More than an old car #46: Mercedes W121 190 SL

Mercedes has always been a dream car for many, including me. By now, you would have deduced that my dream car has to be older than 1990, and yet practical enough to take it for a spin. This 1959 Mercedes W121 190 SL is one that I can only imagine being in my possession.

Mercedes-Benz as we know today was formed as a result of a merger between 2 companies in 1926: Benz & Companie Rheinishce Gasmotoren-Fabrik [founded by Karl Benz and others in 1883] and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft [founded by Gottlieb Daimler in 1890]. The Mercedes name is Spanish for "godsend" and was the name of a buyer's daughter. Its three-pointed star logo signifies the company's goal of developing engines for "land, water and air". After the war, Mercedes focused its efforts on producing vehicles that would wow the world many times over, along with the buses that has served many of us today.

The 190 SL [with internal designation W121] arose as a result of pressure by Max Hoffman, the US importer of European cars. He desired a street version of the famous 300 SL and both cars appeared at the New York Auto Show in 1954. Perennially overshadowed by its more famous sister and lacking in power in comparison, it was relatively ignored back then. However, as prices of the 300 SL can easily exceed $1 million nowadays, the 190 SL has returned to the fore as a cheaper alternative for Mercedes' exquisite design.

The 190 SL did not excel on the track and was seen as a "lifestyle car for the road". However, it had an aesthetically pleasing styling with its aerodynamic bullet-shape, down to the "eyebrows" over the wheel arches. This car is the less vivacious, yet beautiful girl unnoticed by many, for a lack of better comparison. It was powered by a 1897cc inline-4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 180km/h with an acceleration of 12.7 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 4.22m and weighed 1140kg.

Production ended in 1963 with 25,881 made, of which only 562 were in RHD. Surprisingly, I have seen at least 5 on our roads, which is 1% of the entire RHD population! It has a very unique style that is unfortunately not seen in cars today. The 190 SL is also associated with notable celebrities such as designer Karl Lagerfeld [who crashed it into a tree], Prince Rainier of Monaco and Beatle Ringo Starr. Although it may not be as sporty as the 300 SL, you could imagine yourself behind the wheel and enjoying the wind in your face. It set the groundwork for Mercedes to produce cars that never fail to captivate us along with the ubiquitous star. Do keep a lookout for them and appreciate the beauty of German engineering!

More than an old car #45: Triumph TR4A

It is quite interesting to see that quite a number of classic cars here tend to pay homage to our British colonial roots--Minis, MGs and Triumphs make up the bulk of our classic car heritage. Among them, it includes this less prominent gem that is the 1965 Triumph TR4A.

The TR4A was based off the original TR4, which was produced between 1961-1965. The main difference between them was the type of suspension system--TR4s utilised a "Hotchkiss drive" suspension, currently used by SUVs today while TR4As used an "independent rear suspension" system, which is used by most cars today. Other changes included a revised grille and a new hood badge. It was powered by a 2138cc 4-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 175km/h. It was 3.96m long and weighed 1016kg.

Production of the TR4A stopped in 1967, with only 28,465 made. I don't say this often, but I really love the Royal Blue [Code 56] paint scheme--it really accentuates the curves on this little British car and the cream interior. I hope you have the chance to capture this on our roads!

More than an old car #44: BMW 3.0 CS

Throughout my years of spotting, I have been pleasantly surprised to see quite a number of old BMWs on the roads. Once a while, I am treated to rare sights such as this 1973 BMW E9 3.0 CS!

The BMW New Six CS, or internally known as the E9, was a two-door coupe produced in 1968. It was based on the previous 2000 CS model, except that it was longer so as to accommodate the new, larger engine. The slight forward slope at the front made it visually pleasing to look at, even though it didn't really help with the aerodynamics. Various types of the E9 were made, such as the 2800 CS, 3.0 CSi and the 3.0 CSL. The 3.0 CS was introduced in 1971, where it was powered by a 2986cc M30 6-cylinder engine. As a result, it could reach a top speed of 200km/h, with an acceleration of 8.5 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 4.66m long and weighed 1440kg.

Production of the E9 stopped in 1975. Throughout its lifetime, it performed very well in different championship races to the point that it has become a well-known classic. Although it was highly desirable by many, the steep price it commanded was a turn-off. Of the whole range, only 4455 were 3.0 CS models. I am aware of at least 3 other models that exist here. Apparently, this car has its registration number changed between the 2 years since I last saw it. It's quite heartening to know that the owner is still continuing to keep this handsome lad on our roads!

More than an old car #43: Fiat 130 Coupe

Fiat is not a foreign name to most people here, but certainly not a brand which you would think of immediately when mentioning about Italian cars. It has a long pedigree of popular vehicles for the masses, including this pristine 1975 Fiat 130 Coupe.

Gianni Agnelli, along with several investors, founded the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino [Italian Automobile Factory of Turin] in 1899. The 'Fiat' name was only in use from 1906. It became, and still is, the largest automobile factory in Italy since 1910. Fiat enjoyed much success in both Italy and abroad such as the US. In 2014, Fiat and Chrysler merged to form the Fiat Chrysler Automotive [FCA] conglomerate. As a result, brands like Alfa Romeo and Jeep are produced under the FCA flagship.

The Fiat 130 Coupe was based off the main Fiat 130 sedan, and was first manufactured in 1971. Back then, the sedan Fiat 130s were quite popular as it was marketed as a luxury car. The coupe version was designed by Paolo Martin from the Pininfarina design house, and it turned out to be quite different from the sedan version. As with cars of that period, it was quite boxy, yet you would be able to discern the subtle hints of fluidity in motion. It was powered by a 3235cc 6-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 195 km/h and an acceleration of 9.2 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4.84 m long and weighed 1555 kg, which was rather hefty back then.

Production of the 130 Coupe stopped in 1977, with close to 4500 made. However, only around 500 were made in RHD configuration. This is the only one registered on our roads, although I have seen another unregistered one with automatic transmission. I was fortunate to be able to go up close to this unlikely rarity during a classic car exhibition and the rumble of the V6 is a rare sound to our ears these days, due to the shift towards hybrid cars. It may look terribly unremarkable, but you would be hard-pressed to not imagine a well-dressed person behind the wheel!

More than an old car #42: Maserati Biturbo

Mention 'luxury cars' and the usual brands pop up eg Mercedes, Ferrari etc. Some more knowledgeable enthusiasts may then remember Maserati, or the car with a trident. Although its modern offerings are well-known, I believe not many would associate it with a classic vehicle such as this 1989 Maserati Biturbo 222 here.

Maserati was founded in 1912 by the Maserati brothers: Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore and Ernesto. The trident logo is based on the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna's Piazza Maggiore, the original home town of Maserati. It was selected as Neptune represented strength and vigor, which was a positioning strategy fitting for a sports car company. It started out manufacturing race cars up till 1957, where it focused its efforts on making road-going vehicles up till today. Maserati was first bought over by Citroen in 1968, then by De Tomaso in 1975 and finally by the Fiat group since 1989.

The Biturbo was first conceived in 1976 as a model for the "common man" compared to its previous high-range offerings. Many different variants were made over its lifetime with different names given. This Biturbo 222 naming represents a 2-door car, 2-litre twin-turbo engine and 2nd generation. As a 2-door 2+2 coupe, it had 4 seats that could fit adults sufficiently. It was powered by a 1996cc 6-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 225km/h and an acceleration of 6 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 4.15m long and weighed 1210kg. Unfortunately, the Biturbo was plagued by electrical problems and rust such that it was very expensive to fix. As a result, Time magazine called it "one of the 50 worst cars of all time".

