German Only! Neat Local Collection focuses primarily on Mercedes-Benz

A collector opens his newly-built garage to us to share his passion for German cars, particularly those of the Mercedes-Benz persuasion.

Words & images: Wilhelm Lutjeharms

As the front doors of the main house are opened, the cars instantly become the show pieces in the garage with its transparent doors. This collector recently moved into his new house and for enthusiasts like us it is the garage (and what it holds) that is of the greatest interest.

• Find your dream classic Mercedes-Benz here.

Each of us have a dream list or cars we would love to have in our perfect garage. Here we have a case of family history being intertwined with this collector’s preferences, while he is also clearly adamant to rather have fewer cars, but cars that are all in perfect condition and which are meticulously maintained. 

Apart from a single Porsche 911, all the cars are from the other significant manufacturer in Stuttgart, Mercedes-Benz. 

Where it all started

“When I was younger, my uncles drove these older Mercedes models in the shape of the W108 280S and my father had a W115. As a family we always appreciated this brand. Growing up, I would hang out with cousins and friends and talk about all things cars. Later on, my love for Mercedes-Benz grew and I started buying some classics.

“However, I started with a 1951 split-window Volkswagen Beetle. Then I moved to Mercedes-Benz and acquired a 1958 220S Ponton and later also a Caledonian Green W108 280SE. I eventually cleaned up the car and sold it, and then purchased a 280SE 3.5 sedan. Finally, I also sold that car and then I purchased my dream version - a W111 1968 280SE Coupé which I really love. This specific car is fitted with air conditioning, electric windows, power steering, electric sunroof and even an electric aerial as well as the original Becker radio and unrestored interior.”

We move on to a more modern car, an R129 SL which is currently fitted with its factory-supplied panoramic hard top.

“This 1997 SL500 I saw long ago at Mercedes-Benz Century City. Eventually I got the owner’s details and I phoned him every six months for three years. It belonged to a Dutch owner, and after three years he advised that he was moving overseas and he was finally happy to sell it to me. I’ve had the car since 2011. It has the glass panoramic sunroof, 75 000 km on the odo and a full Mercedes-Benz dealership history. I really love driving this car.

“The Porsche is a bit of an outlier in this collection, but my interest in these cars stared many years ago. I always had a poster of the Porsche 911 at the back of my bedroom door. Around 2005 when Porsche was still in Randburg, I visited them and in the back of the showroom they had a maroon W124 Mercedes-Benz E320 fitted with an AMG body kit. This car really played on my mind. So, I decided to purchase it. They sent the car to Porsche Cape Town, then based in Tyger Valley at the time. When the car was handed over to me, with the Mercedes-Benz key on a Porsche keyring, they told me: 'One day when you are big, you are welcome to come buy a Porsche'. That has really stuck with me.

• Find a classic Porsche for yourself here!

“I then bought the very first SA-bound 991-generation 911 Carrera S in 2012. One thing led to another and I acquired this 2015 911 Carrera GTS (also the first-delivered GTS in SA). I also love it because it is one of the last naturally-aspirated Carrera GTS models.”

The nostalgic car

At the very end of the garage is a very plain-looking Mercedes-Benz 190E. As is often the case with us enthusiasts, nostalgia can play an important role in the type of cars, brands or even colours we like. Or, more importantly if there is a family connection to a certain car, which is the case in point with this specific car.

“My dad always liked the 190E. One day I bought my father a silver one and my mother a blue one. They drove them for many years. This silver one we still have in the family to this day. It is a 1993 2.0-litre automatic and we’ve had this car now for around 20 years.”

There is also a lovely story regarding his wife’s E350 Cabriolet. He promised her years’ ago when they were dating that he would buy her a cabriolet so she can wear a scarf and let her hair blow in the wind. This eventually came true and for obvious reasons he is not allowed to sell this car, which they have now enjoyed for 13 years. “That is like a genuinely do-not-touch-car!”

“For me these cars offer a combination of things. It is a hobby and if you buy the right car, its an investment. We are also members of the Mercedes-Benz Club of South Africa. We have been going on runs and events for several years and my kids have been joining us over the years and both of them also have fond memories of these outings.

“We really have a lot of fun with these cars plus you can use them. We’ve also been to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. It was fascinating because it is actually more of a historical museum than a car museum. It shows the history of the world through cars.”

The one car that he has dreamt of from the first time he laid eyes on it, was the Mercedes-Benz SLS Gullwing… he had asked several Mercedes-Benz dealerships countrywide to source one for him as he wanted one with history and provenance from Mercedes. The Paarl dealer principal phoned him in October 2021 to say that “your car has arrived”… the rest is history and that car now forms part of the collection.

Asking the collector if there are still some dream cars he would like to own or add to his collection, he says that one big goal would have to be a powerful, red, Italian sports car. We can only guess which brand that points to! In terms of Mercedes-Benz, he says a W113 280SL “Pagoda” or maybe a W121 190SL... both some of the most stylish cars from Mercedes-Benz’s history.