Gems in the Rockies. Literally.
On Saturday, Sept. 13 there will be 35 examples of Mercedes-Benz 300 SL gullwing and 300 SL Roadster automobiles on display on the 9,000 sq. ft. croquet lawn at the Banff Springs Hotel.
Collectively, that’s close to $65-million in vintage vehicles.
These cars are coming to Banff thanks to the Gull Wing Group International (www.gullwinggroup.org). The worldwide organization has been around for more than half a century, and its membership is comprised of enthusiasts who appreciate the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300SL cars.
“This will be the 46th annual convention,” said Stephen Ross, Calgary-based gullwing owner and organizer of this year’s event. “It’s only the third time this convention has been held in Canada in all of those years.
Plus, 2014 is the 60th anniversary of the introduction of the production version of the 300SL.”
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Calgary’s Stephen Ross racing his 1956 300SL.
Courtesy Stephen Ross, Driving
Some of the gullwing group members and their vehicles are coming from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and Israel.
Many of those owners first shipped their cars to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California. Held the third Sunday in August, the Concours d’Elegance brings the who’s who of the vintage car hobby to North America.
“All of those 300 SLs will be driven up from California to take part in the Gull Wing Group Convention,” Ross said.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL took its inspiration from the automaker’s W194 racecar, and the civilian-ized version of the gullwing debuted at the New York Auto Show in 1954. Production lasted just three years, and ended in 1957. Only 1,400 left the factory.
Production of the 300SL Roadster ran from 1957 to 1961, and 1,858 of them were built.
In 2009 Mercedes-Benz picked up on the gullwing heritage when it introduced the SLS AMG. But, the gull wing doors were short lived again, as production ended earlier in 2014.
Okotoks Collector Car Auction owner Jeff Hill said the original 300 SLs were revolutionary upon their introduction.
“They were such a ground breaking car, they were the first real supercar in terms of appearance and performance,” Hill said.
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A parade of gullwings on San Francisco’s famed Lombard Street.
Gull Wing Group International, Driving
Ross bought his 1956 gullwing in 2002, and extensively toured and raced his vehicle before commissioning a complete restoration in 2011.
“There were only a handful of 300 SLs originally delivered in Canada,” Ross said, “and mine was one of them.”
His gullwing was first sold in Toronto. It then was sold to a buyer in Mississauga before moving west to Calgary.
“It was sold to someone local who was a forest fire fighter,” Ross said. “He used helicopters, and he sold the car in 1972 to Heinz Zabbee so he could buy another helicopter.”
Zabbee was the owner of Alberta Chrome and Grinding in Calgary, and after he had owned the gullwing for 30 years,
Ross learned the car was for sale through word of mouth.
“I bought the car on June 1, 2002 and I’m the fifth owner – the car has always been owned by a Canadian.”
The Banff convention is a five-day event (www.gwgconvention.net). It starts on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and ends Sunday, Sept. 14. Wednesday is the welcome day, while Thursday features a technical presentation. Friday is a driving day, with a route planned to take in many of the best roads and vistas in the Rocky Mountains. Saturday is, of course, the day of the show, and it’s open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Several clubs from Calgary, including the BMW Club, the Porsche Club, the Vintage Sports Car Club, the Ferrari Club, the Calgary Vintage Racing Club and the Alfa Romeo Club are planning to attend,” Ross said. “The weather forecast looks great, and if anyone gets tired of looking at the 300 SLs, there’ll virtually be another car show on the soccer pitch.”
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have an auto related item to share for the column or What’s Next? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca. Visit his website at gregwilliams.ca.
WHAT’S NEXT
Sept. 13: Ride for the Breath of Life in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Motorcycle ride begins at 9 a.m. with breakfast at Mr. Mikes in Airdrie, and departs at 10:30 a.m. Run includes a coffee break in Linden and wrap-up function in Drumheller. Visit http://www.rideforthebreathoflife.ca to register.
(To see your event listed, email the details, at least three weeks in advance, to gregwilliams@shaw.ca.)
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