Celebrating 25 years of Mercedes-Benz in India with the Annual Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR) 2019

Chennai, November 8, 2019: The burble of massive eight-cylinder engines, a grand excess of chrome on a winter morning, and encounters with automobiles that belong to an era long gone. Expect all this and more at the sixth edition of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR), which will take place on November 10 in Mumbai.

The MBCCR, which was first organized by Autocar India in 2014, is the only one of its kind in the country when it comes to classic car rallies. It is also among the biggest and most prestigious events of its kind in Asia. The blue riband rally also marks two other milestones: Mercedes Benz’ 25th year in the country and Autocar India’s 20th anniversary.

Over the last six years, participation in the rally has grown multifold despite the limited number of vintage and classic Benzes that were imported into India. What has also grown is the sheer variety of classic Mercedes on display. The first edition of MBCCR only witnessed two 170V models. In 2018, there was nearly every body style (including a rare roadster) of the 170V in attendance, with a 230L Pullman for company. Also, part of the 2018 edition of the rally were stars such as a 1958 300 SL Roadster, a 1914 Benz Runabout, which is the oldest surviving Benz in India, and a couple of Adenaeurs.

A 1929 W08 Nurburg and an extremely rare 500 K roadster are among the immaculately maintained gems that are expected to be exhibited at this invite-only event that has revitalized the classic Mercedes scene in the country. Autocar will also be displaying some of the most prominent Mercedes–Benz models over the last 25 years, which have already become collectibles, world over. This will include the Maybach 62, an SLS AMG Gullwing and Roadster, and the W124, the first ever Mercedes-Benz model to be made in India. Lined up alongside them will be every classic generation of the E-class and S-class in different body styles and the SL-class.

Mercedes collectors and classic car buffs who are expected to attend the event include Viveck Goenka, Chairman and Managing Director of the Express Group, Yuvraj Himanshu of Gondal, and industrialist Gautam Singhania.

"The cars on display range from the Benz Patent-Motorwagen to the Maybach 62, so that's a century of cars from Mercedes-Benz. But, as importantly, the rally also represents the evolution of the motor car over the last 100 years," said Autocar's Perseus Bandrawalla, curator of the MBCCR.

Autocar will be hosting the Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally at the Sofitel located at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai.