MERCEDES-BENZ TRIVIA CORNER TRIVIA: 12 March Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Unveiled

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1 r` January August, Newsletter of the Mile-High Section Mercedes-Benz Club of America OVER 500 COPIES DISTRIBUTED MONTHLY IN COLORADO, WYOMING, AND UTAH MERCEDES-BENZ TRIVIA CORNER TRIVIA: 12 March Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Unveiled At the beginning of the 50s, Mercedes made its return to racing via the back door. The budget was small, and Formula 1 regulations were in constant flux. Re-entry into the world of sports car racing was the obvious solution. The six-cylinder engine which powered the type 300 official government cars was transformed into a racing engine with a new cylinder head and triple Solex downdraft carburetors. The engine and transmission were rather heavy, so weight had to be saved on the chassis and body. A tubular frame was designed, clad in aluminum bodywork with upward opening doors necessitated by the wide frame cross-section. The engine was canted at an angle of 50-degrees to the right to lower the hood line. The car was a masterpiece of intelligent design, and provided the driver with more comfort than any of the contemporary designs. coupe based on the W194's design. IN THIS ISSUE.. Subject Page(s) Letter from the President, Bob Mashburn 2 Board Officers 2 Time Line of Automobile Industry 3-6 Preowned Cars for Sale - Backlot 7 Word Search Auto Manufacturers N-Z Event/Activity Schedule 9 Events Colorado School of Mines Geology 10 North American Lotus Track Event 11 Poker Run (Octoberfest) 12 MBCA Mile High Annual Dinner Meeting 12 Event Report Picnic at Maguireville 13 Answers Word Search Manufacturers N-Z 14 AUGUST SOCIAL - Aug. 19, 6:30PM Harry Bays G V Goddard Nina Kazazian Andy Marinkovich Robert McCue Randall Updike Brett Mitchell Lynn Poulson Adam Stanchina Randall Updike Hwy 72 Golden, Colorado If you have not received your New Member Packet or if you have questions about your membership, please contact MHS Membership Chair Person, Natalie Mashburn, by phone at or by at nataliemashburn@yaho0.com 1

2 Letter From The President Bob Mashburn President, Mile- High Section Behind The Wheel: We are asking ourselves where has summer gone, Denver s earliest snowfall is September 3 rd! On the calendar for this month; Saturday, August 15 th, we have a trip to Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum and lunch after at Grappa Mediterranean Bistro & Café in Golden; the monthly social is on August 19 th at the Wondervu Café in Golden; August 23 rd a drive from Denver to the Pikes Peak International Raceway; August 24 th it s track day at Pikes Peak International Raceway - still time to register at We still need a few volunteers for this event! Mark your calendar for November 14 th at 9:30am for breakfast at the Golden Corral in Sheridan, Colorado. We will be planning our 2016 Events and Socials for the year and we want your participation. Our Annual Member s Meeting Dinner is at the Perfect Landing Restaurant on October 3, Please RSVP to bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com or call Bob or Natalie at The Perfect Landing is always a popular place. August is when most kids go back to school here are a few starting dates; Adams County Schools: August 19 th. Denver Schools: August 24 th. Jeffco Schools: August 17 th. Let s watch out for our future club members! Drive Safe, Arrive Alive Bob President: Mile-High Section, Inc. of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America Executive Board Officers Bob Mashburn Bob_Mashburn78@yahoo.com Vice President: Randy Williams ranphil39@aol.com Secretary: Niels Haubold n.haubold@outlook.com Treasurer: Max Townsend diandmaxt@aol.com 2015 Mile-High Section Board Members Michael Davison ,.. mhd539@msn.com Norm Franklin gskolout@aol.com Niels Haubold n.haubold@outlook.com Natalie Mashburn nataliemashburn@yaho0.com Mike Redel mikeredel@comcast.net Lou Rogers lou.rogers@comcast.net Membership Chair Person Other Contacts Natalie Mashburn nataliemashburn@yaho0.com Constellation Editor - Mile High Section Karen Redel Constellation.mhs@comcast.net National MBCA Officers President Terry Kiwala tkiwalajr@aol.com Vice President Laura Simonds simondsl@pacbell.net Rocky Mountain Regional Director Charlie Bennett charlesibennett@comcast.net. MBCA For a List of all MBCA Board Members, Please Refer to the STAR Magazine For a List of all MBCA Board Members, Please Refer to the STAR Magazine 2

