•Mercedes-Benz opens new 40,000 square-foot Classic Center in Long Beach, California
•Marcus Breitschwerdt: 'A place of craftsmanship, knowledge and expertise'
•Presentation of the Mercedes-Benz C 111 together with the iconic image of the car by Andy Warhol at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the Petersen Automotive Museum
•Mercedes-Maybach enriches Monterey Car Week
Mercedes-Benz Classic will underpin its activities in the U.S. with several highlights. On Friday, August 12, 2022, the new Mercedes-Benz Classic Center will open in Long Beach, California. The company expands its heritage activities in the U.S. with this key destination for classic Mercedes- Benz vehicles and fans of the brand. The following day, visitors are invited to celebrate the opening and view the new location at a 'Classics & Coffee' event. Less than a week later marks the start of Monterey Car Week, which culminates in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, August 21. The iconic Mercedes-Benz C 111 from 1969, which never went into series production, will stand out among the other breathtaking classics on display. A unique opportunity, it will be presented together with the world-famous image of the vehicle from the Carsseries by pop artist Andy Warhol.
New Mercedes-Benz Classic Center Long Beach
With the Grand Opening of its new Classic Center in Long Beach, Mercedes-Benz Classic begins the next chapter of its presence in the U.S. Over the past two decades, the brand's vehicles have been maintained, serviced and authentically restored from the ground up at the Classic Center in Irvine, south of Los Angeles. Long Beach continues this tradition, while also expanding the Center's spectrum of activities. 400 guests, including customers, dealers and representatives of the world's oldest car manufacturer, will be able to watch the cinematic opening of the Classic Center under the theme 'A star is reborn.' This concept builds on long-standing ties: Long Beach was the capital of the motion picture industry until Hollywood took over that role. Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, describes the Classic Center Long Beach as a 'place of craftsmanship, knowledge and expertise, a key destination for classic car enthusiasts and a key hub for the brand's heritage'.
Monterey Car Week 2022
For 26 years, Mercedes-Benz has maintained a prominent presence during Monterey Car Week, the glamorous event for luxurious and exquisite automobiles. Numerous Mercedes-Benz models are an annual fixture at the event. In 2022, the focus will be on the Mercedes-Benz C 111, among others. The sleek super sports car designed for use with the Wankel engine was first presented to an enthusiastic international public in 1969. To the regret of many brand fans it would never go into series production. One of the few experimental vehicles from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection is on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Monterey Car Week provides the rare opportunity to see another example in public and similarly rare masterpieces by pop artist Andy Warhol from his world-famous Cars series. In California, a viewing of both the work and its subject is possible thanks to the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection. The exhibition 'Andy Warhol: Cars– Works from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection' will be shown at Monterey Car Week together with the C 111 super sports car – as well as before and afterwards at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance and Concours d'Elegance
The C 111 will lead this year's Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance, driven by Marcus Breitschwerdt, along with the new Mercedes-AMG SL 63 roadster with Dimitris Psillakis, President and CEO of Mercedes- Benz USA at the wheel.
The brand will also celebrate the fascination of Maybach in Monterey with the presentation of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class 'Maybach by Virgil Abloh' S 680. This unique S-Class will be accompanied by the Virgil Abloh Project MAYBACH Concept. Other stunning vehicles from the top- end luxury segment will be on display including the Concept Mercedes-Maybach EQS and Concept Mercedes-Maybach Haute Voiture.
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which showcases some of the world's finest automobiles, has taken place since 1950. Approximately 200 historic vehicles gather on the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Club to compete for 'Best of Show.' Outstanding classic cars from Mercedes- Benz have been awarded this honor nine times. In 2021, the coveted title went to one of only two 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K 'Autobahnkurier' ('Motorway Courier') models ever built, from the Keller Collection, Petaluma, California.
Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz
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•'Classics & Coffee' on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at the Classic Center Long Beach
The connection between Mercedes-Benz and the United States has historically been very close. The U.S. market is an important one for the cars with the famous three-pointed star and the brand has taken inspiration from there as well. The SL sports cars 190 SL (W 121) and 300 SL (W 198) were created in the 1950s at the suggestion of the brand's importer for the eastern U.S. at the time, visionary businessman Maximilian E. Hoffmann. A large proportion of the production of these two models and all subsequent SL generations were and still are delivered to the U.S.
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