Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally 2024: Mercedes Benz was probably the single most impressive line-up of traditional and antique cars ever seen in India. What made it even more exciting for an audience, at the start or along the path, was that one could witness, hear, and sometimes even smell these wonderful machines in motion.
11th Edition of Mercedes Benz Classic
The Mercedes Benz Classic Car Rally 2013, AUTO CAR India celebrated the 11th edition with rare gathering of 95 pristine Mercedes Benz Heritage Cars. Organised at the lawns of the Taj Lands End in Bandra, Mumbai for the first time, the event was a spectacle with 60 novices being showcased on the rally that marked their first presence.
Protests were launched by Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ashish Shelar and Mercedes-Benz India MD & CEO Santosh Iyer formally flagged off the rally. The route started from Taj Lands End at Bandra, across majestic sea link, through Worli and then into southern part of Mumbai, satisfying the enthusiastic participants and those who lined up on the roadsides to catch a glimpse of BMW’s rich heritage collection on the move.
The seminal MBCCR in 2014 has quickly emerged into one of the most renowned auto show in India and definitely one of the best globally. More importantly, the journal has taken up a much more important responsibility of lighting the lamp on the restoration of vintage and classic Mercedes-Benz cars that are prevalent all over India at present.
Notable Participation of MBCCR
According to Perseus Bandrawalla, the rally curator, “this year’s MBCCR has several highlights, such as the maximum outstation entries right out from Kerala and Goa.” “This is because the owners depend on their cars, which are between 20 and 30 years old, and because these celebrations have become more significant.” However, despite three new showcase events held in Cochin, Goa, and Chennai 95 automobiles, the number of people participating has increased.
“MBCCR is a mobile museum that features automobiles on exhibit, starting with the 1886 Benz Patemt Motor Wagon and progressing to the contemporary SLS AMG with its amazing gull wing doors.” Bandrawalla pointed out.
Highlighted Characteristics of Mercedes Benz Classic
About this year’s event the increased attention was paid to supercharged Kompressor models of the 1920-1930s including 500K, 540K and 630K. These cars, with mechanically or Rootes supercharged engines, had great power to weight ratios; the 500K and 540K models used straight-eight engines. The 540K in Pranlal Bhogilal collection is described to be originally from Jawhar and the 500K in Hormusji Cama collection claimed to be from Nepal. The 1929 six-cylinder car, owned by Yashvardhan Ruia was brought in from Tikari was presented in this page, though it was considerably older than the 500K and 540K models, but looked more royally styled because of a taller height of its radiator grille.
This year, the MBCCR also pay homage to the pure design genius that was the Mercedes-Benz designer Bruno Sacco. Sacco’s designs were characterized with daring but elegant sensibility which consisted in solid geometrical shapes with chamfered lines and high technological accuracy.
Exclusive Sessions at MNCCR 2024
The event also marked 40 years of the W 124, the car that heralded Mercedes’ presence in India. I remember the first time I personally got a glimpse of the W124. It was not only the iconic design of Sacco but the cabin work which felt more ‘packed’ and highly built for a car giving it a profound, rock like look and feel. Herewith it was a pleasant to watch the W124 models coupe, cabriolet, saloon, standard 4 door and the estate version all in one row.
As a special class in this year’s MBCCR, cars included the exclusive Super Limousine Class of ultra-long wheel base model like the Grosser, 600 Pullman, Nurburg, 300 Adenauer and the Gerry W126 ‘1000’ SEL. Another which caught interests was the Tribute Class which showcased cars that have triggered replica tributes such as the 190E EVO II, W124 Hammer, and the W123 AMG tribute.
Finally, the Mile Munchers Class to celebrate the German engineering that carries cars from across the India to Mumbai such as the V123 300D Limousine, W123, and W111 flying the flags of Lucknow, Rajkot, Goa, and Kochi respectively.
Remarkable Vehicles at MBCCR 2024
The rally brought together most of the cream of usual vintage and classics cars owners including Viveck Goenka, Yohan Poonawalla, Himanshu Sinh, Pratapsinh Gaekwad, Rajiv Kehr etc.
Some of the remarkable cars displayed at the event consisted of W 123 in special colour donated by Pratapsinh Gaekwad, 190 SL, originally owned by Maharani Gayatri Devi by Yohan Poonawalla and a 300 Sc Roadster from Bhogilal collection which is one among the fifty one in the world . It was owned by the Sikkim royal family, however, this vehicle was bought by Pranlal Bhogilal in 1960s It is one of the first cars with fuel injection.
Some of the cars present at the rally were the 1929 Nürburg (W08) having Inline 8 cylinder and owned by Yashwardhan Ruia and the lovely 300D Adenauer (W189) of 50s owned by Abbas Jasdanwalla. The rally also included Huzaifah Bagasrawala’s 230SL (W113 Pagoda) which was a class winner at the 2023 21 Gun Salute Concours. There were also couple of SLs in different derivatives and Viveck Goenka very own 600 Grosser limousine.
Celebration of Automotive Legacy
MD & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, Santosh Iyer said that the 2024 edition of Classic Car Rally is an ode to car history and this year’s event which positions its self as a bridge between the past, the present an the future of quintessential automotive brilliance.
The rally was perfectly appreciated by Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor Autocar India who saw in this rally the cornerstone of the classic car movement in India and a cradle of new generations of collectors and, at least, a proud member of this warm and enthusiastic group.
