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1955 Mercedes 300B:  Remembering the 'Adenauer'

3/31/2015

 
Picture
THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300B Cabriolet owned by
Rudy Rosenberg


WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
In the decade after World War II, this was Mercedes’ flagship car, known as the “Adenauer” because it was the preferred official transportation of Konrad Adenauer, West German chancellor from 1949 to 1963.  According to Rosenberg, only 57 examples of his ‘55 were built for export primarily to the U.S.   His blue Mercedes, with its interior slathered in rich, brown leather and the dash inlaid with wood and chrome, is powered by a three-liter straight six engine putting out 125 horsepower.  He’s named his ride “Saskia” after the wife of artist Rembrandt van Rijn because, he says, “the car has the fluid, sensuous lines of a Dutch painting.” 

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 1963

WHERE HE FOUND IT
“It was in a repair shop on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola or Williston Park (New York),” Rosenberg says, “and it had belonged to a pilot who would drive to Idlewild (now JFK) Airport and park it there for a week.  Every time he came back, he found the car vandalized so he decided to sell it.”  The price was $2,225 and Rosenberg didn’t have the money, so he asked his boss for a loan. 

CONDITION
Rosenberg used the Mercedes as his only car for a dozen years.  By 1975, he had embarked on a multi-year restoration that he describes as a “nightmare,” including the disappearance of his mechanic, the engine and a number of the car’s other parts.  All the items were eventually recovered.  “I finally whittled it down to honest, skillful people,” he says, and “it’s really only in the last two years -- and especially in the last six months -- that I finally got it back to where I wanted it.”

TIPS FOR OTHER OWNERS
“Buy one where somebody else has put the money into it,” he advises, “because unless it’s a really rare, rare car, you’ll never see your money again.  It’s a question of love.”

VALUE
A similar car sold for $151,250 at an Arizona auction last year.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“I’m a Holocaust survivor and yet I’ve always been very impressed by the pre-war Mercedes,” Rosenberg says.  “All of a sudden, there was this car, which, to the uninitiated, looks like a pre-war Mercedes-Benz.  The cars were so beautiful and I wanted one.”   He recalls a lot of memories with “Saskia,” including his use of the reclining seats on trips to drive-in movie theaters and a soothing fall drive to distract him from the news of President Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963.   “I’ve owned the car now over 50 years and I have come to realize that I really don’t own it.  I’m just a caretaker.  And I hope the person who gets it after me will enjoy it and take care of it as much as I do.”


1969 Volkswagen Type 2: German-Accented Pickup

3/16/2015

 
PicturePhoto: G. Henderson
THE TRUCK AND ITS OWNER
1969 Volkswagen Type 2 Single Cab (SC) pickup owned by Gary Henderson

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
As VW increased sales of its postwar “Beetle,” known as the Type 1, the company decided to introduce a utilitarian panel van, the Type 2, in 1950 that morphed into the familiar Microbus, camper and several other varieties, including this rare, head-turning pickup.  The Type 2’s “forward control” design, with the driver riding over the front wheels, was widely copied by European and American manufacturers. Henderson’s pickup has become an unusual sight on American streets thanks in part to a trade war between the U.S., Germany and France.  “In 1964,” he says, “Germany and France decided to put an import tariff on poultry from the U.S.  Our Congress, in reaction to this, wrote legislation nicknamed the ‘Chicken Tax,’” which curtailed American importation of German light trucks and later caused VW cargo vans and pickups to exit the U.S. market. 

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 2011

WHERE HE FOUND IT
It was advertised on an enthusiast site by a California owner. 

CONDITION
Henderson’s Single Cab features a striking red and black paint scheme inspired by a similar Type 2 that he saw on a cable TV show.  “The SC had little or no rust on the body,” he says.  “The truck bed was another story.  The previous owner ran a woodworking shop, so the continued use wore out the optional wood slats and cab paint.”  He restored the teak slats before the repaint.  “All the chrome was in good condition, so that just needed elbow grease.   The interior was really beat -- no headliner, ripped seats, etc. This was totally redone.”

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“A VW is a great first-time project to get you into the world of collecting and restoring classic cars,” Henderson advises.  “Always keep your pickups garaged.  Water is not very kind to these old truck beds.” 

VALUE
“I’ve seen these Single Cabs bring $15,000 to $28,000 online and at auctions,” he says. The NADA Guides puts a "high retail" value of $35,200 on a 1969 VW pickup.  Earlier Double Cabs bring even more and a perfectly restored Microbus sold for a record $235,000 last year.

THE BOTTOM LINE 
“As I started driving this beautiful VW around town,” Henderson says, “it seems that everyone I met and talked to owned some kind of Volkswagen in their lifetime and were eager to share that. I am always asked how I made this out of a VW bus.  Most folks never have seen a VW pickup.”


