Amelia Island 2014

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1914 Mercedes Grand Prix Race Car.

Amelia Island 2014
Mercedes-Benz Displayed

The 19th Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance on March 7-9 was an off-the-charts success. This prestigious event drew a record crowd of over 29,000 attendees for 2014. After attending Amelia for 12 years, this year’s display of over 330 cars and motorcycles from around the world still overwhelmed us.

Event Founder and Chairman Bill Warner planned 40 amazing and diverse classes. The Cars of Honoree ,Jochen Mass, included the Sauber Mercedes C9 from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, CA. Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens drove this Silver Arrow to win the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans.

An outstanding array of Mercedes-Benz cars was displayed in 2 classes:

• 1927 680S – Howard & Madlyn Fafard of Jupiter, FL
• 1928 680S Torpedo Roadster – Craig & Susan McCaw of Santa Barbara, CA
• 1939 540K Special Roadster – Richard E. Workman of Windermere, FL
• 1955 190SL – David & Melissa Mohlman of Carmel, CA
• 1955 300SL Gullwing – Lynn & Michael Harling of Dallas, TX
• 1963 300SL Roadster – Garry & Victoria Peters – West Vancouver, BC

DSCF3098

1989 Sauber-Mercedes C9 from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center.

Cars and Coffee
Big auction results

In its second year, Saturday’s Amelia Island Cars and Coffee event had over 200 participants. Mercedes-Benz owners came in force, with their cars displayed with a backdrop of a Blitzen Benz and the Mercedes-Benz factory exhibit. A 1914 Mercedes Grand Prix Race Car was in the factory exhibit.

On the field we saw the 1999 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG owned by Bob Ross. This was ordered in June 1996 and delivered 3 years later due to certification delays. This was one of the first E55 AMGs in the US to be delivered to a private party, and has only exchanged hands with his son John Ross.

We watched the RM auction bidding for a while. Mercedes-Benz sales included a 1957 300SL Roadster originally owned by Natalie Wood that sold for $1,842,500, 1931 370 S Mannheim Sport Cabriolet for $671,000, 1971 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet for $335,500, and 1961 Mercedes Benz 190SL for $143,000.

bob and connie schmitt/editors at large
photography/bob and connie schmitt

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GALLERY

  • Lynn & Michael Harling's dazzling 1955 300SL.
  • This 300Sc receives some pre-judging attention.
  • 1927 Mercedes 680S of Howard & Madlyn Fafard of Jupiter, FL.
  • Richard Workman's 1939 540K Special Roadster looks resplendent in deep blue against all the brightwork.
  • The 2012 Pebble Beach Best of Show winner of Craig & Susan McCaw looks smashing in its pale grey with deep red accents

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