Collectible Dreams

Whether young or old, the winter holiday season is that time of year when we think of many things, including toys.  Toys spur the imagination in all of us.  They remind us of times past, dreams unfulfilled or aspirations of things to come.  I have long had a fascination for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and over the years created a collection of those few vehicles that hold very special memories.

As this is the time of year to reflect, I decided to group these automotive memories in a chronological format. First, and my all-time favorite, is the C111. I remember reading the news of this vehicle way back in the late 60s. I even remember building a model of that very first-gen C-111 (long since gone).  Several years ago, I visited the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart, and I happened upon this version of the C111-II.  I particularly prefer this version which, unlike the Mercedes Benz Classic Center cars that you see occasionally, has the proper racing width Bridgestone tires.

While my father owned several Mercedes Benz during his lifetime, my first ownership was with a used 1974 SL 450. I wonderful, iconic car which cemented my love for Mercedes.

Work took my family and I to southern Germany, where I was fortunate to have a 1998 C280 automatic as my company car.  Our family enjoyed many comfortable, high speed Autobahn miles in this vehicle as we traveled to numerous weekend destinations.

Fast forward many years.  I received a Father’s Day gift from my wife and daughter to the AMG Driver’s Academy, held at Road Atlanta. Between driving the fabulous SLS and wet water drifting the SL 63, my Mercedes Benz desires were reignited. One month later I bought my own SL 55, in part because I wanted the torque of the supercharged engine. So childish.

An invitation from the AMG owner’s group, Private Lounge, provided an opportunity to attend the New York Auto Show.  There I had the opportunity to enjoy the 45th anniversary SL 65 (only 45 were built). Cruising through Costco later that year, I came across the more affordable version of that car.

No AMG collection would be complete without the Red Pig, the car which put AMG on the motorsports map. This highly detailed model is courtesy of my local Mercedes Benz gift shop.

My most recent SL addition is this SL 65 Black Series. A beast of a V-12 car that makes my collection complete.

Finally, another Private Lounge invitation to Palm Springs enabled me to experience the new AMG GT first hand. Although not a huge fan of the GT, I did feel I needed to have one example in my collection, hence my GT3 Lego racer.

What’s your collection like?  We’d love you to share your dreams with us.