The official Mercedes-Benz Club Founded 1952

Gazette
August 2016
The official Mercedes-Benz Club
Founded 1952
In this month’s issue
Archive on-line
E220 CDI
M180 engine update
Contents
Board of Directors
Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Ian Keers OBE
Vice Chair, Membership Services and Events
Director Rosemarie Maslin
Finance and Internet Services Director Kenny Ooi
Company Secretary Phil Greaves
Marketing Director and liaison with
Mercedes-Benz UK Michael Chapman
Technical Director Jeremy Stevens
Regional Development Director Trevor Mitchell
Club Services Director Tony De Frates
Correspondence for Club Directors should be sent
to: The Mercedes-Benz Club, PO Box 284,
Stamford PE9 9BY
Honorary President John Surtees CBE
Honorary Life Vice-Presidents
Tina Bellamy, Erika Gupwell, Jacqueline White,
Roger King, Vic Harris, Chris Cloke and Nicky Porter
9
Founder R H Johnson
4
ClubPubMeetings
Past Presidents G C Monkhouse (1952-1971),
Interregnum, Roger King (1989-1992),
Tina Bellamy (1992-1995), Interregnum
4
DiaryDates
Past Chairmen C W E Kerr (1955-1963),
A J Ray Whiteway (1963-1970), John Barley (19701975), Gerald Coward (1975-1982),
Dr Herbert Ochs (1982), Roger King (1982-1989),
Jacqueline White (1989-1996), Mike Powell
(1996-2003)
6
ForthcomingEvents
7
InvitationReceived
News&Views
Mercedes-Benz Silver Star Winners
Ron Cushway (deceased), Tina Bellamy,
Roger King, Gordon Hoey (deceased),
Jacqueline White, Maurice Stapleton (deceased),
Vic Harris, Mike Powell (deceased) and Steve Emeny.
9
15 YourLetters
This is a rarely made award from the Mercedes-Benz Museum
in Stuttgart to club officers who have made a particularly long
and distinguished contribution to their club.
Help for Heroes
is the Mercedes-Benz Club’s
adopted charity
The ‘Good Garage Guide’ and contact details for all Club
Officials can be found in the Club Directory distributed
with the June Gazette. The password for access to the
Members’ pages of the Club website is no longer required
as this is now controlled by membership number.
Advice and recommendations in the Gazette are
given in good faith by the authors concerned, but neither
they nor the Mercedes-Benz Club Ltd will accept
responsibility for any direct or consequential loss or
damage resulting from persons acting on such advice
or recommendations.
Reproduction of any part or whole of this
magazine is prohibited, unless written permission has
been obtained from the Editor.
Gazette copy dates
October August 19
November September 16
Published by the Mercedes-Benz Club Ltd
Editorial Office: Chris Bass
94 Connaught Road, Brookwood,
Woking, Surrey GU24 OHJ.
Tel: 01483 481836.
E-mail: chris.bass@mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
Advertising, Design and Production:
Hine Marketing, Hill Farm Studios,
Wainlodes Lane, Bishops Norton
Gloucestershire. GL2 9LN
Tel: 01452 730770
E-mail: ads@hinemarketing.co.uk
Gazette distribution queries:
Rosemarie Maslin,
PO Box 284, Stamford PE9 9BY
Tel: 01780 460922
E-mail: rosemarie.maslin@mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
32
22 ViewPoint
24 ClubShop
35
Features
25 Archive on-line
29 E220 CDI SE
32 Car of the month
33 BTCC
35 Essen 2016
41 Essen from the inside
45 F1 news
TechnicalCorner
46 An economical approach
51 Spares register
41
53 RegionalReports
81 Back numbers
81 Special notices
80 NewMembers
85 CarsforSale
Membership benefits
■ First ever Mercedes-Benz Club –
founded 1952
■ Only UK club recognised by
Mercedes-Benz
■ Monthly Gazette
■ Technical support
■ Free access to the Mercedes-Benz
Electronic Parts Catalogue and
Workshop Information Service
■ Discounted insurance
■ Club shop
■ Local, national and international events
■ Discounts from many MB dealers
■ Members’ website forum
■ Free subscription to Mercedes-Benz
Classic magazine
■ Discounts from parts suppliers
■ Discounts from hotels and ferry
operators
■ Unique archive of photos, brochures and technical literature
For membership and general enquiries telephone 01780 482111,
0345 6032660 or see www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 3
News&Views
Grille badges
Best wishes to Trevor
Stalwart Director Trevor Mitchell has been
carrying on with all his Club duties, not least
master-minding the stand at the Classic Motor
Show, despite undergoing a couple of spells
in hospital recently. He’s due for a little more
treatment and I’m sure all Members will want to
join in wishing Trevor a swift and full return to
good health.
Chris Bass
Trevor Mitchell at the Classic
Motor Show in 2014.
What a wonderful experience for a
lucky Member
One lucky Member visiting the
Club stand at the Classic Motor
Show at the NEC, Birmingham in
November will win a free AMG
experience. This is a true driving
experience with expert guidance
from a high-performance driving
instructor in the passenger seat.
This experience lets you sample
a selection of AMG cars on a
A chance to drive an AMG car at
number of different surfaces at
Mercedes-Benz World.
Mercedes-Benz World.
To win this special prize all you have to do is visit the stand and enter your name in the
draw. This wonderful offer has been donated by Mercedes-Benz South West who have for
many years supplied me with all my test cars. Good luck to the winner.
James Lloyd
Brands Hatch in the 1960s
David Evans of Classic & Sports Car magazine, a good
supporter of our Club, sent the Gazette this photo of the
W165 ‘Tripoli’ Grand Prix car. As David says, it has
‘a Perspex engine cover and looks a bit battered’. The
photo was taken at a Normand (Mercedes-Benz dealer)
customer day at Brands Hatch in the 1960s and David
found it in the LAT photo archive.
Chris Bass
These badges can be supplied with
either provision for mounting on a bar
or on a grille.
Grille badges are available from the
Membership Office. They come in
two types – grille or bar fixing and are
approximately three inches (76.2mm)
in diameter plus the base for the bar
version. The grille badges come with
fittings enabling them to be mounted on
most radiator grilles. The bar type require
a clamp to affix the badge to a bar (not
supplied).
The cost is £25 for either type. These
prices include postage and packaging. Please
specify your car model when ordering. To
order your badge please contact Catherine
Barlow on 01780 482111 or e-mail catherine.
barlow@mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
Tony De Frates
A Pagoda SL and 1930s
‘Silver Arrow’ at Brands.
Honorary membership for Lt Cdr Cavendish
On June 23 Club Chairman Ian Keers presented
former Member Lt Cdr Cavendish with
honorary life membership. Greville Cavendish
is probably the earliest surviving Member,
having joined a few months after the Club was
founded in 1952. He was prominent at Club
events then and into the 1960s with his 540K
fitted with a Perkins diesel engine.
The presentation was made at the Club
Archive and when Mercedes-Benz UK
Greville Cavendish (right) with Ian Keers.
Marketing Director Rob Halloway heard about
it he very generously provided a chauffeurdriven S-Class to bring Lt Cdr Cavendish from his Somerset home and treated all involved to
lunch at Mercedes-Benz World.
As well as his 540K, Mr Cavendish also had a 500K. After a distinguished career in the Royal
Navy he worked in sonar research and in the 1960s was the saviour of the Marcos car company –
providing it with the premises and investment needed to produce its most successful model.
We hope to have a fuller story on Lt Cdr Cavendish in a future Gazette.
Chris Bass
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 9
News&Views
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The 540K streamliner re-creation
on the hill at Goodwood.
The main Mercedes-Benz display centred on AMG.
1906 Mercedes120hp.
Ex-Brooklands Blitzen Benz.
W25 streamliner.
W123 280E London-Sydney winner.
Group C Sauber-Mercedes.
1993 racing truck.
BTCC A-Class.
Vauxhall 30-98 in the concours display. 1897 Daimler 4hp eight-seater.
Despite the centre-piece of this year’s
Festival of Speed being BMW’s centenary,
Mercedes-Benz was still very prominent at
Goodwood, with a wide range of cars brought
from the museum as well as the current
Formula One team and a Brawn-Mercedes
GP car. Both Hamilton and Rosberg were
driving, but as cars go one at a time at the
festival there was no risk of a collision.
The marque’s presence in the ‘motor
show’ part of the event was perhaps a
little smaller than in recent years, and it
was heavily branded AMG – although the
centre-piece of the display was a W198
300SL roadster.
