Pride: Wings & Wheels
Images: Royce Rumsey
Captions Stephan McKeown
The Lyon Air Museum in California’s Orange County – founded by successful housing magnate and retired Air Force Major General William Lyon – displays significant World War II aircraft and related military vehicles and memorabilia. From its opening in 2009, the museum has also showcased many examples from Lyon’s renowned collection of classic automobiles, artfully arranged among the beautifully restored aircraft. The museum’s most recent exhibition, titled “Mercedes Elegance,” opened to the public on July 1 and features some of the most famous and Best-of-Show-winning Mercedes-Benz automobiles from the collection. Master photographer Royce Rumsey takes us on a tour.
Parked next to an American Airlines Flagship DC-3 – which first flew in 1935 and popularized air travel in the United States – is the famous 1937 540K Special Roadster, “Willa Dean,” named for General William Lyon’s wife. This car is one of only six LHD examples of the rare 540K long-tail version known to exist. Behind the civilian airliner is the equally famous military version of the DC-3, the C-47 Skytrain – an aircraft known as the “Dakota” to the British – in military olive drab with white invasion stripes, indicating participation in the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944.
Parked beneath a gleaming B-25 Mitchell medium bomber is the only two-door 1939 770K Cabriolet B ever made. This ultimate-performance and luxury model employed the finest of materials and construction and was powered by a 7.7-liter, 230-horsepower engine. A superlative statement of automotive luxury, this 770K was custom built for the Prince of Iran.
Nearby, two drop-top Adenauer models are parked under the twin tail of the B-25. The impressive pair includes a black-over-red interior 1961 300d Cabriolet D – one of only 65 cabriolets built from 1957-1962 – which has won numerous Best of Show honors,
and an elegant camel colored 1962 300d Cabriolet D with optional power steering, power brakes and air-conditioning, all considered luxurious upgrades for the era.
No exhibition of Mercedes-Benz cars would be complete without a Gullwing, and this red 1955 300SL more than meets the highest expectations. Parked near the 300SL under the wing of a famous B-17 Flying Fortress is this exquisite early-edition 1953 W188 300S Cabriolet, one of only 203 300S Cabriolets produced.
This more powerful variant of the W186 was capable of providing luxury touring at up to 110 mph.
Rear aspect of the Prince of Iran’s unique 1939 770K Cabriolet B framed by the tail of the B-17 in the background.
Another Best of Show winner on display at the museum is this imposing black 1941 Mannerheim Grosser Mercedes 770K. This rare, custom-built behemoth tips the scale at more than 10,000 pounds due to armor plating, bulletproof glass and other unique appointments designed for heads of state. The National Socialist government used special-order automobiles such as this 770K as ceremonial and parade vehicles from the mid-1930s up to 1945; very few of these gigantic vehicles still exist today.