Production ended in 1998 with only 76 made in right-hand drive for the 2-litre variants. Based on my knowledge, this is the only one on our roads, making this a surprising unicorn. For some reason, it is badged as an E222 even though this nomenclature was only for the 2790cc engine variant. If one was looking for a cheap luxury car, this was the answer although it does not seem to stand out from the box-shaped models of that time. Currently, it is at a car workshop in the north awaiting its next buyer. Do take the opportunity to appreciate this bygone luxury which is so unlike the ones we see today!

More than an old car #41: Mercedes W123 250 Limousine

Limousines are a rare sight despite a glut of luxury automobiles in our tiny red dot--they would not be very practical and parking would be a feat on its own. It is therefore impressive to see this 1984 Mercedes W123 250 limousine casually hanging out with other vehicles as well!

The W123 series is a range of executive cars made by Mercedes from 1976, and it was the most successful model at 2.7 million sold before it was replaced by the W124. These cars came with either 4 unequal round headlights or rectangular ones, and they were longer in exterior dimensions compared to previous models. For the long-wheelbase versions ["Lang"], it came in a 7 or 8-seater format, with the middle seats folded down as and when necessary. It was powered by a 2525cc 6-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 185km/h with an acceleration of 11.9 seconds. It was 5.36m long and weighed 1570kg.

Production ended in 1985 with 5180 made, although I believe few of them were in right-hand drive. I am aware of one other unit in Singapore that is black in colour. Owning a car is already very taxing, not to mention a limousine which would require even more care from errant drivers or overly curious people. Such vehicles are easily associated with the wealthy as they go about in class; when was the last time you saw a limo on our roads? Kudos to the owner for continuing to maintain such an unlikely Mercedes--it would pass off so well as a wedding car and I hope you get a chance to see it too!

More than an old car #40: Triumph Stag

Think of the word 'triumph' and you would evoke scenes of victory and achievement. Most of you would not have thought that Triumph refers to a car company of yesteryear, or the 1974 Triumph Stag that I spotted.

The Triumph Motor Company was founded in 1885 by Siegfried Bettmann from Germany, as S.Bettmann & Co. It started out as a bicycle importer before it was renamed "Triumph" in 1886. Though it experienced success as a motorcycle manufacturer, it entered the car industry in 1921. Triumph went into receivership during 1938 and car production stopped due to WWII. After the war, it was bought over by Standard Motor Company in 1944 and by Leyland Motors in 1960. The Triumph name disappeared in 1984 when BMW bought over its owner Austin Rover Group. Currently, the brand name is owned by BMW even though no cars are badged as such.

The Triumph Stag arose from a styling experiment back in 1963, where the famous Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti worked on a series of Triumph cars including the Stag. The first Stag was produced in 1970 and it was envisioned to be a competitor to the Mercedes R107 SL-class. As a 2+2 sports tourer, it was a 4-seater convertible coupe and was received warmly initially. Quite uniquely, its logo featured a highly stylized stag rather than a griffin. It was powered by a 2997cc Triumph 8-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 190 km/h with an acceleration of 10 seconds [0-100km/h]. It was 4.42 m long and weighed 1268 kg.

However, the Stag quickly became notorious for its unreliability, specifically engine overheating. Due to numerous design flaws in the engine such as the position of the coolant, it had a tendency to heat up excessively in traffic. Numerous replacements were also required, as the aluminium-iron mixture corroded easily. It proved so bad that Time magazine rated it as one of the 50 worst cars ever made. As a result, production ended prematurely with only 25,939 made in 1977.

This specimen has been imported from the UK quite recently and given a Singapore licence plate under the classic car scheme. Recently, I am aware of a coupe unit that is originally registered here! Given the issues that have dogged the Stag, the owner must have been really brave to bring it on our roads. Although classic cars are generally less reliable than modern ones, this is really off the spectrum in terms of breakdowns. However, to each his own and I really admire the owner for driving this British beauty that could have been great.