still tarnished and unfinished, proof of the preservation of the original chassis. As a result, the resurrected car exceeded the original performance goals set in 1937 and its debut at the August 14 Tour d’Elegance was flawless. Enthusiasts can see the 540K as it looked when originally built, but at the same time researchers can still learn how the original chassis was constructed.
Concluding the forum, the participants agreed that there are no hard-and-fast rules to appropriate stewardship of significant cars. Rather, each example should be respected for what it will offer to educate future generations about earlier models and how they looked when new – and at the same time, by protecting its history after production provide insights into the roles that the car played in the lives of its owners.
TOP: Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic Center and Managing Director of the Mercedes-Benz Museum makes a point during the panel discussion. BOTTOM: Distinguished participants included (from left) Adolfo Orsi Jr., Michael Bock, Steve Babinsky, Leigh Keno, Leslie Keno, Dr. Fred Simeone, and Richard Gorman.
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