3 TIMELINE OF AUTOMOBILE HISTORY - CONTINUED 1927: The price of oil plummets after discoveries of huge wells in Oklahoma and Texas 1927: In the USA it takes 70 man-days to make a car whereas in France it takes : Volvo, a subsidiary of Sweden's ball-bearing manufacturer AB SKF, debuts its first car 1928: Ford makes cars in 21 countries, GM in : Pierce Governor introduces the automatic choke 1928: BMW acquires Dixi and therefore enters the car market 1927: Henry Ford is forced to close the Dearborn Independent 1927: General Motors introduces the La Salle to fill the gap between the low-end Buick 6 and the highend Cadillac 1927: General Motors' Cadillac introduces the LaSalle, with smooth lines contrasting with the functional but angular shape of Ford cars 1927: Citroen is the largest car manufacturer in Europe and the fourth in the world 1927: There are more than 20 million cars in the USA and 55% of families own a car but more than 50% of cars sold are replacing old ones 1927: Ford finally stops production of the Model T (that has sold more than 15 million units) and introduces the massively advertised Model A, conceived by Henry Ford's son Edsel Ford, to respond to General Motors, and adopts the clutch that has become popular on General Motors cars 1927: Dixi signs a licensing agreement to produce a variant of the Austin : Chevrolet sells more cars than Ford 1928: Opel has a 37.5% market share of the German market 1928: Henry Ford builds Fordlandia, a town in the Amazon rainforest, to provide rubber for car tires, forbidding alcohol, women and tobacco 1928: Chrysler acquires Dodge and introduces a budget car, the Plymouth, to compete with Chevrolet and Ford 1929: General Motors acquires Opel and becomes the largest car manufacturer in Germany 1929: Chrysler becomes the third largest car manufacturer in the USA after General Motors and Ford 1929: There are only 44 car manufacturers left in the USA, out of the 253 that existed in : 78% of the world's cars are in the USA, which produces more than 5.3 million cars and sells about 4.5 million (1.9 million sold by General Motors), compared with France's production of 211,000 and 3

4 Britain's 182,000, and there are now almost 27 million cars in the USA 1929: The stock market crashes, causing vast losses in the car industry, and ruining Durant, who was repeatedly accused of inflating the stock market; and the crash is in part due to excessive consumer debts to purchase cars 1929: Chevrolet introduces a six-cylinder engine nicknamed "cast iron wonder" 1930: General Motors' Cadillac introduces the V- 16, featuring a 16-cylinder engine 1931: Ferdinand Porsche founds a company in Stuttgart (Germany) to design racing cars 1931: Morris introduces a new version of the Minor that, advertised as a 100-mph speed and 100 mpg fuel economy car, becomes a runaway success 1931: Mercedes introduces the independent front suspension & the 170, the first production car with four-wheel independent suspension 1931: Rolls-Royce acquires Bentley 1931: Toyo Kogyo introduces its first car, the Mazda-Go 1931: There are 807,783 miles of paved roads in the USA 1931: DAT becomes a subsidiary of Tobata and introduces a car named Datsun 1932: Ford manufactures one third of the world's cars but its workforce has been reduced from a peak of 170,000 in 1929 to 46, : Ford introduces the first car designed specifically for the British market, the Model Y 1932: Car manufacturing has collapsed to 1.3 million in the USA 1932: Ford introduces its own V8 engine, cast as a single unit, the largest engine for the mass market, and 14 car models that use it 1933: Hitler comes to power in Germany and launches a mass motorization program and a road and bridge construction program 1933: Citroen introduces the diesel engine for its Rosalie model 1933: Tobata Casting and Nihon form the Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (later renamed Nissan) to produce Datsun cars in Yokohama 1933: At the Chicago World's Fair General Motors exhibits Charles Kettering's improved diesel engine 1933: The New Deal sponsors road construction 1934: Porsche-designed P-Wagen wins several races 1934: Morris installs an assembly line at a new Cowley factory 1934: Citroen introduces a car with an all-steel body and independent suspension, the Traction Avant, but the car is a flop 1934: Chrysler introduces the automatic overdrive 1934: REO introduces the automatic transmission 1934: Chrysler introduces overdrive 1934: Hans Ledwinka designs the Tatra 77, the first mass-produced streamlined car 1934: Chrysler introduces the eight-cylinder Airflow, that pioneers (and launches the vogue of) 4

5 streamlined (aerodynamic) design, designed in a wind tunnel, although its sales disappoint 1934: Bertone designs the Fiat Ardita 1937: Volkswagen is founded in Germany by the Nazi agency Deutsche Arbeitsfront to make cars that ordinary families can afford 1934: Porsche presents a plan for a "Volkswagen" to Hitler 1935: Michigan auto workers form the union United Automobile Workers (UAW) 1935: Studebaker introduces an all-steel roof 1935: There is one car for every 5 people in the USA 1936: General Motors introduces "Knee-Action" suspension on all Chevrolets 1936: General Motors and Ford share almost 90% of the Japanese market 1936: Two diesel cars are introduced in Germany, the Mercedes-Benz 260D and the Hanomag Rekord 1936: BMW introduces the 328 Roadster, the most successful sports car before World War II 1936: Chrysler (25% of the market) passes Ford (22% of the market) as the second car manufacturer after General Motors (43%) 1936: Strikes paralyze General Motors until General Motors signs the first union contract in the USA 1936: Fiat opens a futuristic factory at Mirafiori that debuts its assembly line to produce the 500 "Topolino" 1937: Fiat has more than 80% of the Italian market 1937: General Motors makes 40% of the cars of the USA 1937: General Motors introduces "the Automatic Safety Transmission" (AST) in Cadillac and Oldsmobile cars 1938: Volkswagen introduces the Type 1, designed by Ferdinand Porsche 1938: Cadillac's 60 Special is a standard-size car that carries six passengers 1938: Nash introduces the "Conditioned Air System" designed by Eric Wahlberg 1938: Rudolf Caracciola driving a Mercedes-Benz sets the world record of over 200 miles per hour. 1938: General Motors adds the radio as an option on Buick models 1938: General Motors introduces the Buick Y-Job, the first "concept car", featuring power windows, power convertible top, power door locks and power steering 1938: Ford introduces the Mercury, a low-entry luxury car to compete with General Motors' Buick 1939: Nash adds a thermostat to its "Conditioned Air System" for the "Weather Eye", the first HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system for the mass market 5

6 1939: The Japanese government shuts down Ford's and GM's operations in Japan 1939: The radio and refrigerator manufacturer Crosley enters the car business with the cheapest car in the USA, the first "compact" car made in the USA 1939: Ford introduces the luxury convertible Lincoln Continental 1939: General Motors' Oldsmobile introduces the first fully automatic transmission, called the "Hydra-Matic Drive", advertised as "the greatest advance since the self-starter." 1939: World War II creates a huge demand for motor vehicles and aircraft engines 1939: The Japanese government orders Nissan to shift from cars to trucks 1940: Delahaye introduces the 135 convertible that can reach a speed of 93 miles per hour 1940: Chrysler's Plymouth introduces the new All Weather Air Control System 1940: Chrysler adopts the sealed beam headlights 1941: General Motors has a market share of 44% in the USA 1941: Chrysler introduces the Town & Country Wagon 1941: Willys starts producing the MB or "Jeep" for the army, with a special engine designed by Barney Roos 1942: All the car manufacturers of the USA stop production of civilian cars to help the military industry, e.g. General Motors produces engines for bombers, amphibious vehicles and tanks, Ford produces trucks, Willys-Overland produces jeeps 1945: At the end of the war the car manufacturers of the USA resume civilian production 1945: Ralph Teetor invents cruise control 1946: Renault introduces the 4CV 1946: Enzo Ferrari founds a company in Italy to build racing cars 1946: Michelin introduces steel-belted radial tires 1947: Chung Ju-yung founds Hyundai in South Korea 1947: Studebaker introduces the Starlight, designed by Robert Bourke, and the Champion, designed by Raymond Loewy 1948: General Motors' Buick introduces a new kind of automatic transmission, the Dynaflow 1948: The British appoint Heinz Nordoff to head the Wolfsburg factory in West Germany where Hitler's "people's cars" were made and he changes the name to Volkswagen 1948: General Motors' Cadillac passes Packard to become the USA's main luxury brand 1948: Citroen introduces the 2CV, designed by Pierre-Jules Boulanger 1948: Chrysler introduces the ignition key 1948: Goodrich introduces tubeless tires TO BE CONTINUED 6