In addition to the museum historic
cars there were two Blitzen Benzes. One,
belonging now to George Wingard, had
earlier had a long career racing at Brooklands
before crashing at Crystal Palace. There was
a privately entered 1903 60hp Mercedes
and the museum had brought a 1906 120hp
example. From the 1930s the museum
displayed a 1936 W25 streamliner with its
all-enclosing bodywork and a 1937 W125
streamliner with its bodywork removed.
Maintaining the aerodynamic theme was the
recently re-created 540K streamliner.
From later eras there was the 1957
300SLS in which Paul O’Shea won the
American Sports Car Championship, the
1977 W123 280E which won the London-
10 • AUGUST 2016 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
A-Class in ‘super car’ car park!
It was an AMG version.
Sydney Rally, a 1989 Sauber-Mercedes
C9 sports-racer, a 1994 DTM C-Class and
a 1993 racing truck. The current BTCC
A-Class was there and also attracting a lot
of attention a couple of SLS AMG GT3s in
the ‘Modern GT Racers’ section.
The 40th anniversary of James Hunt’s
F1 championship was celebrated, with many
of the cars he drove present. The entry list
included the Austin A35 van he used when
commentating for TV after his retirement
from racing, but it was not to be seen on the
Friday when I was at Goodwood. There was
no mention of his 450SEL 6.9 which stood
forlornly on bricks in his front garden at
this time.
The opinions expressed are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect Club policy. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters if necessary.
They should be sent to the editorial office at 94 Connaught Road, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0HJ or chris.bass@mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
Letter of the Month
Dealer
recommendations
As a thank you (and as an incentive for even greater
efforts) we like to choose a letter of the month.
Meguiar’s have kindly agreed to sponsor this and the
Member whose letter is selected receives a Wash &
Wax car care kit.
Thank you
Dear Jeremy [Stevens – Club Technical Director],
It was an absolute pleasure seeing you at the Brooklands SLK Day 2016! Thank you ever
so much for your presentation on corrosion on the R170 – the photos were very clear,
your instructions easy to follow and your solutions straightforward! I’m looking forward
to getting stuck into restoring(?) or giving a little bit of TLC to my SLK.
And thank you for showing me all the things to look out for on my face-lift model,
and pointing out things I need to do to ensure it keeps on running in one piece. I really
am grateful! I could’ve paid an expert ££££s for the knowledge you have and you’ve
willingly shared it – this is an approach I’m very touched by and feel grateful to be in the
company of a like-minded individual in helping others.
I’m off now to start reading one of the many articles you have written, and start
putting my shopping list together...
Kizzie Nicholson, via e-mail
YourLetters
Dear Catherine [Barlow – Membership
Secretary],
I’ve just had very good service from
Mercedes-Benz of Cheltenham and
Gloucester (Ashville Business Park,
Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester GL2
9QJ, telephone 01452 854700) whilst
buying a new battery for my SL. They were
happy to give me a 10 per cent discount as a
Club Member.
They had a copy of the June Gazette in
their magazine rack in the waiting area so
they or someone working there may be a
Member?
They said they would be happy for their
outlet to be added to the list of dealers in the
Club Directory – offering this 10 per cent
discount.
Regards,
Kim David, via e-mail
Editor’s note: Several copies of the Gazette
are sent to all appointed dealers every month
– but they don’t always seem to find their way
to the customer areas, and if they do perhaps
they don’t stay there long.
Dear Chris,
Please would you add Mercedes-Benz of
Tamworth to the ‘General servicing and
repairs’ section of the Club Directory ‘Good
Garage Guide’. Over recent weeks, in
conjunction with Chris Harris of their sales
team, they have provided excellent customer
support whilst sorting out warranty work on
my A220 AMG Sport. Their contact details
are Mile Oak, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78
3PQ, www.mercedes-benztamworth.co.uk
telephone 01827 284284.
Kizzie Nicholson and Jeremy Stevens.
Kind regards,
Keith J Williams, via e-mail
306D
Dear Chris,
I have a restored 42-year-old 306D drop-side truck. After
spending many years on it I’m now trying to put it back
on the road. I bought it new in May 1974. I would be
most grateful if you could find some information from
any Club Members who may have contacts for finding
parts for this vehicle in the UK or Germany.
I have been a Club Member for more than 20 years,
would I be allowed to show this vehicle at Club events?
Yours faithfully,
Frank Steele, via e-mail
Editor’s note: Please contact me if you can help Frank
find parts. Regarding showing the truck at Club events,
Club Chairman Ian Keers says: “The Club is really about
cars, but I don’t see why we shouldn’t make an exception
for this interesting small truck.”
Frank Steele’s 306D.
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 15
Jackie Saville receiving a bouquet from then Chairman Mike Powell at the Club’s 50th
Anniversary Gala Dinner in 2002. I believe this was for being the most senior Member present.
ViewPoint
by Ian Keers
RNLI lifeboat Jacqueline Saville
In 1964, Miss Jacqueline (Jackie) Saville
purchased a new 190c Fintail finished
in black with a red interior. She joined
the Club at the same time and remained a
Member for the rest of her life; she died in
2009 and hand-written membership ledgers
in the Club Archive also show she owned
a Ponton at the time. I remember her well,
she lived in Cambridge and used to attend
events in the eastern side of the country and
was a regular attender at AGMs, I think she
liked to make sure the Club was being run
properly. In her working life I believe she
was PA to the Master of one of Cambridge’s
Colleges. I recall she once spectacularly
arrived at the Uxbridge Show in 2002 with
her car’s horn sounding continuously due
to a fault behind the steering wheel, which
John Haynes gallantly repaired for her there
and then! The last time I saw her was at the
National Concours held at Burghley House
near Stamford in 2005. Later that year we
selected her Fintail to receive the 40th
Anniversary Cup for the best 40-year-old
car in the Club and invited her to receive the
trophy at the Official’s Christmas Party at the
Class B887 Lifeboat Jacqueline Saville...
...about to be launched...
...and in full cry.
22 • AUGUST 2016 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
Milton Keynes headquarters of MercedesBenz UK. She accepted the invitation but did
not appear on the night and we subsequently
learned that she had suffered a serious stroke
and was incapacitated. I did not hear from
her again.
Out of the blue, in May this year I
received an e-mail from the Royal National
Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) inviting me to
a naming ceremony for a new lifeboat at
its Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire station on
Saturday June 11. The new boat, a class
B887 Atlantic 85 fast inshore rescue craft,
was to be named the Jacqueline Saville
following a substantial legacy left to the
charity by Jackie. In her instructions she
had asked that the Mercedes-Benz Club
be involved in some way; naturally I
accepted immediately. Respecting her love
of classic Mercedes-Benz cars I decided to
take my 450SEL 6.9 rather than a modern
car and headed across the wide expanse of
Lincolnshire to the small seaside resort of
Mablethorpe. The lifeboat station there is
situated right on the promenade and when
I arrived I found chairs set out in front of
a small platform, a band playing and the
new lifeboat on a trailer ready for launch.
The ceremony was attended by quite a
lot of people, including the Mayor of
Mablethorpe, and began with a senior RNLI
man welcoming us all and speaking about
the institution and its benefactors, including
of course Jackie Saville. He also welcomed
me representing the Club. Then, a life-long
friend of Jackie’s, Tom Poole spoke as her
‘donor representative’ and in his speech
he referred to the Club a lot. Apparently
he used to be an Alvis enthusiast and back
in the day Jackie would bring him to our
Club events and he would take her to Alvis
ones! Champagne was then poured onto
the lifeboat and the vicar conducted a short
dedication service. Then the crew emerged
in all their gear, climbed onto the boat which
was towed across the beach and launched
into the surf. It then zoomed up and down
the sea front at great speed to everyone’s
ClubShop
Available from the Club website
All prices include UK post and packing
More detailed clothing descriptions, sizes and colours shown on the Club website shop.
Baseball caps in navy,
black, red, burgundy or
bottle green with silver
Club logo. £13.50
Backpack, black and tan with
silver Club logo. £19.00
Long sleeve Coolplus polo
shirts in various colours.
£30.00
Club fleece with silver logo, in
navy blue, burgundy, black, grey
or green. £34.50
Club sweater, now in
Burgundy plus other colours.
