Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally 2022 – India Coverage

BOMBAY, INDIA, NOVEMBER 2022

From the globally acclaimed cars of the Maharajas to the W124s that found their way to the UK (no, I’m still not going to mention the CityRover), India hasn’t been an absentee from the world automotive map. But the growing interest in the last few years has certainly been phenomenal. We see cars & coffee becoming a common phenomenon worldwide, and similar car rallies have become commonplace in the Indian context too. Among the rather recent but prominent ones is MBCCR, a Mercedes-Benz-India-backed rally that’s organised by Autocar India, and attracts owners and fans of classic and vintage Mercedes from across the country. It’s been a regular occurrence since 2014, which might make you wonder if it has become a repeat of the previous ones.

Being the cynical self that I am, apprehensions tend to find a way to my mind quicker than rust on a W210 E-Class. Misplaced generalisations aside, it’s true that if you aren’t looking at each car, it can get a bit repetitive looking at a convoy of shiny Mercedes-Benz cars, trundling along and making all sorts of mechanical noises (mostly likeable ones), catching every eyeball in the vicinity, and most importantly, always, without fail, bringing a smile to the face of the one behind the wheel but also of those who’ve got their eyes fixated on cars that don’t just seem from a different era but rather a different world altogether…

So, how was it? Quite simply, as magical as it always is, this annual rally. The great thing is that apart from the organisers’ efforts to include the complete lineup of models like the E-Class and S-Class, some special cars also turned up at the event. For instance, there were nearly all the generations of the SL: from the W121, the Pagoda, the R107 (in both SL and SLC forms), R129, and even the pre-facelift R230. The S-Class was represented by all models from the W116 onwards to the latest, and not to forget, the preceding ones, too — from when Mercedes-Benz didn’t call its flagship saloon the ‘S-Class’. The 126-series had not just the saloon but also three C126 SEC coupes; one of which has been ‘bagged’. Similarly, all generations of the C-Class were present till the W203, including a nice pre-C W201 190D. Best of Sacco? That’s controversial, but one of his best, without a doubt.

The W123 was present in almost all shapes and sizes: the standard saloon, coupe, estate, and even the ‘Lang’ long wheelbase (V123) version, which the owner was kind enough to let me drive from Goa to Bombay a day before the event. The W124 wasn’t to be left ignored, either — it was, after all, the first Mercedes-Benz car they made in India. Some privately imported W124s joined the party: a clean red S124 estate on AMG wheels, a well-restored 300E (India only got the E220 and E250 D, officially), a pair of convertibles, and a long-wheelbase version. That’s obviously not all! There was also the Nurburg in an immaculate nick, it’s become a regular on these drives, like the Patent-Motorwagen replica, an ‘Adenauer’ convertible, and a couple of 170Vs. A Binz-made 190D estate made its appearance at the rally, and just about bookended the variety of cars that India has. Until the next one pops up, that is!

From the collector’s perspective, it’s clear that the support system for these cars is growing. Even in a market like India, which is flooded with inexpensive cars and motorcycles, there’s still a great opportunity to get your hands on a classic. And when you decide to make it even more special, you may want to step this way: parts.theslshop.com