Kiwi 280SL wins best in show

[rutger kohler]

Hi there, I thought I had better post something that shows that my wife and I do actually own a 280SL in NZ after turning up to the Aussie 50th celebrations in a Nissan Pulsar several months ago.  Fortunately (and much to my delight) we won best car in show here in NZ at the Pukekohe Lions "Wheels of Fortune" car display at the end of April.  There were a 1000 vehicles displayed but the judge said he picked ours for originallity. This is not a concours event. I have had to wait for the "Classic Driver" magazine to come out to confirm this.  Purists will note the car has North American lights with a RHD. These were factory fitted and reason makes a very interesting story.

[Jonny B]

Congratulations! Nice picture and great publicity.

[Garry]

Congratulations Rutger,
it's looking beautiful and a credit to your persistence to insure correctness.

Garry

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Best Congratulations Rutger coming from the other side of the world ... well done

[Flyair]

Rutger
Let me join the congratulating crowd. Your Pagoda looks very nice. The US headlamps are indeed an unusual feature on the otherwise European style car. I didn't know this could be an option, but in fact why not. I think that I am not the only one curious to know the story behind it that you qualify yourself as interesting. Please share it with us

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

BTW Rutger, I too won first spot this past weekend. It was very unexpected, the other 5 cars were just as nice as mine ... I must have had a kind judge


the MB Club of America will mail me a sticker to go on this little memento.


Celebrations are going on all over the world for this years (1963 to 1971) 50th Anniversary.

[rutger kohler]

Hi Guys, thanks for your kind comments and i will share the story with you, however we are back in the land of OZ (Australia) for 6 weeks and I can't access several photos thar explain the story best.  Will post on my return to the land of the long white cloud.

[rutger kohler]

Hi Alter Peter, you  just posted after I sent my reply. nice car. the low mileage is amazing.  Your car is the same year as mine,  but must be in more original; shape, very nice one.

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hi Rutger,

The car has been owned for the past 20 years (after it was restored ~ I still need to find out what was restored) by one family (Man and his Wife). It was purchased for the wife and she hardly ever drove it. Prior to returning the car to her husband (they divorced some time back) she only started the car once in a while. We all know that is not good for the car, so he told her that this is very bad. In 2010 she gave the car back to her previous husband and he (a collector of american 50s and 60s cars) stored it in his show garage with 18 other restored american cars. That is where I found the car and found out she is for sale. The rest is history 

The car came with an old odometer having 64K + Miles and the new one now installed (I assume it was installed during the restoration or shortly before) showed some 4,300 Miles when I purchased the car.

As PJ pointed out to me (and I believe him) we never know if the reading at one time was 99,999 and then returned to Zero So we never know do we now what true milage our car(s) have actually seen. I know from the service records I have and the information from the past 20 year owner that the milage is properly correct (the engine also looks original ~ some say our engine lasts about 100,000 miles, don't know how accurate that is. I'm thinking that all depends on how one drives .

I know that my first ever brand new 1987 BMW 535is (my daughter drives her now) has now over 250,000 true miles (402,300 KM).

I just wanted to clarify.