A Mercedes 190SL during Saturday's event
It was supposed to be a Datsun weekend. The plan was to drive the 240Z to Saratoga Springs early Saturday for the Hemmings Import & Exotic show. But a host of mechanical problems including a sticking throttle and wandering steering kept me working on the Datsun through Friday. The final test drive on Friday was revealing; there was still a significant amount of exhaust fumes coming in the cabin, with the windows down. The thought of driving 3+ hours (each way) with fumes coming in the car was not enticing. I might be able to make it there with the windows up (no fumes) and the blower fan, but certainly not on the drive home at 2 pm, with temperatures in the 80s.
The decision was easy then, rather than 6 hours in the Datsun, I would take the SLK to a local Mercedes show in Northeastern CT, which was only a 1 hour drive each direction. Because it was already past the deadline to enter the Concours as a judged vehicle, I was told I could enter "display class" which allows you to show your car on the same field, without judging and pay only $20, instead of the $85 for the judged competition. The SLK needed no preparation other than vacuuming and a quick wash and detail.
I set out on Saturday morning with the top down, but it only took a few miles on Route 90, which was busy with summer traffic, including large trucks, to realize that the top needed to go up. I pulled off into Charlton Rest area, pushed a button and 22 seconds later I was driving an air conditioned coupe. Once getting off Rt 90 to 395 South, the traffic lightened and the drive was a bit more relaxing. After exiting the freeway for good, I dropped the top again and drove the final 9 miles on quiet country roads in a rural part of Eastern CT.
I'd only seen coverage of prestigious Concours events on TV or in magazines... Pebble beach, Amelia Island. To show a car at those events you have to be invited, and only the most significant, rare cars enter. Even to be a spectator at those shows will cost you at least $100. All the car shows I'd entered to this point were "people's choice" meaning that there was no real judging and cars won based on votes from the attendees who voted by ballot. At a typical Datsun show I'd seen a lot of modified cars, which run the gamut of typical mild performance upgrades all the way to radical V8 conversions. As of late though, I have seen more original or close to original cars at the shows.
Doing a factory correct restoration is a different endeavor, it requires time, research, learning and of course finding the correct parts (either reproduction or refurbished original). A few years ago there was a tendency to over-restore (i.e. better than new) but that is mostly gone now, as the judges are looking for cars as close to factory original as possible. The best, and most valuable Concours quality cars are trailered to the shows and the hobby becomes more focused on events (i.e. shows) than on driving.
The Mercedes SL dates back to the 1950s, the first real SL being the 300SL gullwing. Less than 2,000 of these cars were produced, and it was followed by a roadster version that had standard doors. When the powerful, racing oriented 300SL was retired, what followed was a much less powerful 190SL, which shared the body style. With 190SL values already above $100k, restorers turned their attention to the 230, 250 and 280SL models, which used a fuel injected inline 6-cylinder engine. The 280SL is really more of a touring car than a sports car. It does have very clean lines and these models
A 280SL with "Pagoda" style hardtop
are now also crossing the 100k mark. I was told by one of the restorers, that the cost to restore an early 70s SL was over $100k.
The 380SL and newer 560SL are also crossing into collectability now. These cars were very expensive when new, and they are even more expensive now, for a good low mileage example or high quality restoration.
A restored engine bay on a 380SL V8 model.
Mercedes supports its hobbyists very well, and most factory parts for these old cars are still available- don't ask about the cost! When you see the cars in person you realize the amount of time and effort needed to achieve these results.
So, the event was not "snooty" at all, despite what seemed like an army of white-shirted judges who descended on the cars like a swarm of bees, each with a clipboard taking notes of the interior, paint, trim and engine compartment. The scoring was done at the show, but the awards were not until the evening and I was long gone by then.
For the drive home, I checked the "avoid highways" on google maps, which increased the drive time from 60 min. to 80 min. but I was treated to some nice rural backroads in CT and MA rather than the monotonous view from the interstates. On most of the back roads, the speed was 40-60 mph, but that made for a nice leisurely cruise home with the top down.
