W 113 Luggage

[Douglas]

Yes, I have a strange fetish for Mercedes luggage. I admit it.
W 113 luggage is 60's and early 70's Mercedes luggage manufactured by HEPCO for Mercedes. It was available in several sizes and not model-specific, so you purchased a set that was configured to fit a Pagoda trunk. sort of like a puzzle, except the same pool of pieces would be used for 108 sedans, 3.5 cabriolets, etc.
Since I'm told the first step in dealing with my luggage obsession is acknowledging it, I'm attaching these 2 pix to share.
I'd love to see pix from Tom, Frank, Bob and Peter who also have luggage. (am I missing anyone?)
Download Attachment: luggage1.JPG
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Download Attachment: luggage2.JPG
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Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#11304410018260

[Richard Madison]

OK Doug, I'm going to help you get through this thing. Let's talk about it.
Is Hepco still in business? Where can you buy luggage today? What was the luggage made of, did it only come in leather? Did it come in colors? How much did luggage cost in the 1960's? What does it cost now (if you can find it)?
The luggage set in the photo looks softsided, did it also come as fitted hard pieces? Do they have integrated locks? Are there any neat fittings inside to hold a few suits or spare parts?

Is is true that all 113's have built in luggage strap holders somewhere on the back seat area?
Hope answering these questions will make you feel better )
Richard M

[Douglas]

richard,
(taking a deep breath)
- I see no indication of the existence of the company known as HEPCO any longer, but I honestly don't know for sure.
- the luggage is made of tex, not leather.
- as far as I know, it was only available in black and brown.
- I still have the receipt for mine, but will have to find it to give you the prices in 1970. (I'll update this posting later.)
- they're no longer available new, so the price is whatever the market will bear. (someone I know recently bought a set of 3 pieces second-hand for around $500.)
- the luggage was only available soft-sided. The earlier MB luggage from the 50's (made by Karl Baisch) was hard, fitted luggage and looked quite different, and yes, both the Baisch & Hepco luggage have integrated locks. here's a link to a photo of the earlier luggage:
Download Attachment: MB_luggage.jpg
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- the interior is a cream-colored moir
with some zippered interior compartments as you might expect in luggage
- I'm not aware of a hold-down bracket for a luggage strap in the backseat area, but there are two in the trunk of every W 113. (perhaps they're well hidden, but I've never noticed any.)
One final note: there is almost no indication on the luggage that it is Mercedes luggage. Just a miniscule sticker inside one of my pieces. I am therefore quite confident that there are lots of pieces of Hepco luggage floating around out there at flea markets that people assume is generic 60's luggage. Keep an eye out for it!
(I feel better now. thanks.)
Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#11304410018260

[DavidAPease]

Here's a photo from a 230SL sales brochure showing the optional luggage that was available at the time.
-David Pease
'66 French 230SL
Download Attachment: luggage.jpg
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[Douglas]

it appears the black sets had nickel hardware and the brown sets had brass.
thanks for posting that, david.
Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#11304410018260

[Albert-230SL]

quote:Originally posted by DavidAPease

Here's a photo from a 230SL sales brochure showing the optional luggage that was available at the time.
-David Pease
'66 French 230SL
Download Attachment: luggage.jpg
34.12
KB

Hi David and Doug,
Do you know if the luggage of this brochure was made for the early "vertical spare tyre" trunk, which is bigger than the second type?
Maybe first type could contain all four suitcases in the trunk, and second type needs to put the fourth suitcase inside the car?
Regards,
Albert de la Torre - Barcelona
Feb.'64 230 SL with vertical spare tyre

[Douglas]

albert,
i suspect you're probably right about that. i know that in my 280 SL, there is no way that all 4 suitcases could fit in the trunk, but i suspect if i had a vertical spare tire, i could fit another one of the smaller pieces in there.
Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#11304410018260

[n/a]

thanks for bringing up this subject, I guess I share in Doug's affliction, but have yet found a way to quench my desires.  So, what are the general thoughts on maybe finding a set of hepco luggage at car shows that is similar, or maybe the same as was offered in the 113's?
-Lewis
'64 230 sl 113042-10-001600
67 saab sonett II #43 of 258
99 saab 9-5
00 bmw z-3 2.8

[Douglas]

i think porsche offered a similar set of soft-sided luggage in the 60's, but i'm not sure who made it for them. it had those same straps across it. i remember seeing a photo of it in an old 60's issue of the porsche club's magazine, "christophorus."
i can only imagine what porsche nuts would expect for them since original 356 toolkits go for huge amounts of money. a whopping four figures on ebay.....
it's going to be tough to find a set these days. so many of them must have been separated from their cars because they hardly have identification in them that they're for a mercedes.
also, it's not like they beautiful leather pieces. (let's just say i would never even consider buying them if they were plain old luggage.) i'm sure lot of people just threw them out when they got a few nicks & scratches in them.
there is a man in california who reproduces luggage for gullwings who has also done a set for at least one pagoda. he takes some license though, and recreates 50's-style luggage for our cars, so it's basically gullwing luggage for a pagoda.
Douglas Kim
New York, NY
#11304410018260