£32.00
Gazette binder – holds 12
issues, complete with year
stickers. £13.00
Rugby shirt, long sleeve with Club
logo, various colours, £34.50
Work-Guard Lite Coverall in
blue or grey with Club logo. £45
Padded body-warmer with
Club logo. £34.50
Buy on the Club website
Visit our Club website shop where all items can be viewed. Orders
can now be made via the site with payment by credit card or
cheque. Log onto the Club website and start shopping the easy way.
Please make cheques payable to Mike Colls.
All orders will be despatched within 14 days, if there is a
problem we will contact you. UK post and packing is now included
in all prices, please ring or e-mail for overseas rates. Goods found
to be faulty through design flaws or postage damage will be
replaced free of charge.
24 • AUGUST 2016 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
Club holdall/sports-bag
in various colours £26.00
Club tie – limited
availability.
£19.00
Contact details
Mike Colls
To order please ring 01934 418364
If we are unable to answer the phone, please leave a message on the
answer-phone and we will call you back.
The e-mail address is sales@mercedes-benz-club-shop.co.uk
Sorry, but due to bank charges,
we have had to introduce a minimum order value of £5.00.
Feature
Archive on-line!
F
by Mike Venables
or the past three years the Club
team of Archive volunteers has been
working towards the creation of a
fully-searchable on-line archive.
to the present day. There are also in excess
of 2,000 documents of various types listed,
some of which are ready to view and be
downloaded.
In the beginning
So this is it
The team had the enthusiastic support of
the Club Board right from the start of this
fascinating project. This essential ingredient
has fostered great motivation in all of us
working on this project, which we have
enjoyed enormously.
Help also came from database
development agency Fourleaf Ltd. Its
director John Aylott was a huge help in
researching and selecting a suitable website
platform. He then created a specification to
meet the Club’s needs. John also guided our
early work.
The first task was to establish just how
much material was held in the Archive. We
counted and listed photographs – recent, old
and very very old and documents – including
early membership lists, sales brochures,
workshop manuals; a huge variety!
We estimated a need for a DAM (Digital
Asset Management) system that would
cope with more than 5,000 photographs and
40,000-plus documents, that’s millions of
pages! It’s also a lot of carrying, opening and
sorting of boxes and mysterious packages
and lots of research to ensure the creation
of appropriate descriptions, key words etc
which should enable successful searches.
Then lots and lots of typing details into a
master spreadsheet.
The address is http://archive.mercedes-benzclub.co.uk Click on ‘Register’ to the left of
your screen. Then fill in the form to register
as a user – this is a once-only job! You can
now log-in. As you do, be sure to enter your
The items included in the Archive ranged
from boxes and boxes of photos to Club
documents and brochures.
membership number along with your e-mail
address and the password you created when
you first registered. Don’t forget to tick the
box for ‘Terms and Conditions’ which you
should read first. Then, it’s official, you are
one of us!
From the home page you might like to
look at ‘Learn more about the Archive’.
Click that icon and read the ‘Introduction
from the Chairman’. This is also where you
can find some useful non-techie ‘Hints and
Tips’. We plan to add to these as time goes
by. Feel free to make suggestions, if we like
them we’ll pop them on.
Launch at last!
With the site now built and some content
uploaded, it’s over to you! We have uploaded
about 300 photographs, ranging from 1886
The Archive site home page.
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 25
Feature
The new E-Class cuts a dash on the open road.
E220 CDI SE
New style
of key..
by Paul Kelly
T
he new E-Class is an important
car for Mercedes-Benz in the
competitive luxury car sector. It
has stiff competition from BMW, Audi
and Jaguar. The styling cues come from its
big brother the superb S-Class and smaller
sibling the C-Class. It reminds me of the
1980s when the W201, W124 and W126
were unmistakably related. It has a big bold
grille with attractive LED lights for daytime running. Quality dare I say has at last
reached the standard of the 1980s cars. The
previous E-Class was a well made car, but
this new model is up a league in my opinion.
The car uses the latest smart keys which
will eventually be introduced throughout the
range. It also allows you to lock and unlock
the car with your smart phone. No key slot.
Keyless go is now standard.
That is not the only ‘app’ available
from Mercedes. A system called Remote
Parking Pilot lets you control the car using a
bespoke app, so you can park the E-Class in
a tight parking bay or garage without risking
banging the doors when you get out. This
will probably be an extra cost option.
Dash showing air vents and information screen. Note speed limit sign which flashes
when the speed shown is exceeded.
There is also Driver
Assist,
which
uses
the
car’s radar cruise control and
automated steering to keep you in
lane at speeds of up to 130mph. It also
enables a lane-change facility, but that is
not permitted for use on British roads at the
moment.
The model tested is the mainstay of
the range. The new two-litre diesel, which
replaces the less refined 2.1 has 181hp, pulls
well and is as quiet as four-cylinder diesel
could be. It only sounds harsh if you rev it
hard, but even then it is not bad by any means.
It has the 9G-tronic automatic transmission.
The steering is well weighted and road
noise is kept at bay. In SE specification
the interior is well appointed. It has leather
trim, which feels better quality than that on
Steering wheel scroll pads.
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 29
Car of the month
Phil Shepherd – in praise of the W220
P
hil writes: ‘It was 1998 when I first
saw the W220 S-Class. The design
was a shock – a pleasant shock. This
was a massive step forward in style from the
angular lines of the W140 that we were used
to. It wasn’t just a tweak, but a revolution
in design. Just look at those body lines – a
piece of sculpture, no less. I marvelled at
its wonderful flowing, aerodynamic styling
and inside how the curvy dashboard blended
into the doors. Mercedes-Benz had produced
nothing like it before.
The last W220 rolled off the production
line 10 years ago. I never stopped admiring
the design, but imagined that the price would
be out of my reach until the cars were close
to being sent for recycling. I was wrong. My
car cost the first owner £58,000 new in 2004
(£80,000 in today’s money). I bought it for
£6,000 in early 2015 with 104,000 miles on the
clock. It has proven to be fantastic value, used
for local trips as well as motorway cruising.
My previous everyday car was a
W211 E-Class. I had set up an alert for a
W220 S-Class on the Autotrader website
and checked every new advert for many
months. I was looking for a particular colour
scheme, a combination that I have long
admired, which was cubanite silver (that’s
mid-way between silver and grey) with light
cream upholstery. I saw the same attractive
combination in a new SL at our local MB
dealer a few years ago and it stuck in my
mind. Then one day up popped an S350 on
the website that looked just right. I resolved
to check one crucial factor on the test drive
– was the steering and handling as light,
responsive and brilliant as my existing
everyday car, the W211 E-Class? Bearing
in mind that the S-Class is heavier than the
E-Class I wasn’t sure how the comparison
would go. In the event it was as pleasant to
drive as the E-Class – on second thoughts
even better because the ride, with its air
suspension, was superb; we glided over
our potholes and wonky drain covers with
ease. The 3.5-litre V6 engine was a distant
muffled sound; it just roared slightly when
you put your foot down.
You may be thinking, “But an S-Class
is technically complicated and that makes
purchase risky”. You are right. It is. I needed
to be cautious. I bought it and agreed with
the seller that he would pay for half of all
costs when our MB dealer carried out a
major service and repairs, and that this
32 • AUGUST 2016 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
would happen before we completed our
transaction. The seller and I agreed that if
the estimate included major expensive or
complex work I could withdraw from the
purchase. The most expensive repair turned
out to be £335 plus VAT for replacement
of lower camber arms and ball-joints. That
work corrected what had been slightly vague
steering at motorway speeds. Perfect!
I’ve had the car for 16 months now. It’s
brilliant. There is not a spot of corrosion on
the bodywork. Inside it’s perfect comfort
and elegance.
A little bit of history… the W220 design
team was led by Steve Mattin, originally
from Bedford. He had studied industrial
design at Coventry University and moved
to Sindelfingen to join Mercedes-Benz in
1987. A few years later he was in charge of
the W220 styling and by 1994 had gained
final design approval. The model was in
production from 1998 to 2005.
So there you have it. A wonderful luxury
MB car styled by a British designer. Today
there are many of them going for a song.
I look forward to meeting S-Class
devotees at the S-Class Fest at Coventry
Transport Museum on August 21.’
BTCC
Adam Morgan at Croft.
Mimi Griffin in Adam Morgan’s race overalls.
BTCC round five – Croft
by Paul Kelly
I spend a lot of time with Mimi over the
race days. She is a pleasure to work with,
a lovely, polite and bubbly girl, always
smiling, whether for the fans or the armada
of press photographers keen to get a shot of
the ‘Wix Chick’.
