Avenue 43, made by Autocult, releases this month the prototype of the Mercedes-Benz W118/W119, the particularity of which is that it presented itself as a 2-door car on the driver’s side and as a 4-door car on the passenger side. All things considered, an elegant and cost-saving way to show two car variations on one single factory prototype, originally a study for a new range of Mercedes cars.
The story behind this prototype and the making of the car derived from it, i.e. the Audi F103, is a fascinating look at a car to which the engineers of 3 companies, Daimler-Benz in particular, but also DKW - Auto-Union and finally Volkswagen (to who Daimler-Benz sold DKW-Auto Union in 1964) brought their know-how to the table.
For memory, Daimler Benz had bought Auto-Union in 1958. I’m not going into the details of the “why” of this purchase here, but it can safely be stated that the general looks of the DKW - Auto-Union F102 (1964) and Audi F103 (1965), and even more so the newly developed H-engine (aka the M118), are the work of Daimler’s engineers and designers.
In particular, with the development of the H-engine, Daimler-Benz started what would become with further step by step improvements the modern, to this day very successful Audi and VW line-up of front-wheel drive water-cooled engines and cars. Upon acquisition by Volkswagen from Daimler-Benz, the F103 was rebadged “Audi 72”, and in 1973 it became the “VW Passat”. It remains to be seen if all of this had really been what Mercedes intended…
As for the excellent model of the W118/W119 manufactured by Autocult for Avenue 43, I would like to emphasize that there are pictures from the right - four-door - side of the prototype that show a quarter-window on the back door, and other pictures without this quarter-window. Autocult deliberately chose to make its model without. So, this is not a mistake, as one might assume at first glance…
Masterpiece models, made by Autocult for Ravensberger is about to release the 1:43 model of a rather unususal Mercedes-Benz 300SL “Gullwing”, the 300SL AMG Flick, from 1974…
Yes, from 1974!Here is the story of the car, as published in 2014 by Autoevolution:
You might want to put down the tar and feathers for the 300 SL in the following [story], not because, but thanks to the fact that behind this one-off's modifications there is a rather interesting story, which is far from lacking in pedigree.
The car had belonged for the first 18 years of its life to a wealthy businessman in Venezuela, from where it was imported back into Germany in 1974, where it was bought by none other than Friedrich Karl Flick, who was a major shareholder of Daimler-Benz at the time.
As it happens, Mr. Flick wanted a more individualized variant of the car, which led him to none other than the nutty engineers from Burgstall, who were then just beginning to expand their future AMG empire.
According to press from the time, the Daimler-Benz shareholder wanted his car to be the fastest in Germany, which is why he instructed AMG technicians to make it faster than a Porsche 930 2.7 RS, while also unofficially
lending its name to the finished product, which since then has been known as the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Flick.
The easiest way for that to happen was via an engine swap, but only Mercedes-Benz parts could be used, so AMG engineers first tried to fit the now-legendary 6.3-liter engine from the 300 SEL 6.3.
Sadly, it didn't fit under the low hood of the car, which prompted them to take a smaller 4.5-liter V8 and re-engineer it to provide approximately 280 hp.
Along with a number of other interior and exterior modifications that took the better part of an entire year, this red Gullwing became not only the fastest but also the most expensive German car at the time, with the total cost of the work amounting to at least half a million German marks.
It is not known who the current owner of the car is, but he definitely is more appreciative towards Mercedes-Benz history than you would think, as this 300 SL is not the blasphemy an untrained eye would think at first glance.
Norev is releasing 1:43 models of the 2015 iteration of the Vito and of the V-Class.
Hachette Collections has started a new collection, called “Les Introuvables”, consisting of previous models, which had previously sold out and are thus, as the French name says: “The nowhere-to-be-found ones”. (That sounds much better in French, doesn’t it?). Most of the 1:43 models released thus far are of French cars, but yes! there is a Mercedes, a 220D of 1968. What you get for your money is: one model, one figurine (of a passerby in this case), and one certificate of authenticity with the one unique number of your model.
Oh yeah, I had forgotten to tell you, that each model is limited to 100 pieces…
Not bad marketing, when you consider the fact that this model (and the other ones released so far) has already been produced in quite some numbers – but not in black! – by IXO.
From the cigarette-butt era:
These Mercedes-Benz ashtrays (made of porcelain?), manufactured by the Novelli company, date from the 1950s. They were company gifts from the Mercedes-Benz dealership in Nice France to their customers. Another collection area…! (Scale unknown)
Aurora Design has announced two Fire Department lighting tenders, based on the Mercedes-Benz 615D as used by the HKFD. Both tenders are different in small details only. One carries the license plate F644, the other the plate number F647. Each of these two 1:43 models will be made in a limited quantity of 150 pcs. to likely be released in September 2020.
A lighting tender is a special purpose fire engine equipped with a generator, luminaire and a lighting machine installed on a telescopic mast. Used for lighting purposes during operations, as well as powering lighting systems, various tools and equipment.
The finely detailed resin model reproduces the telescopic parts of the roof lamps and of the antenna, all other metal parts are photoetched.
The models, each priced at HK$ 1,380 (+ shipping) can already be ordered from Aurora, for delivery shortly after release, by emailing your order and payment by Paypal to:
Note: the pictures show the pre-production model prototypes.
Also of interest: the Company website on which you can buy the in-stock items: www.aurora-design.com.hk
(с)BERND D. LOOSEN