1967 Fiat Abarth 1300 OT: Little Coupe, Big Sting

3/9/2015

 
Picture
THE CAR AND ITS OWNER
1967 Fiat Abarth 1300 OT owned by James Moore

WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
Climb behind the wheel of a car with the Abarth scorpion crest and you’re almost guaranteed an exciting ride.  The company -- founded in Italy in 1949 by Austrian motorcycle racer/designer Karl (Carlo) Abarth and a partner -- was dedicated to building its own race or road cars, or making high-performance modifications to others, including Fiats and Porsches.  Today, the brand is part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the scorpion, Karl’s astrological sign, can be found on the sportiest new Fiat 500 coupes and convertibles.   Don’t be fooled by the cute looks of Moore’s little coupe.  The 1300 OT was an aggressive and successful race car of its day, posting many wins on world championship tracks.  Some enthusiasts claim fewer than 10 may remain in the U.S.  “This is a very rare automobile,” says Moore of his Fiat.  “The parts and restoration of my car were gathered from all over the world and it has taken me more than 20 years to complete.”

HOW LONG HE’S OWNED IT
Since 1986

WHERE HE FOUND IT
It was advertised in the local newspaper and he bought it from a Southampton, New York owner.

CONDITION
“The car was a complete restoration,” Moore says.  “Both floor panels and both fenders had to be replaced.  Parts were ordered over the years from various countries all over Europe and North America. It had been out of production since 1972. I still have the original owner's manual that came with the car and a lot of paperwork written in Norwegian, where the car was originally purchased. I did as much of the restoration as I could.”  He put the main body and paint work, as well as heavy engine repair, in the hands of experts on Long Island.  

TIPS FOR OWNERS
“You need a really good body shop and a reliable mechanic,” he advises.  “Enjoy being an owner of one of these special, rare cars.”

VALUE
Moore estimates the Fiat is worth around $70,000.

THE BOTTOM LINE
“Cars have been my life-long passion,” Moore says, as he grew up watching Formula 1 racing and rallies, and attending races at fabled tracks, such as Bridgehampton, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen and Sebring. “Owning my Abarth is a joy.  My car has been shown at various automobile shows on the North Shore of Long Island, as well as being featured on the cover of the Fiat Club quarterly publication. Showing the car is exciting for me and my family.  This is an unusual automobile, which, in the past few years, has had a renewed interest and following, thanks to the Fiat Abarth 500 reintroduction.”


1937 Imperial C-15:  First power locks & windows?

3/2/2015

1 Comment

 
PictureThe C-15. (Photo: H. Kroplick)
We're always fascinated by the latest automotive technologies, so we got curious recently when we saw the power locks and windows on a magnificent 1937 Chrysler Imperial C-15 LeBaron town car that recently returned from first in class wins at the Pebble Beach and Radnor Hunt Concours.  Owned by Howard Kroplick of East Hills, New York and recently restored by Steve Babinsky's renowned New Jersey facility, the car features spring-loaded automatic windows and locks.  With a chauffeur's flick of the door handle, the windows go up and the passenger compartment locks tight with guillotine-like precision.  In the video below, Kroplick shows how easily they operate.

Are these the industry's first power locks and windows?  Well, not quite.  It appears the 1915 Scripps-Booth was the first to offer power locks.  The website earlyamericanautos.com features a brief story from a November 1914 issue of Motor Age that touts this new-fangled feature.  "The electric door latches are operated by a pushbutton, placed close to the door in the side of the body, operates the latch magnetically, eliminating entirely door handles of any form," says Motor Age.  Americans apparently didn't care much for the power locks and they didn't reappear until 1956, on a Packard.  But, as they say, the rest is history.

The origin of power windows is a little more complicated.  Our research indicates that they were first offered on the 1940 Packard 180 and were soon followed in 1941on top-end Lincolns.  It wouldn't be until after World War II that the technology became more widespread.  So, indeed, the one-off Chrysler may be the first car with power windows, even though they weren't for mass consumption.

To learn more about the Chrysler's windows and locks -- and about this magnificent car in general -- we encourage you to visit Kroplick's great website, Vanderbilt Cup Races, where you can read all about the restoration, see detailed photos and enjoy commentary from Hemmings columnist and classic car guru Walt Gosden.  This town car, commissioned by Walter P. Chrysler for his wife, Della, is loaded with special custom features.  We especially like the center tail lamp, whose design mimics the front grill almost exactly.


Picture
The Chrysler's center tail lamp
1 Comment
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    David Fluhrer has been the classic car columnist for Newsday since 2008, and a new car reviewer for Newsday's auto section since 2018. 

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