CLASSICS CHATTER AUCTION UPDATES: 1958 Mercedes-Benz 220SE 'Ponton' Competition Saloon - BONHAMS AUCTIONS Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale Goodwood Race Circuit Chichester West Sussex, PO18 0PX Friday 13th July 2018

CLASSIC CHATTER
BY ENTHUSIASTS FOR ENTHUSIASTS

Visit our 2018 Events Listings at
EVENTS 2018
To Advertise your 2018 Events e-mail us at
events.classicchatter@mail.com

====================================
Social Media
FACEBOOK - @classicchatterinfocus
LTWITTER - @classicchat
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Classic Chatter is an independent website for owners & enthusiasts of all types of historic vehicles.

As well as our main website we post regularly on our sites related to Showroom Classics, Auctions & Events News

TODAY WE FEATURE

BONHAMS AUCTIONS

Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale

Goodwood Race Circuit Chichester

West Sussex, PO18 0PX

Friday 13th July 2018

1958 Mercedes-Benz 220SE 'Ponton' Competition Saloon

Registration no. RSG 395

Chassis no. 180010Z8502794

* All Goodwood Revival meetings since 2008

* 2.8-litre engine

* Built by Tipton Garage

* Maintained by INRacing

This Mercedes-Benz 220S enjoys the distinction - together with the Mercedes-Benz 300SE 'Fintail' saloon in this sale (Lot 362) - of having attended all Goodwood Revival meetings since its construction in 2008. Like the 300SE, this rare right-hand drive 'Ponton' was race-prepared for the same owner - a prominent Mercedes-Benz collector and marque expert - by motor engineer Richard Miles of Tipton Garage, a former Brabham Formula 1 mechanic and Daniel Richmond's right-hand man at legendary tuners, Downton Engineering. Richard's brief was to build the 'Ponton' for use at the Goodwood Revival and HRDC 'Touring Greats' series, which share regulations while taking advantage of all permitted modifications. The latter include an increase in engine capacity of up to 25%, and so a 2.8-litre engine was installed, which drives via a four-speed manual gearbox from the same period. Both engine and transmission, the latter upgraded with a limited-slip differential, were painstakingly rebuilt at Tipton Garage by Richard's son, Stephen Miles, a former development engineer at Janspeed Engineering where he was a key member of the team responsible for running Nissan's works effort in the British Touring Car Championship.

To satisfy the FIA's safety regulations for historic competition cars, a custom-built full roll cage has been installed together with all the mandatory safety equipment. Goodwood's particular insistence on the retention of period features on historic saloons meant that the Mercedes had to have factory steel wheels and full interior trim. Like that of its 'Fintail' stablemate, this car's attention to detail has seen it acknowledged as one of the best-presented entries at the Goodwood Revival, even impressing visiting directors of Mercedes-Benz.

Motorsports legends that have co-driven this car at Goodwood include Desiré Wilson, Jürgen Barth, Jochen Mass, and Brian Redman. 'RSG 395' has also been welcome in the HRDC's popular 'Touring Greats' series for pre-1960 touring cars and will surely remain so for the foreseeable future. During this period, the car was always maintained regardless of cost by Tipton Garage, who kept it in first class order.

When the owner/driver retired from active participation in motorsports, both of his historic Mercedes-Benz racers were purchased by the current vendor. The current owner acquired the car in January 2016 and is only offering it for sale today for medical reasons. This Mercedes (and its 300SE stablemate) has been maintained to a very high standard by Ian Nuthall's 'INRacing', specialists in historic competition cars of all kinds, and is presented in ready-to-race condition. This well-known Mercedes-Benz racing saloon represents a wonderful opportunity to own a car having one of the longest associations with Goodwood's much-loved Revival meeting.