Mimi got a pair of striking Wix stilettos
for this weekend, with the tallest heels I
have ever seen!
New shoes!
Mimi Griffin – the Wix
sweetheart
I had a chat with Grid girl Mimi Griffin at
Croft about her role in the team. Mimi, a
trained dancer, has appeared in a few music
videos in her time, before being employed
by Wix three years ago, when Ciceley
Motorsport introduced the A-Class to
the BTCC.
Mimi’s role on race days is to hand out
goodie bags etc on the pit-lane walkabouts
where she poses for photos and ‘selfies’ for her
many fans. She also signs a few autographs
and gives Adam Morgan a run for his money!
For the three races she has to be at the paddock
office 30 minutes before each race with the
other grid girls to collect their number/driver
boards, and they are walked onto the grid
in glamorous single file to await the drivers
returning from the sighting lap.
When guests come on the grid before the
three races I photograph them with Mimi and
print them as a souvenir of the day with the team.
Since starting her role with the Wix team
Mimi has been employed by Maxxis tyres and
she is one of the MCN(Motor Cycle News) Girls.
She also models swimwear for Maru amongst
others. Her goal is to work for one of the big
fashion houses one day. We wish her luck.
Qualifying
Adam Morgan came to Croft hoping to turn
around his bad luck, the team having cured
the under-steer problem that hampered the Wix
A-Class at Oulton Park. He had a massive spin
going into the complex, avoiding the barriers,
but needing to pit to change tyres, and ended
up in 10th position. Colin Turkington grabbed
pole for Subaru.
Race one
A good start by Adam, he soon made his way
up to eighth position and set about catching Rob
Collard in seventh. Then on lap five, entering
the hairpin, Mat Jackson went for a gap that
wasn’t there and slammed into the side of the
A-Class, sending it sideways and breaking
the rear suspension in the process, putting the
popular Lancashire driver out of the race. His
dad Russell made a formal complaint to race
control. A very unwelcome ‘DNF’ when points
were needed to keep championship hopes
alive. Colin Turkington took another win for
the revitalised Subaru team. Aiden Moffatt also
failed to finish in the other A-Class.
Race two
Starting way back in 30th position Adam
was placed off the main straight and around
the last hairpin such is the length of the grid
in the BTCC. From the off he immediately
made progress, moving up to 23rd by lap
six with a points scoring finish on the cards,
but on lap 10 contact with Alex Martin’s
Ford Focus punctured the nearside front
tyre, Adam having to park the A-Class for
the second time. Two races ruined and many
points scuppered by poor driving by other
competitors. Rob Collard won the race in the
BMW 1-series. Aiden Moffatt finished 17th.
Race three
Another start from the back of the grid, in
31st this time, in wet conditions showed
Adam’s skill as he scythed through the field
up to 23rd on lap two. Progress continued –
up to 20th on lap five, the safety car being
deployed on a couple of occasions, as drivers
gambled on slicks, but it didn’t pay off as the
weather deteriorated. Aiden Moffatt became
another victim of clumsy Mat Jackson, who
collided with his Ciceley A-Class on lap 12.
On lap 14 Adam was up to 15th place, having
managed to overtake 50 per cent of the field.
Incredible! He was to go one better to take
14th at the flag and some points rescued from
a challenging weekend’s racing. Ash Sutton
won his first race in his MG.
Another fast track, which suits the
A-Class, Snetterton is next for the Ciceley
team after the summer break.
Chinese Touring Car
Championship
Just as we were going to press news came
through that Ciceley driver Adam Morgan
was to get a one-off drive for the factory
Volkswagen team in the CTCC at the Korean
International Circuit on July 9-10 – he duly
won the race!
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 33
Feature
Lovely display on
Mercedes-Benz
Classic’s stand.
T
his was the 28th classic car show
held in Essen, on April 7-10. Vic
Harper has organised a Club visit
to it every year since 1999, which is a very
impressive achievement. This was the third
time I had been and probably the time I have
most enjoyed. I would heartily recommend
it to any Member who hasn’t tried it. There’s
so much to see that many Members go every
year. The last time I went was three years
ago but I’m planning to go next year and am
already looking forward to it.
Two coaches were organised to leave
Mercedes-Benz UK’s headquarters in
Milton Keynes at 6.10am on the first
day. Members were allowed to park their
cars there for the duration of the trip. We
were seen off by Michael Chapman at this
early hour so it was nice to see him – and
the good relationship we have with the
company is testament to his many years’
work in developing and maintaining it. It
takes all day to travel to Essen, but it’s not a
Rear-engined Mercedes-Benz 130H.
Essen 2016
– a world-class
show
by Steve Howie, photos by Keith McLean
bad drive and the company is very convivial,
so I’d recommend not only the trip but this
method of getting there, although I can
understand why some Members choose
to fly to Düsseldorf, especially if they
come from Scotland, the north of England
or Ireland.
One coach stopped en route at Cheshunt
to pick up more passengers and the other
(on which the Cambridgeshire contingent of
Ivar Jenssen, Keith McLean, new Member
John Harrison and myself were passengers)
did the same at Ashford. Before long we
were having a full English breakfast at the
Channel Tunnel terminal. Traffic was quite
heavy through France, Belgium and the
Netherlands to Germany, but, as I said, on
the whole it’s a fairly manageable journey
and on our coach we were looked after very
well by Tony Lingard who kept plying us
with offers of tea, coffee and biscuits.
We booked into our usual hotel, the
Mercure at Ratingen not far from Essen,
which was as always very comfortable. Vic
tells me that we’ve used this hotel since
2001. Virtually the first thing that happened
170S – a contemporary of the 130H.
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 35
Feature
Essen from
the inside
by Peter Hampson
Walter Nieuwkoop’s stand at Techno-Classica.
T
echno-Classica Essen claims to be
the biggest classic car show, at least
in Europe, if not the world. Some
statistics from 2016 were that it attracted
a record 201,034 visitors from 41 nations.
There were 21 halls, totalling 127,000 square
metres of exhibition area, plus four outside
areas. There were company presentations
from 25 major car manufacturers plus over
2,700 collectors’ cars for purchase, and it is
claimed that 40 per cent of these found new
owners. Coys’ auction had 126 vehicles on
offer and sold 57 of them. In total there were
more than 1,250 exhibitors from 30 nations.
The show lasted from Wednesday to Sunday
– a full five days, though Wednesday,
officially a trade or press day, is now classed
as ‘Happy View Day’ and prices for this are
almost twice the normal cost, but it is much
less crowded. Four of the halls were devoted
to spare parts and it is possible to buy almost
anything, or at least order it.
Essen has long been one of the
highlights of the Club’s calendar and many
Club Members have visited the show,
thanks to the organisation of Vic Harper,
and we have stared enviously at the cars on
display and gone on to browse the stands of
the huge autojumble. However, probably
not many realise how much is involved in
participating from the ‘other side of the
counter’, so this is an account of Essen from
an insider’s viewpoint. I am sure other Club
Members will comment on the cars.
Walter Nieuwkoop is well known in the
Club for his collection of (mostly) pre-war
Mercedes and Benz cars and he also has a
huge range of spares. For the past few years
he has taken a stand at Essen (and a couple
of other German shows), selling some of his
many parts. I visited Walter last year to do
a story on the wooden-bodied, boat-tailed
1917 Benz that he owns and he asked if I
would like to assist him at the Essen show.
At first I was not sure but then agreed that I
would fly in to Dusseldorf and help out (plus
I thought that it would make an interesting
Gazette article). Accordingly I arrived on
Tuesday evening April 5 and was collected
by Walter from the airport.
April 6 – set-up and trade day
(and ‘Happy Viewing Day’)
Hall eight with everyone setting up...
Walter had already been into the hall the
day before and unloaded the trailer. It had
been planned that I would help, but a threehour delay with my flight meant I missed
this. Walter’s stand occupied two spaces
in hall eight and he had most of his items
in plastic boxes, which fit into four metalframed, wheeled trolleys. These trolleys
have five rows of shelves and the trolleys
themselves formed the back of the stand. In
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 41
F1news
by Will Gardner
Montreal
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hosted the
Canadian GP on June 12. Ahead of the race
speculation was mounting about a rift between
Hamilton and his team over his ‘playboy’
lifestyle, with suggestions that he feels the team
would prefer Rosberg to win the title this year.
