Mercedes in the spotlight on home turf
MERCEDES-BENZ 770K GROSSER CABRIOLET D
This year’s Retro Classics was bigger than ever, with new halls added within the Messe Stuttgart complex and a strong emphasis on ‘Youngtimers’. But an array of spectacular older cars held court, chiefly the Mercedes-benz 770K Grosser Cabriolet D.
It was one of 18 examples built and the largest and most expensive car of its era, the 770K ownership roster includes Japanese Emperor Hirohito, German Kaiser Wilhelm II, Kings Farouk of Egypt, Faisal of Iraq, Zog of Albania and Boris of Bulgaria.
This particular cabriolet was built for Polish-born film producer and musical revues creator Erik Charell, costing him DM47,500 when he took delivery of it on August 18, 1931. He shipped the car with him to Hollywood when he left Germany in 1933, and kept it until 1949.
OPEL COMMODORE GS/E
Walter Röhrl, partnered by co-driver Jochen Berger, used this Irmscherprepared Opel Commodore GS/E in the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally, his first World Rally Championship event.
He didn’t get off to a good start – his recce car didn’t have a limited-slip differential, which meant that slippery conditions didn’t do much for his confidence. When team manager Gerd Hintheran turned up in his top-spec 2.8-litre Commodore company vehicle – fitted with LSD – Röhrl convinced his boss to lend him the car to learn the stages in.
The predictable happened – he crashed the car. And things didn’t get much better in the rally itself, because an early crash left Röhrl languishing in 45th place.