Etienne Prowse has a rather interesting collection of Mercedes-Benz cars, with models spanning several decades, as well body styles.
Words and images: Wilhelm Lutjeharms
The first time I met Etienne Prowse was at Zwartkops Raceway outside Pretoria. He was kind enough to bring along his Merceded-Benz 450SLC 5.0 Mampe tribute race car for a drive and a photoshoot. Apart from talking about all things related to cars, it was evident that he was a true Mercedes-Benz enthusiast.
Etienne invited to me to come and see his car collection, located outside of Hermanus, when he visited the Cape again. Recently we managed to align our diaries and early one morning, when all the holiday makers were heading to the beach, I made me way towards a secret location outside of the bustling coastal town.
The collection
The building where Etienne stores his collection thankfully has enough space for all the cars as well as lots of parts. He is working with a plan though, as he wants to rent out some these cars in the near future. However, first we rewind back to where it all started.
“I only really started collecting Mercedes cars in 2012. A R107 500SL was the first car I bought. I wanted a 500SL as they are rarer than the more prolific 450SL. However, I learned a hard lesson. When I checked the chassis number and details, I found out that it was actually a 450SL. I subsequently sold it and quickly discovered how and what to look for when purchasing a classic Mercedes.
“My father drove Mercedes-Benzes as company cars in the 1980s. Some enthusiasts always joke and say you drive what your father drove. That has been the case with me.
“There is a trick to it though. When I had around three cars, my wife started raising her eyebrows. Then, for her 50th birthday, I bought her an SLK32 AMG. Again, my approach was that only around 4 000 were manufactured. When I found one, it was not close to her birthday, so I had to hide the car for a few months before I could give it to her. From then on, we were collecting Mercedes-Benz cars together. It is a trick that worked!
“I think Mercedes-Benz has been building great cars for many decades. Even when I bought that first SL, I couldn’t believe what it still offered after so many decades. This included the level of performance, practicality and ride quality.”
Etienne comfortably admits that his cars are not concourse condition cars. But as he is using them regularly and then also plans to rent them out, it is understandable why he wants to have them in a good, but not concourse condition.
The main building houses, among other cars, three 450SLs, a 280SL and a 500SL. Apart from the one R129 500SL, all the cars are from the 107-series. Etienne says he can’t actually explain how he ended up focussing on the 107-series. He says it is also partly because the Pagoda is not as fun and practical to drive and also now costs an arm and a leg.
“I also have several additional R107 bumpers and other parts, including a full wiring loom and an engine.”
We head outside where Etienne and his assistant have neatly parked the cars. There is clearly quite a lot on the to-do list this morning. The row of cars is made up of no fewer than three SLK32 AMGs, an SLK320 and an SLK200.
“With 260 kW in such a relatively small car, it is truly a fun experience. I’ve had no major issues with the SLK32 AMGs. The only issue that is surfacing now is that some of the small pistons that are part of the automatic roof mechanism, now need some attention.”
Two of the SLK32 AMGs have full-service histories, but the beautiful blue example had sadly been in an accident before Etienne bought it, but he knew that, meaning it is currently an emergency parts car should anything major go wrong with any of the other two. “The SLK320 is truly a great little cruiser. Same engine as the SLK32 AMG, but just without the compressor.”
Etienne tackles some of the easier jobs himself, for example replacing the roof lining. “You can’t have all the jobs on these cars done by other people, it will simply cost too much. Remember, Google is your friend!”
The car with the highest mileage, but also for some enthusiasts the most desirable, is the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240GD Geländewagen. It has a full-service history, throughout its 601 000 km! Even so, there is some work that must be done on this car which is earmarked for 2025.
It might be a single-brand collection, but between the AMGs, the Geländewagen, SLs and SLCs, the collection covers a wide base of Mercedes-Benz’s rich history and offerings.