Whatever the truth may be, there is mounting
evidence that Hamilton’s relationship with
the team is becoming strained, and rumours –
however unlikely – are beginning to circulate
that he may look to change teams for 2017.
Come qualifying, Hamilton took pole ahead
of Rosberg, with Bottas and Massa in their
Williams in seventh and eighth and the lone
Force India of Hulkenberg making up the last of
the Mercedes-powered qualifiers in ninth.
Hamilton went on to take the win – his fifth
in nine starts in Montreal – leading from start to
finish, with Rosberg coming fifth, over a minute
behind. Bottas praised his team’s “dynamic
strategy” that led to him taking third place for
the second year in succession. Massa in the
sister Williams also did well, finishing sixth,
again mirroring his result in 2015. Hulkenberg
capitalised on his top-10 start to come eighth,
meaning that five of the top-10 finishers were
Mercedes-powered.
Azerbaijan
Baku hosted the European GP for the first
time, on June 19, under the banner ‘The
speed is higher in the land of fire’. Thankfully
the race was more dynamic than the tag-line.
Qualifying saw the Silver Arrows top
and tail the top-10. Rosberg took pole, with
Hamilton only qualifying 10th as a result of an
error that he described simply as “my fault”.
Regular top-10 qualifiers Williams took fifth
with Bottas and eighth with Massa, while
Perez in his Force India claimed seventh.
Race day saw Rosberg take a commanding
win, with Hamilton labouring to move up
from 10th to an eventual fifth place finish.
He struggled with a power issue throughout
and afterwards branded rules preventing
engineers sharing radio information about
technical problems as “dangerous” as he
struggled to deal with varying power whilst
negotiating the challenging city circuit. New
regulations introduced at the start of this year
state that the ‘driver must drive the car alone
and unaided’.
Once again, five of the top-10 finishers
were Mercedes-powered, with Bottas
finishing behind Hamilton in sixth, Massa
10th and Hulkenberg ninth.
Austria
The first weekend of July saw the Red Bull
Ring host the Austrian GP. This circuit is short
and boasts just nine corners, so racing is close.
The circuit is also famed for its changeable
and unpredictable weather. Free practice
saw Rosberg crash badly and the consequent
rebuild included a new gearbox – and an
automatic five-place grid penalty. Qualifying
saw Hamilton take pole, with Rosberg second
fastest. The starting grid had Rosberg in sixth
with his penalty, the same fate befalling Vettel
in his Ferrari, who was demoted to ninth.
Button, in a surprisingly resurgent McLaren,
started third, whilst the Williams had to
settle for seventh (Bottas) and 10th (Massa).
Hulkenberg bought his Force India onto
the second grid slot after a sublime fastest
lap, but sadly team-mate Perez started back
in 16th.
The race saw plenty of overtaking as
expected. Hamilton took a thrilling win ahead
of Verstappen in his Red Bull. Hamilton
overtook Rosberg – who had fought his way
into the lead – on the last lap, making contact
with his team-mate and leaving him to come
home in fourth place with a heavily damaged
front wing. Team boss Toto Wolff branded the
drivers as “idiots” for again coming together
in a race; the post-race briefing must have
been interesting! After the race stewards
found Rosberg at fault for causing a collision
and handed him a 10-second penalty; but as
he finished 14 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s
Ricciardo it made no difference to the result.
Button made the best of his start, coming
home with some valuable points for the team
in sixth. Bottas took ninth, whilst team-mate
Massa came home out of the points as the last of
the finishers in 20th, behind the Force India of
Hulkenberg who failed to make the best of his
F1news
grid slot. Team-mate Perez also finished out of
the points, crashing on the final lap.
Manor F1 has continued to struggle this
season, despite the benefits of Mercedes power
and Williams technical support. However
patience paid off, with Pascal Wehrlein taking
his first F1 point and the first for the team by
taking 10th place. Even scoring a single point in
a season results in significant financial gain, so it
is hugely valuable to Manor; race director Dave
Ryan said the result was “simply incredible”.
Championship
After nine races, winning in Austria saw
Hamilton close the gap on Rosberg to just
11 points, with the Brit leading third-placed
Vettel by a healthy 46. Mercedes continued
to dominate the constructors’ championship
with a huge 103-point lead over Ferrari, with
Williams in fourth place with a 33-point lead
over Force India.
Rumour mill
As the current season approaches the halfway point, talk of driver moves for next year
is emerging, although Ferrari’s Maurizio
Arrivabene said it is premature for Ferrari
to be embroiled in the 2017 drivers’ “silly
season”. Ferrari though holds the key to future
moves across the paddock, with any extension
to Raikkonen’s contract unconfirmed as yet
for next year. Sources close to Williams are
saying the team is considering ‘refreshing’ it’s
driver line-up next year, with veteran Massa
perhaps the obvious casualty, although Bottas
is a rising star the team could yet lose. Button
is also out of contract at the end of the season;
then of course there is the speculation about
Hamilton’s future. Time of course will tell…
Silverstone
As we went to press, Silverstone hosted the
British GP. Ahead of the race Mercedes was
said to have issued its drivers with notice that
any further comings together on track would
result in one or both of them potentially leaving
the team. Hamilton took pole with Rosberg
behind. Heavy rain led to a start behind the
safety car, but Hamilton held his lead to the
end – to a Silverstone ovation – with Rosberg
second, despite losing seventh gear. Neither
Williams finished in the points, but Perez was
sixth and Hulkenburg seventh in their Force
Indias. Rosberg was investigated after the race
as the team shared technical information with
him to manage his gearbox problem – and
eventually he was given a 10-second penalty
which took him down to third and reduced his
championship lead to one point.
Hamilton in the Austrian mountains – not surprisingly
the Mercedes-Benz press office seems to be reluctant
to release photos of yet another team collision.
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 45
TechnicalCorner
1. Steve Lord’s Morris-Mercedes.
An economical approach
to the M180 engine
by Steve Lord
I
don’t like having to replace my car.
A working life spent as a motor
mechanic and vehicle restorer means I
don’t generally need to if I don’t want to –
providing the car in question pre-dates the
electronic era. By 2004 I’d owned my 1957
Morris Minor 1000 for 33 years, our kids
now had their own cars and no longer came
on holiday with us. We’d recently bought a
small caravan; the Minor managed it OK but
with less in hand than I wanted – in terms
of braking and (all-important for towingstability) weight. So – a bigger classic car
was needed (I don’t own a modern car so
we’re talking about one for year-round
daily-driving here).
Chris Bass’s article in the Gazette (May
2014) mentions how I’d originally looked
for a Mercedes 170S, before ending up
with a 1953 Morris Six into which I’ve now
fitted my rebuilt Mercedes 220 M180 engine
(having started off with a carburettored 220
M127 ‘cheapie’ off E-bay). My working
life is interesting but I don’t earn a lot of
money so the change from the Minor’s fuel
consumption to that of a Ponton-equivalent,
on an 11,000 annual mileage, is a very big
issue indeed! Also, modern fuel is very
different from that for which the engines of
the Ponton/Fintail era cars were designed.
These two factors have meant that many
detail modifications were needed following
the initial conversion-work to make the
finished vehicle viable for daily use.
I will only use ‘ordinary’ unleaded
fuel, avoiding ‘super’ because of its cost
penalty. Even the ‘ordinary’ has a greatly
increased anti-knock resistance over what
was available in the late 1950s and both
modern fuel-types are a lot more volatile
than period ‘gas’. Add to this the recent
addition of ethanol and these differences in
fuel-specification require what amounts to
a partial re-design of any 1950s car’s fuel
system. This was easy for me this time, as I
was building a ‘special’ with no requirement
to keep to any particular specification – I
had a free-hand to do whatever would work
reliably. (In my professional life I have
lots of work hiding essential fuel-system
alterations to maintain visual ‘originality’
on restored classic cars.)
The original Morris engine produced
70bhp from its 2,215cc. As my chosen
46 • AUGUST 2016 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
2,195cc M180 replacement is of Fintail 220S
spec, which produced 110bhp in standard
order, I had to either reduce the engine’s
output or beef-up the car’s transmission,
brakes and various other running-gear parts
to reliably cope with the additional ‘grunt’.
I had run the car unmodified for 2,300
miles and rather liked its ‘period’ gait; plus
there was the possibility of trading some of
the Merc unit’s standard power output for
improved economy. So I chose to de-rate
it, by using a single-carburettor manifold
of Ponton 219a type; this and other changes
brought the output down to 83bhp. Another
important difference – the exotically shortstroked Merc is designed to operate at much
higher revs then the plebeian Morris engine.
So by using taller gearing than Mercedes
chose, I could get the power down to a
level which the rest of the Morris would
find easier to accept and, by having fewer
power-strokes per mile, snaffle a little more
economy.
The Fintail 220S’s compression ratio is
8.7:1. The Ponton 219a had 7.8:1, and used
a single twin-choke downdraught Solex
carburettor. I’d made an adaptor-neck which
SparesRegister
SparesRegister
A FREE Service For ALL MEMBERS
Complete Service
cars for sale must
be advertised
the classified section.
ANB
FREE
For
ALLinMEMBERS
All Spares Register entries should be limited to 40 words maximum and sent to
Bob Coxshall, 55 The Avenue, Bengeo, Hertford SG14 3DS to arrive by the 26th of
FOR
SALE
the
month
preceding publication. All correspondence should be by post or e-mail to
bob.coxshall@mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
Breaking 1991 W126 500SEL, 420SE. W123 280CE. W140 S320, S500.
In emergencies
only,S320.
telephone
01992
W220 S600,
W210
300302238.
diesel estate, E240 saloon. W124 230
estate. Parts off the shelf for W108, W111, W123, W124, W126 and
W201 190 range. 1984 W123 230E, 1992 W124 300TD, complete at
the moment, both with good engines and auto gearboxes. Dave 07710
672986 retrodave111@aol.com (no text messages).
W124 parts Breaking W123. Parts for 1962 W111 220SEb Fintail. Parts
for W114 parts. W113 hard-top glass and chrome. R/C107 Fuchs
wheels and tyres. Roger or Joe 07831 432186 or rj.tompkins@
ntlworld.com
W108-W112 parts Including new old stock exhaust sections and outer
sills, good and poor doors, used seats, bumpers, air suspension
axles, M189 engines, wheels and tyres, Dunlop callipers, lights
etc. Sell or ideally swap for parts for my W111 Universal project.
dominiclunney@mac.com west London.
Workshop manuals, parts catalogues, special tools, owners’ handbooks
and sales literature too numerous to list. These are all original (not
reproductions), factory-printed books for all post-war models up to
1984. Geoff Marshall 07414 538004 geoff@marshall.co.uk
Two Michelin winter tyres 245/45 x 18 extra load with J8 alloys (design
50). 7mm good tread, ex-S-Class. Also 265/40 x 18 high tread, needs
repair, no rim. All reasonable offers considered. Paul 07850 284767
richpa@btinternet.com Kent.
Pair of new MB front brake discs Part number d1 5183, ref no
1264230012 Sensible offers please. Four Nokia all-weather tyres,
6mm tread, 205/55 x 16 91h on steel rims, nothing fancy but put them
on your B-Class and feel the difference £180. 01622 817024 Kent.
Four eight-hole alloy wheels 7J x 15H2 ET25, kerbing on two, all need
refinishing. £120 buyer collects. 01225 864570 d.e.j.fisher@gmail.
com Bath area.
W113 Pagoda SL Tonneau cover lid, outer door handles, speedo head
(mph), heater radiator, headlamps and glasses, rear lamps, surrounds,
lamp lenses, rev counter, fuel gauge, various mouldings. David
Rogers 01773 835462 mail@roger1913.plus.com
R171 SLK350 Genuine MB 639 five-spoke alloys with Bridgestone
RE050 tyres in as-new condition. Front 7.5J x 17 (225/45 tyres), rear
8.5J x 17 (245/40) £600 (cost over £1,400 new). Brand new, unused
Bridgestone RE050 tyres (stickers on), same sizes £300 (cost £480).
Ian 07836 260309 ppmleisure@madasafish.com London.
Breaking 1989 W124 300E Petrol saloon. 1988 W124 260E petrol saloon
and 1985 W201 2.0 petrol saloon. Will sell complete or parts, all good
engines etc, all on SORN. Mr C Chevel 01787 461751 07909 171330
Sudbury.
Barn find coupés Remains of three W111/112s which have been donor
vehicles for my projects over the last 30 years. What is left has all
got to go. Kerry k.schroeder683@btinternet.com 07836 510760
Bedfordshire.
W123/W124 estate Oris roof boxes, good condition, no leaks or missing
parts, all keys and instruction booklet, very rare £325 the pair. W124
estate luggage compartment plastic liner, slight damage to one bottom
corner £20 or a better one for £35. W124 pair of roof bars £20. Buyer
collects. Ledbury/Malvern area davidthomas@tesco.net
R107 SL Soft-top frame £200. Pair of under-bumper spotlights £40. R129
SL blue metallic hard-top, couple of marks but nothing major £400
ono. Stephen Crone 01992 462866 sjcrone@btinternet.com Essex/
Herts.
R107 SL Offside front bumper backing, part number A1078801119,
recent powder-coating (new price £240). Rear cross-member,
price
£340).
reasonable offers please. Mike
BeforeA1076100217,
you write to the (new
Gazette
or call
one ofAny
the Club’s
07712
184028
mandlnixon@fsmail.net
Leeds.
volunteer
Technical
Advisers
try the Club website. All
2005
SL500queries
Mesh and
wind-break,
can behave
leftnow
in situ, reproduction, supplied
past
technical
technical articles
by theon
SLtheShop,
use
new vehicle
been posted
Club limited
website in
theonly,
Members’
pages forces sale £95 plus
postage.
Alistair 017928 83337, gorseinon@hotmail.com
Reference
Library.
1963are
W111
1970 W111/108 280SE engine £600.
They
fully 220SE
indexed engine
and there£400.
is a Google-style
fortospares
or find
to rebuild.
Alsoyou
a lot
more W111 spares. Tuncay
searchBoth
facility
help you
exactly what
need.
07969 526696 shortstorieslondon@hotmail.co.uk
Four
alloy wheels
6.5J x15 (185/65R15 tyres),Topart
number
Theeight-hole
website address
is www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
access
the
Members’
pagesfrom
clickearly
on ‘Log
in’, enter
yourwill
membership
number
and
1244011802,
W202
C-Class,
also fit W201
190E,
follow
instructions
time 7J
logging
choose
your own but
W124the
E-Class.
Alsofor
one‘First
similar
x 15. in’
Allthen
clean,
tidy condition,
password.
Thetyres.
password
given in
the Club
Directory
is no longer
need new
£125previously
the lot. Buyer
collects
from
Lincolnshire.
D
required.
click on ‘Reference Library’.
Vince 07899
973479Then
drvince238@btinternet.com
Have you tried the Club website
Reference Library?
If you have any difficulties please e-mail
kenny.ooi@mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
All Spares Register entries should be limited to 40 words maximum and sent to
Bob Coxshall, 55 The Avenue, Bengeo, Hertford SG14 3DS to arrive by the
26th of the month preceding publication. All correspondence should be by
post or e-mail to bob.coxshall@mercedes-benz-club.co.uk In emergencies only,
telephone 01992 302238.
NB Complete cars for sale must be advertised in the classified section.
R107 SL hard-top Light blue, stored, excellent condition, buyer collects
£500. 01273 502482 ruthannelockwood@hotmail.co.uk
Set of roof bars And roof rack assembly, all Mercedes-Benz parts,
purchased to fit 2002 E-Class estate, would fit other estates,
reasonable offers. Howard 01344 779752 Berkshire.
1985 500SEL Non-runner for spares or repair. Gold, 151,328 miles,
same owner since 1986, standing in the open for six years, could
be renovated but very good for spares, clock does not work. Offers.
frankfronda@penguincoldcaps.com or 01689 855775.
W126/W123 roof bars Original Mercedes-Benz Grundtrager Alustyle,
new, boxed, never used £60. paulharris911@hotmail.co.uk 07910
423235.
W140 New old stock genuine Mercedes-Benz parts. Front brake calliper
3806/2, rear brake calliper 347711D, brake pads A00242012220,
V8 head gasket 1190163320, cam cover gaskets 1190160721/0821,
fan 1192050006 with electro magnetic clutch, engine harness
1405401132, drive-shaft coupling 1294110015, bracket and rubber
mount A1402420601. Offers 01270 255333 jeremy.monksave@
btinternet.com Crewe.