7 FOR SALE - MERCEDES-BENZ PRE-OWNED AUTOMOBILES The Back Lot FOR SALE SL. Exc. cond., 94,155 mi., Hard/soft top. Lt blue/dark blue int. Auto trans, A/C. $125,000. (303) or guyschottler@q.com. The Constellation Newsletter of the Mile-High Section, Inc., Mercedes-Benz Club America, Inc. Mile-High Section, Inc. MBCA, Publisher KAREN REDEL, Editor P.O. Box 16913, Golden, CO Phone: or Constellation.mhs@comcast.net Readers please support the advertisers appearing in this publication. However, no inference should be made that advertising in The Constellation implies approval of products or services by the publisher, the Mile-High Section, its officers or members, or by the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. We encourage editors of other Mercedes-Benz Club newsletters to reprint articles that may be of interest to their Section s members. We appreciate credit being given to The Constellation. Those articles reprinted in The Constellation with permission from owners of copyrights on those articles may not be used without written permission from the original owners. Members are welcome to submit articles. Deadline for submission is the 10th of the month prior to the month the issue comes out. Articles should be relevant to the interests and activities of MBCA and its members. The Publisher reserves the right to edit or reject any article. Classified Advertising in The Constellation Members of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Inc. may advertise in The Constellation to buy, sell, or trade Mercedes-Benz automobiles and related items at no charge, provided no commercial venture is involved. Ads may include a photo. Copy for the classified advertising must be received in writing by the 10th of the month prior to the month of issue. Ads will be published one time. To re-run, the ad must be resubmitted. Current membership number must be included for free ads. LET US KNOW IF YOUR ITEM SELLS MAKE ROOM FOR ADS FOR OTHER MEMBERS. Non-member and commercial venture advertising will be published at the rate of $10.00 for 3 lines per issue, plus $10.00 for a picture. Advertising in this category may run one, two or three times as requested and paid for in advance by the advertiser. Copy for the ads must be received by the 10th of the month prior to the month of issue and must be paid in advance, payable to Mile High- MBCA. Mail ads to: MILE-HIGH SECTION MBCA, HELENA ST., BRIGHTON, CO or to: constellation.mhs@comcast.net The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject any ad. 7

8 AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS WORD SEARCH N-Z P P O J R P L Y M O U T H P N I O D O U E Z T S Q Y M O V E E N A N P Y K U L O I R R Y G R T N I T M Z A L U S G A V A C I R H P U E D B C A H D D W E A O Y K S S T H E U N S Z S A C T I R M J E J W D R E K K R E C Y O R S L L O R U C R L R N P B R E L B M A R U T H O O S I A R A N G E R R P P S V W L A G C N Y H B T W M U H L E Y W T N K S U M F U C N E O S A A B U A A A G I I N E L V Q M V F N R R R R O Z M E B K A T O Y O T N T D B L T J Y D NASH OLDSMOBILE PACKARD PIERCEARROW PLYMOUTH PONTIAC PORSCHE RAMBLER RAMTRUCKS RANGER RENAULT ROLLSROYCE SAAB SATURN SHELBY STUDEBAKER SUZUKI TEMPO TORNADO TOYOTA TRIUMPH VOLKSWAGEN VOLVO YUGO 8

