This year marks the 55th anniversary of AMG. Founded in 1967 by engineers Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, the company has continued to build on its position as one of the leading performance and sports car brands through numerous successes in motorsport and the development of unique road cars.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which debuted at the 1972 Paris Motor Show.
“Twenty-nine Mercedes-Benz vehicles have registered to celebrate these achievements as the featured marque this year!” said Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA) Southern Stars Section President David Wommer.
The club has previously had a few Car & Coffee events open to the public at Art ‘n Motion working with Justin Felker, who also took the reins of the Ponte Vedra Auto Show in 2020.
In 2021, the MBCA Southern Stars Section brought nearly two dozen vehicles, and they had 11 convertibles lined up next to each other among those. The Best of Show in 2021 was a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL.
MBCA has been in existence since 1956 and has nearly 30,000 members. The Southern Stars Section has about 230 members and encompasses members in Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia and Hilton Head Island.
“We love meeting new people and look forward to sharing our knowledge with both current and up-and-coming enthusiasts,” Wommer said.
MBCA Southern Stars Section club members meet frequently throughout the year, conducting Drive & Dine-style events. They recently visited the “Birthplace of Speed” in Ormond Beach and dined a few times at St. Simons Island, Georgia, and Fernandina Beach.
They also visited the 415,000-square-foot Mercedes-Benz USA facility in Jacksonville, which includes a learning and performance center to train Mercedes-Benz employees.
Check out the club at MBCA.org.
Mercedes-Benz ownership among club members spans a variety of eras and models. The most vintage one that is shared frequently is a black 1958 220 SE Cabriolet, which was prominently displayed at the 2021 Ponte Vedra Auto Show. Club members own a variety of new, classic and historic cars that have been shared locally, such as a 1955 190 SLR (a rare race-prepped 190 SL), as well as a 2005 Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR.
Wommer himself owns a 2009 SL 63 AMG, as well as a Bi-Turbo V8, a 2014 E 550 4MATIC sedan
Go to Southern Stars Section’s favorite links at linktr.ee/MBCA.Southern.Stars, which includes local events and social media accounts.
Wommer said the naturally aspirated V8, a 518-HP SL 63 is a modern version of the original 300 SL “Gullwing” and is in a similar shade of silver, with a naturally aspirated V8 AMG engine, and has quite a bit of appeal for aficionados.
“Mercedes-Benz is known for crafting the first automobile, an 1886 Mercedes-Benz Patent Wagon. Since then, they continue to lead the industry with technology and passion, including their Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team,” said Wommer. “The best or nothing!”
