40 Years of W124
In celebration of the legendary W124 E-Class's 40th anniversary, we showcased every iteration of the W124 series at #MBCCR2024.
Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally 2024: Celebrating the Golden Age of Motoring
First organized by Autocar India with Mercedes-Benz in 2014, the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR), now in its 11th edition, has set a global standard for vintage and classic car rallies. MBCCR has fostered a vibrant community of seasoned collectors and restorers alongside a younger generation of Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts in India. Iconic cars showcased over the years include Viveck Goenka's S-Class collection, Pratapsinh Gaekwad's 230SL Pagoda, Gautam Singhania's 300 Adenauer cabriolet, Yashvardhan Ruia's 1929 Nurburg, H H Maharaja Himanshu Singh Ji’s 300 SL, and Pranlal Bhogilal’s 300Sc Roadster.
This year’s rally in Mumbai celebrated its legacy as India’s premier event for vintage and classic car enthusiasts, with over 95 timeless Mercedes-Benz classics, including 60 debutants, gracing the grand lawns of Taj Land’s End before cruising through the city and drawing record crowds. Flagged off by Mercedes-Benz India MD & CEO, Mr. Santosh Iyer, alongside MLA Ashish Shelar, Lance Bennett, and Emmanuel Bacquet, the event dazzled with its stellar lineup. Highlights included the Supercharged Class, featuring the iconic 500K, 540K, and 630K, making history as all three appeared together for the first time.
What began as a tribute to 120 Years of Motorsport now stands as a grand celebration of Mercedes-Benz heritage, uniting enthusiasts and showcasing the brand’s timeless charm and innovation.
Exciting Classes at #MBCCR2024
Bruno Sacco
The late Bruno Sacco, well-regarded as one of the best-known designers in automotive history, was honored with a new class introduced in remembrance of this iconic designer. This class celebrated the timeless designs of the Italian maestro.
Supercharged Class
Mercedes-Benz, which pioneered the concept of supercharged road cars, was celebrated with a special supercharged class featuring models manufactured as early as the 1930s.
Super Limousine Class
Cars with an extra-long wheelbase, designed for royalty and dignitaries worldwide, were featured in an exclusive class.
Tribute Class
A class dedicated to cars crafted as tributes to the originals included a 190E EVO II tribute, a 124 Hammer replica, and a few more surprises.
Mile Muncher Class
Highlighting the robustness and reliability of Mercedes-Benz engineering, the "Mile Munchers" class showcased classic Mercedes-Benz cars that had journeyed from far-flung places such as Lucknow, Rajkot, Goa, and Kochi, among others.
Gallery
Multiple R107 SLs standing alongside an SLC coupe.
Bevy of 300 Adenauer, 220s Ponton, 230s Fintails and even a 280s made their show debut.
95 Rare vintage and classic Mercs were in attendance.
Celebrating 40 years of W124 class- Every body style and variant of the W124 was present.
The Bruno sacco class.
The event was attended by Mumbai BJP President and MLA Ashish Shelar (centre) and CEO of Mercedes India MD and CEO Santosh Iyer (left)
Imran Majid’s 380SL (R107) flags off the 2024 edition
Ultra Rare fuel injected 300Sc and Maharani Gayatri Devi’s 190SL (now owned by Yohan Poonawala) with other SL models
Sagar Setty’s (W114) 230.6 made its show debut
Every Generation of classic E-class on display
A Rare 170V Cabrio-limousine cruising down the sea side
Mercedes Benz 380SL Roadster cruising down the rally route
Hormusji Cama’s Mercedes Benz 500K Supercharged
A pristine 380 SEC cruising down the route
Mercedes Benz Classic Car rally 2024 features a W108 in pristine condition
Gopi Kiran’s W123 from Mysore
The Mercedes Benz 500k and a R107 380SL spearheads a procession of vintage cars
A beautifully maintained (W115) 230
A convoy of iconic Mercedes Benz models cruising through the rally route
Stories
HIGHLIGHTS
Hormazd Sorabjee,
Editor, Autocar India
“The Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally is the backbone of the classic car movement in India, giving rise to a new genre of classic car collectors and enthusiasts. Autocar India is proud to be associated with such a passionate community of classic car enthusiasts.”
Perseus Bandrawalla,
Curator, MBCCR
“The MBCCR is a museum on wheels, showcasing cars right from the world’s first automobile; the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen (replica), to the state-of-the-art modern classic; the SLS AMG with its iconic gullwing doors. You can practically see the evolution of automobiles over the last 130 years.”
From the Archive
The convoy of classic Mercedes-Benz cars rolled off from Taj Lands End in Bandra to Worli Sea Face and back as part of the rally.
The rally was flagged off by Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ashish Shelar and Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India.
It saw participation from 81 cars across 77 model variants – among the largest gatherings of a one-make series.
The W08 Nurburg and 600 Grosser were among star cars of the show.
This freshly restored 300Sc is just 1 of 50 cars ever produced worldwide.
The iconic 300SL of the Maharaja of Gondal that has won every race it has participated in.
the iconic 500K was the gold standard for grand tourers in the 1930s.
The 129 SL – best remembered from its appearance in the 2001 film, Dil Chahta Hai
All classic generations of the SL-Class on display
Every Mercedes-Benz car on sale in India 30 years ago was on display in the ‘Class of 1994’ section.
Even some rare estates like the Ponton W120, W115, W123 and W124 were present.
The 300SL led the convoy of the classic Merc with the 190SL behind it.
The vintage WO8 Nurburg rolling down the streets of South Bombay.