9 EVENT INFORMATION 2015 Event/Activity Schedule `Mile High Section Mercedes Benz Club For Latest updates and Info visit MHS website at www,milehighmbca.org Revision Date 7/27/2015 Activity Location Contact Contact Information Notes May August 8/6/2015 Board meeting B/N Mashburn's House Bob Mashburn /15/2015 Geology Museum Colorado School of Mines Michael Davison /19/2015 Monthly Social 6:30pm Wondervu - Golden Lou Rogers lou.rogers@comcast.net 8/24 &25 Track Event Pikes Peak Raceway Bob Mashburn Bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com September 9/10/2015 Board 7:00P Connie Salvatore's House Michael Davison mhd539@msn.com 21 West Dutch Creek Drive Littleton, CO /13/2015 Poker Run (Octoberfest) TBD Lou Rogers lou.rogers@comcast.net 9/16/2015 Monthly Social 6:30pm Hurrican Grill Natalie Nashburn nataliemashburn@yahoo.com October 10/3/2015 Annual Member Meeting Perfect Landing Michael Davison mhd539@msn.com 10/9/2015 Reg. Event Enchanted Weekend Taos, New Mexisoo Dave Carpenter dave@dcarpenter.us 10/21/2015 Monthly Social 6:30pm TBD Lou Rogers lou.rogers@comcast.net November 11/5/2015 Board meeting Norm Franklin's House Norm Franklin gskolout@aol.com 11/14/2015 Plan 2016 Event Schedule@9:30am Golden Corral Sheridan, CO Bob Mashburn Bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com 11/18/2015 Monthly Social 6:30pm TBD Lou Rogers lou.rogers@comcast.net December 12/3/2015 Board meeting TBD 12/5/2015 Holiday Party Mount Vernon CC Max Townsend diandmaxt@aol.com Private Room Mark your calendar for November 14 th at 9:30am for breakfast at the Golden Corral in Sheridan, Colorado. We want your participation. We will be planning our 2016 Events and Socials for the year. 9

10 Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum Saturday, August 15, 2015, 10:00AM 1310 Maple St, Golden, CO General Research Laboratory (CRL) Building (Near the intersection of Maple St and Birch St/13th St) The Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum, home to one of the state s two Goodwill Moon Rocks collected during the Apollo 17 Mission, was started in 1874 and displays minerals, fossils, gemstones, meteorites and historic mining artifact exhibits. The museum serves as the state repository for Colorado s mineral heritage and promotes its importance and understanding to the university, community and the public. It aims to inspire scientific curiosity through education and research while encouraging appreciation of the earth and responsibility for its mineral, fossil, meteorite and historic mining treasures. Driving directions : From I-25: Take I-70 west, exit Highway 58 to Golden. Exit Washington Street and turn left to enter into downtown Golden. Turn right on 13th Street and left on Maple to enter campus. Luncheon is planned for Grappa Mediterranean Bistro & Café. Located at: 1027 Washington Ave, Golden, CO (Between 11th and 10th St ) From the School of Mines, take Illinois Street to 11 th Street) Payment is due by Friday, August 7, 2015 Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum Guided Tour, Saturday, August 15, 2015 Event Fee $5.00 Per Person Make your check payable to: Mile-High Section, MBCA Send check & this form to: Max Townsend, 6088 E. Otero Drive, Centennial, CO Name: Phone: Number Attending at $5.00 Per Person = Total $ 10

