The Mercedes-Benz Classic Car Rally (MBCCR), to be held on November 15 and 16, 2025, features a massive 100 car line-up. To be held on the stunning lawns of Taj Lands End, in Bandra, Mumbai, this years’ event will focus on some key themes and model lines. Events around the 12th MBCCR will start on Saturday, November 15, with the static display open to the public for the first time. There are only a limited number of tickets, so please go get yours soon (link for tickets here). The rally will flag off on Sunday at 9:30 am, with the cars turning around at Marine Drive after the coastal road tunnel.
The highlights of this year’s show include a large number of significant SLs, some of Mercedes’ most luxurious cars like the 600 Grosser, extended wheelbase cars made for rich and famous Indian personalities and cars that pioneered tech that are considered essential today.
Among the 20 or so SLs – we have every model on show – will be the sky blue 190SL that belonged to Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur. The blue paint job looks stunning and the flowing lines of the car and the maroon interior really stand out. The car is owned by award-winning collector Yohan Poonawalla today, and will be driven by his wife Michelle, dressed in period-correct attire.
Another showstopper would be the gull-winged SLS. Merc’s modern classic icon also belongs to Yohan Poonawalla and has been recently been restored to factory specifications. Further up in the SL gallery, three V8 R129 500SLs. One of designer Bruno Sacco’s masterpieces, this wedge-shaped car is the epitome of timeless lines, near perfect proportions and bold details.
Another set of large-capacity SLs making their debut at the show are Gautam Singhania’s R107-gen 500SL and 560SL from the 1980s. It’s difficult to believe that Mercedes made almost 3,00,000 R107s (coupes included). And make sure to check out the stunning Pagoda W113s, and the R230 – the first SL to be officially sold in India. This would also be a great time to see if you can identify every generation of Merc’s legendary SL.
Mercedes has pioneered some incredible tech over the years, and the 300Sc showcases the first four seat car with fuel injection. What makes this car, the W188, even more special is its provenance – the car earlier belonged to the ruler of Sikkim and was bought by collector Pranlal Bhogilal, whose daughter Chamundeshwari and husband Brijesh Chenai recently brought it back to concourse condition.
Now for something heavier, the 600 Grosser, which some say is Mercedes’ most lavishly specified and equipped car ever. Made for heads of state and business tycoons, the 600 is a completely hand-built car that features a hydro-pneumatic suspension system from Citroen.
This year will also see the introduction of two stretched limos based on the W126 S-Class. Badged 1000 SEL, by aftermarket modifiers who stretched these cars, the pair at the show were earlier owned by Vijay Mallya and Godman Osho. Make sure you take a close look at all the lavish upgrades carried out.
Another set of interesting cars at this year’s MBCCR belong to the tribute class. Among these are a pair that pay homage to the first AMG race car. Known as the ‘Red Pig’, this W108 S-Class was powered by the 600 Grosser’s massive M100 V8 engine. Re-bored to 6.9 litres, this big heavy car could do 265kph and finished second at the 1971 Spa Francochamps 24-hour race.
Another very interesting rally replica, the W123 280 CE or Coupe, worked on by aftermarket Mercedes specialist Carlsson. Owned by Pratapsinh Gaekwad, it pays tribute to another unlikely motorsport icon that finished first in class at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1980 – stunning for such a big car on the tight and twisty Monte Carlo Rally stages.
Another crowd puller will be the W461 G-Wagen. Originally built to military specifications that included an incredibly robust build, three locking differentials and enough performance to run at high speeds in sand, this second-gen G-Wagon is barely evolved. Also, did you know a G-Wagen has even won the famous Paris-Dakar Rally-Raid in 1983, the only time Mercedes has ever won the event.
Yet another legend is the W140 S-Class. This robustly made tank-like car pioneered CanBus technology, and is considered to be the last S-Class built to standards set by engineers rather than the sales team. This is also the S-Class Princess Diana passed away in; she had not worn her seat belt at the rear.
Next is the Nurburg 460 from 1929. The brand’s first series-produced car with an eight-cylinder engine, it was engineered under the guidance of Ferdinand Porsche and named after the legendary Nurburgring race track, where it covered 20,000km over 13 days. The Nurburg was initially launched with underslung axles, but was given a modern low frame in 1929.
Make sure you also see one of the last pre-war Mercedes luxury cars – the regal-looking 230. Based on the relatively humble 170V, it is a car you can easily identify the brand with; it has the right stance, the correct size, is luxurious and seems to exude the right vibe.
No MBCCR event preview, however, would be complete without the inclusion of our modern classic icon, the W124. The car may have never been sold in India officially, but under the hood sits a hulking V8 making this the only V8 W124 in the country.
For those of you who make it to the show and get a gallery full of great pictures and videos, make sure you tag us at #MBCCR2025. You could win something really cool.
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