So is that you standing behind Tom then, Achim?
No, no, Cees,
It's not me.
I think you are referring to Walter Klatt (the tallest of all attendees). I don't know who that person in the white shirt is.
I wished I were there, but I was not.
Tom was wise enough to wait with his famous Chili and cars events until after I safely left the US. He still waited another year or two to be safe that the Ahlert guy was not coming back ....
I remember well when Tom reported about this event and especially that Frank Mallory and Michael Egan were there.
I still do pay homage to the great Frank Mallory for his decades long Mercedes collector history in general and his sound knowledge on Pagodas in particular. Talked to him on the phone once and obtained all the 13 "The Mercedes Collector" issues he edited. A great person and gentleman who I sadly missed to meet in the real.
Same with Michael Egan who went the difficult way to retrofit his US 280 SL with a ZF 5-speed about 20 years ago. Getrags were not known at that time. Michael once published his very fine article on "The elusive ZF 5-speed" in one of Frank Mallory's MB Collector issues. Still the best technical article on the ZF gearbox I have ever come across.
That's why I keep both in so good memory and feel sad to never have met either of them in person.
Achim