1989 300E Four 15-hole alloys, good condition £120. Centre console box,
grey/zebrano £40. New speedo cable, unused, cost £80-plus, accept
£55. Buyer to collect from Cannock, Staffs or discuss alternative.
07973 701374 david.marsden@kepi3.demon.co.uk
14-inch steel wheels For W114/115, W123 and many other models. 5.5J
x 14H2, MB part number 115 400 13 02. Four available at £25 each
or £80 for the lot. Collect from London W9. paul@marshall.co.uk
07449 315 616.
W123 bonnet Beige, fair condition £85 ono. Terry, Cambridgeshire
01223 244992 terryabeaumont@googlemail.com
W113 280SL Pagoda Wheel trim and new set of contact breaker points –
offers. Brian 01732 351924, bes124@hotmail.co.uk
R107 cloth seating material 5ft wide x 6ft long, grey check £30 plus
postage. David 01263 478739 davidporrett@yahoo.co.uk
Wind deflectors Genuine Mercedes for W113 SL, R107 SL and W124
cabriolet. As-new or little used. W123 estate roof-rack, genuine MB,
fits to chrome roof bars £50. Folding Weissmann hard-top stands
and covers for W113, R107 and R129, used condition £50 each.
Mercedes alloy wheels, part number 140 4010502, ET51,7.5J x 16,
refurbished, £200 the set of five. Michael Lavers 020 8789 8525
sales@silverarrows.co.uk
W126 1981-1990 Good selection, I may have what you are looking for.
Chris 01460 271749 cjmfp@totalise.co.uk
WANTED
W113 SL Shallow under-dash trim (black vinyl) that houses the interior
light. james.doc@btinternet.com 07887 627250.
R129 SL 1998-2001 Owner’s manual/handbook and any relevant
information on this model – catalogues, books, pictures or buyers’
guides. Please write with details and prices to receive a cheque by
return. Wayne Wright A9810AN Dovegate Staffordshire ST14 8XR.
W123 coupé Window glass for driver and passenger doors, without
scratches if possible. David 01274 637818 07801 736107
cockcroftgd@yahoo.co.uk
1979 R107 450SL Lock set, part number 1078931103 and ignition lock,
rear screen 1076780710 and fuel tank neck seal 107024. info@lphuk.com 020 8947 0088.
1999 R129 SL Alloy wheel, five-slot style, five-stud fixing. Gillian
Wakefield gillandken@hotmail.co.uk
1985 W123 TE Six and seventh seats in thistle green cloth. Meg WynneMayfield geminternational@ntlworld.com
W202 ZF power-steering pump For 1994 C220 auto, must be in good
working order mjursell@yahoo.co.uk
W111 coupé Pair of front seats in any condition, brake servo and master
cylinder for W110/111. Martin 07411 111838.
Four 64mm wheel centre caps Any MB pattern for after market AMGstyle 18-inch alloys, also bonnet lid liner for SL320. Tony 07814
468519 or 01568 709162.
W124 cabriolet Owners’ handbooks/wallet, must be vgc. james.doc@
btinternet.com 07887 627250.
1989 500SEL Three rear window chrome finishers, must be in good
condition. mauricetwomey2015@gmail.com 01752 303931.
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 51
RegionalReports
Anglia – North
Driving into our area from Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk or
any of the other counties around Norfolk we are presented with a
sign saying ‘Norfolk, Nelson’s county’. That prompted the question,
where was our most famous Admiral born? And the answer is that
Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was born in the town of Burnham
Thorpe, near Burnham Market on the north coast of Norfolk. Which
is close to where we have just returned on our way back from a very
successful event in Sheringham, more details of which will be in next
month’s report.
Our region also takes up a significant chunk of Cambridgeshire,
including Peterborough, Wisbech, St Ives and St Neots. Ironically,
Mercedes-Benz’s great rival for perfection in the automotive world,
Henry Royce, was born in Peterborough in the village of Alwalton Mill.
Nelson and Royce would probably have got along very well
had they ever met. These two world-renowned and world-changing
characters would also have appreciated the spectacular scenery,
coastline, waterways and stately homes our area has to offer. Only
Royce would have been ‘young’ enough to remember Sandringham
House being built as Queen Victoria’s Norfolk residence in 1862, or
to be more accurate converted from an existing mansion. It was the
venue for a very successful Club event organised by Richard LeeWarder and Roger Hinton.
Chris Hibbin with his W201 190.
Sheila Hinton with Sylvia and
Dave Best.
Steve Hayes’ 560SEC with ‘OIL’
registration.
Simon Smith with his
recently acquired W124.
Sandringham House – Sunday May 22
Tea at Sandringham.
Members’ cars at Sandringham, with Dave and Sylvia Best’s in
the foreground.
Sandringham House...
...its lake...
...and gardens.
Keith and Annabelle Baker
with their silver C-Class...
...and enjoying their picnic.
The weather in the UK is as unpredictable as the result of
the European referendum, and it was certainly unpredictable at
Sandringham, with wonderful balmy St Tropez weather all day. The
wonderful weather brought out our local Members in force with over
20 cars attending and parking on the green just outside the grounds
of the house itself.
Sandringham is in fact four venues all in one, the house actually
being the smaller attraction and only taking a few minutes to see in
full. The second is the extensive and wonderful gardens, the third is
the visitor area, but the really interesting thing is the museum, which
is largely a carriage museum and shows the history of Sandringham
House and how it came into being.
The Club occupied pride of place on the green beside the visitor
area with Steve Hayes and Rodica bringing their very impressive
560SEC, with its distinctive OIL registration. Organiser Roger
Hinton and his wife Sheila brought their lovely silver SLK, which
was in very good company with David Page’s SL500 R129 with its
infamous ‘Outlaw’ registration. Keith and Annabelle Baker brought
their 2013 silver C-Class and Simon Smith arrived in an incredibly
impressive blue W124 which he recently acquired in Yorkshire. Chris
Hibbin was attending his first Club event in a particularly special
W201 190 in an attractive metallic green. Sindy and I brought our
red Pagoda 280SL Pagoda and Gavin Barber brought a wonderful
example of automotive excellence with a 450SEL 6.9, which we look
forward to seeing more of at future events. John and Jo Jenner arrived,
top down, in their red R129 SL. With over 20 cars in attendance the
Club put on a show ‘fit for a queen’.
At these informal events everyone can do their own thing, with
most Members bringing a picnic to enjoy at their leisure. John Jenner
enjoyed trying some ‘Huushuur’ provided by Sindy Gombosuren,
which can be best described as the Far East equivalent of Cornish
pasties. All sorts of picnic implements began to be unpacked from the
various Mercedes, with bottles of wine accompanied by a fine array
of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire fare. It made me think we should try
a Dutch picnic at the next event where everyone brings something
to share.
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 53
Call for a quote today
01376 573033
The best policies for either
classic or modern Mercedes-Benz
CarsforSale
www.peterbestinsurance.co.uk
500SL, 1985 (C), ONLY 57,300 miles. Beautiful
signal red. New MoT (exp. June ’17), Automatic.
Cruise control, electric windows, beige / check
cloth interior. Bespoke luxury stereo / amplifier
fitted, hardtop available. A real head-turner,
paintwork professionally polished & original
wheels re-coated. Alarmed. Excellent history. Big
5 Litre / V8 powertrain. £35,000 – NO OFFERS.
Great Investment. Text: 07736 666764
(London area) (07/16/04)
CLS320 CDI. Travertine beige. Cream
leather. 55,777 miles. 12 months MoT.
Full MB history. Recent gearbox and
brake fluid service.A very economical,
well cared for fine car. £9,350.
Tel: David Houlgrave. 07801 540487.
(Wigan). (08/16/05)
300SL. 1987 Teal Green. Ivory leather. MoT
April 17, 113,000 miles, present owner for
11 yrs Quality restoration, excellent engine,
new wings, new heater blower. Stainless
exhaust, hardtop, many features. Service
history. £19,500 Tel: John 07708 581288
to chat. (Cambs) (08/16/06)
Gorgeous Cars
Classic Mercedes-Benz & other fine cars
1997 SL 280 in Black with full black leather,
rear seats, 48,000 miles......................... £11,995
E220 Coupe.
Convertible. 1995, MoT, Blue. Full
leather. Auto, 86,400
miles. Owned last 10
years, garaged. Very
good
condition.