11 TRACK EVENT SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 MONDAY, AUGUST 24 The North American Lotus Club is holding their national event in Colorado Springs on August 23rd and August 24th and they have invited MBCA to participate in this as a joint event. On Monday, August 24th they have rented Pike Peak International Raceway (PPIR) for the race course on which is planned an Advanced Driving Skills course. Participants for Advanced Driving Skills have their cars inspected before the event by their own mechanic with inspection areas listed. At the track we will simply check for loose objects, helmets, and secure batteries. We will have in car experienced instructors for novice and intermediate drivers. Cars will be grouped by driver experience and skills rather than the cars performance potential. There will also be classroom sessions for the drivers. It is important for our participants to understand that this is an educational event rather than a competitive event. Overtaking will require a wave-bye from the car being overtaken. As we discussed, we have done a handful of these events with Lotus, Ltd over the last five years that have proven to be fun, educational, and financially feasible combining participants from both clubs. Our members all tell me how much they enjoy driving their cars in this controlled environment and learning how to do this smoothly and safely. Track Day provides an exceptional opportunity for individuals to learn more about the performance capabilities of their cars, and to improve their driving skills in a safe, non-competitive environment under the supervision of experienced instructors. Participation is open to all types of cars, not just Mercedes Benz. All participating cars must pass a technical inspection and all drivers must attend a mandatory instructional session prior to being allowed on the track. Details on the conduct of the Track Day, along with Tech Inspection standards and the dates and times for these pre-requisite activities will be published soon. PPIR is located at Midway Ranch Road Fountain, CO off exit #122 on Interstate 25. If you want to drive or ride at high speeds on the famed Alan Wilson 1.3-mile road course, sign up for our track day on your registration. Check for specific instructions on how to sign up for the event. Only those individuals who have registered as participants in Track Day will be permitted to bring their vehicles onto the track. All other participants are welcome, but will have to remain behind all safety fencing in the paddock area or on the observation deck of the tower. Second, only attendees wearing their name tags will be allowed to enter the track facility and all will be required to sign insurance waivers prior to entry. Finally, there are no spectator stands in the paddock, so if you want something to sit on, you ll have to bring it with you. Be aware, Track Day registration is limited to a total of 60 cars. Don t get shut out. It s going to be a great event with lots of track time for students and a separate run group for instructors who will be able to take student passengers to observe the proper line at (high) speed. We also hope to run pace laps during the lunch break to show people what it s like to be on a dedicated race track. We are checking our insurance and with the track on the feasibility of this. August 24 th, it s track day at Pikes Peak International Raceway - still time to register at We still need a few volunteers for this event! Registration - Day of the event. There is a possibility we will have a pre-registration Sunday evening along with helmet checks. Make sure all drivers and spectators have appropriate credentials, waiver sign ins etc. (4 to 6 volunteers). We will also need help assembling student information packets. The distribution of the packets is not yet determined. If you have any questions, please contact Bob Mashburn at bob_mashburn78@yahoo.com or (303)

12 September 26, Hold the Date Additional Information to Follow from Lou Rogers POKER RUN MBCA MILE HIGH ANNUAL DINNER MEETING MBCA MILE HIGH ANNUAL DINNER MEETING Our dinner is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 6:30 to 9:30 pm, at The Perfect Landing Restaurant We will be limited to three menu items: Beef, Chicken or Seafood separate checks for each couple or single person will be provided Important: In Order To Provide An Accurate Head Count For This Dinner: Please Contact : Michael Davison Via Phone Or mhd539@msn.com Please Reserve Your Spot No Later Than September 21,

13 EVENT REPORT Pikes Peak Section July 11 Joint Section Picnic at Maguireville 13

14 AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS WORD SEARCH N - Z ANSWERS P P O + R P L Y M O U T H P N I O D O + E + T S O + E E N A + P + K U L O + R + + G R T N + + M Z A L U S A C I R + + U E D B C A W E A O + K + S T H E + N + + S A C T I + M + E + + D + E K K R E C Y O R S L L O R U C R L R + P B R E L B M A R U T H O O S I A R A N G E R R + P S V W L A + C + Y H + T + M + H L E + + T + K S U M + U + + E O S A A B U A A A G I L V N R R R R O B + A T O Y O T N T D Y + NASH OLDSMOBILE PACKARD PIERCEARROW PLYMOUTH PONTIAC PORSCHE RAMBLER RAMTRUCKS RANGER RENAULT ROLLSROYCE SAAB SATURN SHELBY STUDEBAKER SUZUKI TEMPO TORNADO TOYOTA TRIUMPH VOLKSWAGEN VOLVO YUGO MAROON BELLS ASPEN COLORADO 14