Recently, the seventh edition of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally was held in Mumbai
While the bulk of the Indians do not possess the wealth to acquire automobiles with substantial price-tags, there’s a minority group with aristocratic and affluent background who possess several high-end cars in their garages. Most of these rides are the classic vintage ones which were once procured by their forefathers. Today, these automobiles are occasionally driven by them and largely remains hidden as they are invaluable. However, some owners with vintage Mercedes-Benz cars appear on the avenues of India once in a year at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR). Since 2014, the rally has been organized by Autocar India and it is one of its kind in the country.
A few weeks ago, the rally was held in Mumbai as several iconic Mercedes-Benz cars lined up in a convoy and drove from Taj Lands End to Worli Dairy via the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. In this feature, let’s have a read about some distinguished old wheels that appeared in the rally.
Mercedes-Benz Nurburg
The Nurburg was the first eight-cylinder offering from Mercedes-Benz that was introduced in 1928. Under the hood, the Nurburg was armed with a 4,622cc engine that could churn out a peak power of 79hp at 3,400rpm. However, the car received several updates in the subsequent years. The one that popped up in the rally is owned by Viveck Goenka, who found it in a mine in Jharkhand and restored it completely.
Mercedes S-Class
Though not a vintage, the S-Class has always been a classic from the German automaker. Different iterations of the S-Class such as the S 350 d, S 450, the Maestro Edition and several others turned up in the rally.
Mercedes E-Class
Analogous to the S-Class, several designs from the E-Class joined the convoy of the splendid rally. Some famous models that can be mentioned here are the Expression E 220, Exclusive E 220d and the AMG E63 S.
Mercedes-Benz Pagoda
Originally named as the W113, the car was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 and immediately earned the name tag of Pagoda. In that generation, the Pagoda was the first coupé car with a removable hardtop and soft top.
“It’s a pleasure to see so many ‘car-proud’ participants, men and women who are proud of the heritage and innovation of Mercedes-Benz cars and have taken great pains to keep their cars immaculately maintained,” said Santosh Iyer, vice-president, sales & marketing, Mercedes-Benz India to Autocar Pro.
