Mercedes-Benz celebrated their 120 years of Motorsport with a spectacular display of open-wheel race cars, from the early French Grand Prix winning car of 1914 to the recent Mercedes-powered Formula One McLarens.
Story and Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt
Click on images to enlarge
The Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany is perhaps the biggest world fair for classic cars. That is the reason why the German automobile manufacturers are represented with large historic booths, like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche and BMW.
You can count dozens of Mercedes 300 SLs for sale, but there is also a varied selection of Italian and French cars brought by classic car clubs, international dealers or by the factories themselves.
At the same time, the organizers staged a special show for 95 years of Zagato.
Here is a selection of what has to be seen in Essen with the Zagato selection coming last, so scroll down!
This to-be-restored Ferrari 166 F2 wears s/n 116. It was first owned by the famous Scuderia Marzotto and once driven by Alberto Ascari in 1951.
The Ferrari 225 S Vignale # 0152 EL was first delivered to amateur French driver nicknamed ‘Pagnibon’ who had a lot of success in France. Together, they also took part to Le Mans, the Tour de France and the 1952 Monaco GP.
TDF 1401 GT was a regular entrant in the late European Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge, driven by Swedish driver Plinio Haas.
This is not a Ferrari 365 California Spyder, but a conversion of a 365 GT 2+2 executed in France in the mid-80s.
Recently restored by Touring of Milan, this Maserati A6G 2000 of 1956 is a design of Frua.
For the 100th anniversary of the Maserati, the German Club showed this 1955 Maserati 300 S, s/n 3051.
On the Maserati Classic stand, we found the Drogo bodied Tipo 61 Birdcage s/n 2472, usually exhibited in the Panini Collection, in Modena.
The first Nardi-Danese, built in 1947, equipped with a 750cc boxer BMW engine and a Motto body.
This strange 1947 Fiat 1500 by Ghia came recently from New Jersey where it was stored since 1987 in a wooden crate.
Recently imported to Europe from the USA, one of the few Fiat 8Vs bodied by Vignale, this one s/n 000051.
Another exercise from Vignale on a Fiat 850, from 1964.
Also from Vignale, this 125 S called Samantha, only produced in about 100 examples in the late sixties.
One of the first cars designed by Michelotti, the Lancia Aurelia B52 was built by Vignale. The starting point of a long collaboration.
For 60 years of the Giulietta, Alfa Romeo was showing the 1955 prototype Spider for the US market.
The Iso Rivolta seen here is prototype # 2 and the oldest known Iso. It was first shown at the Turin Salon in 1962.
By Fissore, a 1964 Osca GT 2 coupé of which only 21 were built.
By Stola, a show car based on the Fiat Barchetta and showed at the 1996 Turin Motor Show.
On the French side, this Deutsch Bonnet with Renault engine has a long history in endurance races with entries at Le Mans in 1954, the Mille Miglia in 1955 and Sebring in 1956.
The Facel-Vega HK500 you see here is famous because of its first owner, Hollywood star Ava Gardner, who already owned two Facel-Vegas when she took delivery of this one in 1959.
The particular design of the Citroën Ami 6, built between 1961 and 1969, has the rear window inclined at an angle opposite to common practice, as also seen on the Ford Anglia.
One of the classic cars that sees its prices going up very quickly at the moment is the Citroën DS. Here a rare coupé by Chapron called ‘Le Dandy’.
An example of the Lancia Appia Zagato similar to Arutuntoff’s (see last week).
First Series? Lancia Flaminia Zagato.
Second Series? Lancia Flaminia Zagato.
The Fiat 8V coupé Zagato s/n 000062 with its Mille Miglia numbers.
The 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Tubolare Zagato.
...and the later TZ-2.
...and by a TZ3 Corsa in 2010, for the 100th anniversary of Alfa-Romeo. Based on the 8C Competizione, this one remains unique.