£5,500
ono
Tel: 01697 331998 /
07720
560596
(Cumbria) (08/16/09)
1995 E300 Diesel Estate, in Malachite green, seven
seats,cruise control,179,000 miles ............. £3,995
1996 E 280 Estate in Brilliant Silver with Black
cloth, seven seats, cruise control, electric sun roof,
135,000 miles ....................................................£3,495
1984 BMW 728 Auto, pale green metallic, exceptional .................................... £4,995
1970 MGB GT, BRG with black, wire wheels, extensive history ............... £5,795
Wanted, all classic Mercedes-Benz and other classic cars
Best Buyer of W123 Series and W124 Series
Telephone: +44 (0)1323 871600
Email: philip@gorgeous-cars.com www.gorgeous-cars.com
WANTED
SLK230 Manual. Would like to
exchange/part exchange
SLK200 Auto.
Tel: 01255 675358
or 07740 636158. (08/16/07)
H I L T O N & M O S S
A
E300 Diesel Estate 1995. Present
owner past 15 years, 1 year’s MoT, 116K
genuine miles, 7 seats, original wheels,
MB bike rack and boot lining included.
£5,995. Further details contact:
alhay@btinternet.com (Aberdeen) (08/16/08)
Gazette
e
mpl
exa
190 Ponton 1957 Black, low mileage,
original car, full service history from new,
full length Webasto roof, 2 owners from
new, MoT Jan 13, tax Jan 13, lots of
documentation. £POA. Tel: 01234 567890
Members £18 inc VAT
Non-Members £36 inc VAT
Advertise your
Mercedes-Benz
or number plate or sale with a
colour photograph from only
£18
inc VAT.
Double Box
£36
inc VAT.
The deadline for
receiving your details is the
beginning of the month
Tel: 01452 730 770
Email: ads@hinemarketing.co.uk
C
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MORE STOCK URGENTLY REQUIRED
As the demand for good quality W198 Coupe & Roadsters, W121
190SL’s, W113 Pagoda’s & W107SL’s remains high, we are currently
looking for more low mileage vehicles to replenish our stock.
01279 813907 www.hiltonandmoss.com
Email: restoration@hiltonandmoss.com and sales@hiltonandmoss.com
Raynham Road, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 5PJ
CHARLES IRONSIDE
H&M More stock needed ad Aug 2013.indd 1
06/09/2013 20:22
SPECIALIST IN MERCEDES-BENZ CARS
Alton, Hampshire (40 mins from J10 M25)
WANTED
Excellent low mileage
examples of 129-series
SL 500 1990-2001 LOW MILEAGE, EXCELLENT EXAMPLES PLEASE
e-mail: sales@charlesironside.co.uk
website: www.charlesironside.co.uk
Tel: 01420520635 Mobile: 07950379560
www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk • AUGUST 2016 • 85
SpecialistServices
WILTS, GLOUCS, SOUTH WEST
and anywhere! (mobile)
TONY CRIDLAND has moved
(from Gibb Garage) to Dursley,
Berkeley area.
Service & repairs to all models,
early 60’s SL’s through 126, 203,
210 etc
Mobile or collection any distance
ACCIDENT & BODYWORK REPAIR
P J Smith
Classic and modern paint and bodywork Ltd
Unit 2, Manor Park,
Windsor Rd, Bedford MK42 9HW
Tel: 01234 341410
Accident repair and restoration specialists
VANLEIGH COACH WORKS
Unit 7, Central Ave, West Molesey,
Surrey KT8 2QH
Tel 0208 783 1212
vanleigh@virginmedia.com
Tony 07966 468710
All aspects of repair & restoration undertaken
to the highest standard at competitive rates
Redcastle Classics Limited
CAR MATS
19 Sir Alfred Owen Way, Pontygwindy Industrial
Estate, Caerphilly, CF83 3HU
Tel: 029 20882110 Mob: 07710 077605
www.redcastleclassics.com
mail@redcastleclassics.com
Classic
Mercedes Mats
Specialists in 190SL restoration, servicing & repairs
Also Pagoda 113 series, Fintail, Ponton etc. 1950s-1980s
Project1:Layout 1
15/12/09
09:50
Page 1
SilverStar Garages Limited
JOSEPH JOOS
Over 50 years experience
Specialist service,
repairs and overhauls
Quality second-hand spares
~ Open 6 days a week ~
(01908
217141
or
07831 432186
Fax: 01908 217353
www.josephjoos.co.uk
07919 885705
www.classicmercedesmats.co.uk
Tel: 020 8361 6750
Lazarus Court,
Woodgate, Rothley,
Leics, LE7 7NR
Tel/Fax 0116 230 3801
From classic to modern all MERCEDES BENZ
vehicles serviced & repaired, MERCEDES
Trained Technician, full workshop facilities
available, free quotations and friendly advice
Discounts for club members.
www.silverstargarages.co.uk
Sovereign Motor Centre
Unit C5, Connaught Business Centre,
Forest Hill, London SE23 1AH
Tel: 0208 699 4455
Servicing, electrical, mechanical repairs,
air-con, bodywork.
Merc-Care has been established since 1988
with fully equipped Mercedes workshops
and fully trained technicians. We at
Merc-Care offer a personal service to your
vehicle with all the latest Star computer
diagnostics and Mercedes special tools.
NO JOB IS TOO BIG OR SMALL.
All types of body repairs and insurance
work undertaken
CAR STORAGE
Richard Thorne
The Courtyard Garage, James Lane,
Grazeley Green, Reading RG7 1NB
Tel: 0118 9831200 Fax: 0118 9831414
www.rtcc.co.uk
Dehumidified, alarmed storage.
Transport from anywhere, MOT.
M4 J11 3 miles.
ONE CALL AND MERC-CARE DOES IT ALL!
INTERIOR WOOD TRIM
SPECIALISTS
City Polishers Limited,
The Workshop at No 39, 39 Albert Street,
Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 2LD
Tel: 07977 741889
www.nicholas-martin.co.uk
Email: nick@nicholas-martin.co.uk
MERCEDES DISMANTLERS
Mercman Ltd
Unit A, St Erth Industrial Estate
Rose An Grouse, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 6LP
Tel : (+44) 01736 757777
Email Parts@mercman.net
www.mercman.net
Mercedes parts from 1960 to 2014
SERVICING SPECIALIST REPAIRS
’S AUTOMOTIV
M
A
AD ENGINEERING E
Tel:
01603 880522 Fax: 01603 880058
www.adamsautomotive.co.uk
email: adam.pointer@btinternet.com
With over 40 years experience in restoration, we are Mercedes specialists
maintaining and restoring these cars to customer requirements with Historic
event preperation and modification as part of our services. Please remember
we also cater for other main marques from 1900 to 1972 and that
we are agents for Penrite oils. We look forward to your enquiry!
Limited
Radford Road, New Basford, Nottingham NG7 7NQ
Service & repair work, body work repairs,
used car sales, MOT’s, A/C servicing, valeting,
collection & delivery. Nottingham’s alternative to
main dealer service at an affordable price.
www.mercserve.co.uk
P J Smith
Classic and modern paint and bodywork Ltd
Unit 2, Manor Park,
Windsor Rd, Bedford MK42 9HW
Tel: 01234 341410
Accident repair and restoration specialists
Steve Redfearn Motor Co Ltd
169 Gladstone Rd, Wimbledon, SW19 1QS
Tel: 0208 540 2311 Fax: 0208 5430812
redfearn@nascr.net
Specialising in Mercedes Benz repairs &
servicing. Full test & report facility available
before you purchase your new car
88 • AUGUST 2016 • www.mercedes-benz-club.co.uk
Specialising in
Mercedes-Benz
servicing & repairs
Established 15 years
Unit 1, 28 Send Road, Caversham,
Reading, Berks RG4 8EH
Tel: 0118 946 2750
starmotorservice@aol.com
www.starmotorservices.com
SM Auto-Care
19 Enterprise Way, Thornton Dale Ind Est
Pickering, N Yorkshire Y018 7NA
Tel: 01751 474847
Fax: 01751 477725
All repairs carried out on Mercedes
models by trained technicians
T W NEALE MOTORS
65 School Road Himley,
NR Dudley West Midlands DY3 4LG
Tel: 01902 897447 Fax: 01902 892450
INDEPENDENT MERCEDES BENZ SPECIALISTS
EST. 1968. REPAIRS AND OVERHAUL + SERVICING.
T.M. Motors
Unit 8, 24 Central Avenue,
West Moseley, Surrey KT8 2QH
Tel: 0208 941 4044 Fax: 0208 941 4340