The unfamiliar sound whispered in the still Singaporean night.  We heard the soft chugging, like a steam locomotive from a great distance.  It grew louder rapidly until we saw the source.  As if time travelers from the 19th century had suddenly materialized, a bearded man and an elegant lady were riding on a large motorized tricycle, heading towards us at the Fullerton Hotel south entrance.  The lady was driving, maneuvering the vehicle with her left hand on a lever and her right controlling a steering rod.  She deftly wove through the parked classic cars and stopped at the end of the driveway.  As the vehicle passed us with a rich aroma of leather and wood, we recognized both the vehicle and the driver. 

The car was a replica of the first automobile, the Benz Patent Motorwagen.  The lady at its helm was Jutta Benz, great-granddaughter of Karl Benz, the inventor of the automobile and Bertha Benz, the first woman driver.  Ms. Benz traveled to Singapore to launch the Mercedes-Benz & Me campaign and to reveal some of the history of her family.

The following day, as astonishing a sight in 2005 as it must have been in 1886, Ms. Benz drove the Patent Car across the Cavenagh Bridge in front of the Fullerton, bringing the vehicle to a halt on a red carpet prepared for the occasion.  Afterwards, she unveiled the collection of classic Mercedes assembled at the hotel’s courtyard.  God Himself must own a Benz or two, as He gave the entire day a respite from the incessant showers.

Two SL roadsters were brought from the Philippines to join in the celebration, a white 1966 230 SL Pagoda and a silver 1956 190 SL.  Their owners were on hand as Ms. Benz cheerfully signed her name on the cars’ metal dashboards, a permanent testimony to their presence at the event.   The centerpiece of the exhibit was a stunning 1936 500 K Special Roadster, one of only 354 produced, and worth four million US dollars.  Ms. Benz played passenger this time, riding the 500 K with its owner around the financial district.

The cars were worthy to be housed in a museum, and yet they were more than just display pieces.  Each of them represented something special to their owner, far more than just the pride of having a beautiful car.  The white Pagoda was the culmination of more than thirty years of collecting model cars, and a wonderful introduction to owning the real toy.  The silver 190 SL was the fruit of a long struggle to restore a barnyard discovery back to its full glory.

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