To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Open Roads, Fall event, 11
- 20 November 2020.
Estimate:
$350,000 - $450,000
- Original bodywork, chassis, and engine
- A cherished part of the Jules Barsotti Collection for over 50
years
- Perhaps the best-known 370 S in North America
- Class winner at the 1977 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
- Established history from new; documented by a copy of original
commission sheet
- Substantial, documented mechanical service work performed since
2017
In 1986, Mercedes-Benz honored its 100th anniversary with exhibits
and celebrations worldwide. Among these was a six-month Centennial
Exhibition at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County,
utilizing models from throughout the company's rich history,
gathered together from numerous West Coast collectors. Special
classes saluted the Star and the Laurel at the Pebble Beach
Concours d'Elegance. A book was even published, The First Century,
with artwork by Ken Dallison, to commemorate the occasion.
Everywhere you looked, Jules Barsotti's 370 S Mannheim Sport
Cabriolet was there. It may well have been invited on its own
merits, which were abundant, but in a way that special cars and
special people often combine, its ownership made it poignant. Not
only was this an excellent example of the first touring model built
by a combined Daimler and Benz, but it was owned by the man who
built the small European Motors into today's Mercedes-Benz of San
Francisco. In a bustling Northern California market that is today
filled with SLs and E-Classes, Jules Barsotti was first, and for
the rest of his life he remained a landmark of the area's motoring
culture. His 370 S was a part of that life, and thus a part of that
culture.
"BENZ 28"
The provenance of this 370 S is documented by a copy of its factory
commission sheet, noting its delivery with engine and chassis both
numbered 87058 and "Sport Cabr./2" coachwork, thus confirming its
delivery in the desirable configuration in which it is presented
today. It was ordered by the Mercedes-Benz agent in Vienna,
Austria, for Count Ferdinand, of the noble Austrian Arco-Zinneberg
family, for delivery to his home in St. Martin im Innkreis. A
subsequent owner was likewise of noble birth, a "Freiherr" by the
name of Rudolf von Hudolin, in Salzburg. Von Hudolin sold the car
on 25 February 1960, to Koos Blakestein. These ownership changes
were noted in the original Austrian registration booklet, which was
sadly destroyed in a 2018 house fire; fortunately, the historical
details it contained regarding the 370 S's early life had been
previously recorded.
Koos Blakestein subsequently relocated with the car to the
Netherlands in 1960; he advertised the 370 S to American buyers,
using the same photo as had been depicted in its Austrian
registration booklet, in the September 1960 issue of Sports Cars
Illustrated. The car was then purchased by longtime Mercedes-Benz
Club of North America member Allen Bishop of Deerfield, Illinois,
in suburban Chicago, and thus arrived in the United States.
In an article he wrote for The First Century, Jules Barsotti noted
that he acquired the car in Chicago, presumably from Mr. Bishop, in
1966, paying $6,000 for it. Noted San Francisco enthusiast Martin
Swig (then the European Motors sales manager) helped arrange the
transaction. With the assistance of his father, himself a skilled
inventor and fabricator who had built the world's first amphibious
automobile in 1914, Mr. Barsotti completed a brief cosmetic and
mechanical restoration, and put the car in his showroom. It left
the dealership to attend the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in
1972 and 1973, winning 3rd in Class the latter year.
Longtime Concours co-chair Jules Heumann, appreciating the car with
his connoisseur's eye, suggested to Mr. Barsotti that he do a
proper restoration, as the 370 S "was really worth it." The owner
listened, and after a rather adventurous four-year restoration
effort-including the purloining of the car by a former employee,
and its subsequent retrieval-the Sport Cabriolet did, indeed, win
Best in Class at Pebble Beach in 1977.
Many more exhibits followed, including more years on display in the
San Francisco showroom of European Motors, and appearances at
Pebble Beach and in the Natural History Museum in 1986, for which
the car received a new California blue license plate: "100 YEARS,"
replacing its longstanding "BENZ 28" (honoring what was thought, at
the time, to be its model year). Eventually, as its owner aged, it
was put into storage in the City by the Bay-alongside other
significant cars that Mr. Barsotti had collected over the
years-until it was purchased by its present owner and consignor in
2017.
Since acquiring the Mercedes-Benz from the Barsotti Collection, the
consignor has set about doing the mechanical work necessary to
return it to running and operating condition. Its engine was
removed and serviced, and now benefits from custom Arias pistons,
new Total Seal rings, and new wrist pins; the head was milled, and
a custom head gasket fitted. Further, both carburetors, as well as
the water pump, were rebuilt, the gas tank removed and cleaned, and
the brake system overhauled. The car's wire wheels, six in total,
were cleaned, trued, and powder coated, after which new Excelsior
Stahl Sport radial tires and new tubes were installed. Accompanying
invoices attest to the work performed. The consignor does note,
however, that the vacuum booster for the brakes leaks; vacuum lines
for the brakes as well as the overdrive control are currently
disconnected. It should be noted that while the 370 S is
operational, it has not been driven any distance or fully sorted
for long-distance road use, which would be advisable before
attempting any extended touring.
Cosmetically, the car's restoration is aged, yet it remains very
solid and complete. Plenty of originality is evident throughout.
Its next owner could, if they choose, complete this 370 S Sport
Cabriolet's mechanical refurbishment and enjoy the car in its
patinated state. Alternatively, it would also be an ideal basis for
authentic restoration of a rare and beautiful Mercedes-Benz-one
made all the more appealing by its notable provenance-perhaps with
an eye to returning it to the Pebble Beach lawn again one day in
the future.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/0620.
