historical ownership

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

Does anyone know if it is possible (an how) to trace the ownership of a European/Germany delivered SL from the 1960's

It is simply noteworthy to have some type of ownership genealogy of any car.

In the past, I have been told that registration records are "destroyed"

[Pawel66]

My car is 1970. I tried both Classic Centers, but the answer was "we do not have records on this." So unless you have documents that came with the car it may be difficult.

If anyone who managed to obtain any information of this sort chimes in, I would try again.

[ejboyd5]

Is your's the light blue car I see around town in the warmer weather?

[ted280sl]

I believe a third party, Car Fax, is a major provider of a vehicles history. I tried to pull the records for my Pagoda many years ago and was told that the database does not go that far back. Our vin numbers are a few digits short. The Mercedes Benz Classic Car Center has all of the build cards which will tell you how your vehicle was equipped when it left the factory.
Ted
1969 280SL

[Benz Dr.]

It's interesting to note that 600's have this info or at least someone was able to retrieve that data. Someone on that site can tell you who the car was originally sold to which seems odd when normally no one can tell you anything. So, it seems that MB does keep records..........

[TheEngineer]

Yes, MB does have the records but will not share. For my car I received a copy of the build card and was told it was delivered in San Jose, CA but not to whom. The Dept. of Motor vehicles in California could not provide ownership information: too old. I have records from 1990 on when the car was sold here in Seattle, they came from receipts of stuff done, like tires and stainless exhaust system. Yes, it would be very nice to have a chain of owners. I met up with a gentlemen who had the car for many years, he traded it in for a new MB convertible. 

[Francis Abate]

Anyone happen to know of a 230SL owned by the Hoover (Vacuum Cleaner Co) family in Santa Fe, NM?  An acquaintance claims to have this car and is looking for the provenance.  Only other connection is the name Richard Gale also of Santa Fe. Thank you.

[mbpaul]

Richard Gale passed away a couple of years ago so I think that would be a dead end.  His wife knew little about Richard's cars.

[Francis Abate]

Thank you for the information.

[gugel]

German privacy laws prevent dealers and the Classic Center from providing historical ownership records for a car delivered in Germany.  I tried several years ago to get the dealer in Reutlingen to send a letter to the original owner, without giving me any information about him, and they wouldn't even do that.

Chris

[Kevkeller]

I got a copy of my data plate from Mercedes a long time ago. It has the original buyer's name and address. Is it only in the US that they give this information?  or was I just lucky?

Kevin.

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

I have tried many ways to develop some type of genealogy for my car with much difficulty, as I see  many others too have had a similar problem.  Here is a way out thought:

The engine plate has numbers stamped next to TEIL: and AGGREGAT.  I  believe Teil translates to part and I am not sure what aggregat translates to.

QUESTION::  Could those stamped numbers provide any clues as to date, location, reason or some other meaning etc?  Every number on MB cars seem to have a rationale/reason/coding translation?

Any  Thoughts?

[George Des]

Not sure how MB would be able to keep an audit trail on owners unless the car was maintained exclusively by MB chain of dealerships over its lifetime. I know some of the brands today like Lexus can do it. Doubtful they would have had the technology to do that back through the years these cars have been on the road but the Germans are notorious for keeping meticulous records so who knows. My own car has had only two owners since-me and an Italian doctor who lived in Rovigo Italy and purchased it in 1967. I have the original Italian cutoms and registration documents. Not sure if he is alive still but at some point will contact him or his surviving family. I would like to ask him how the car came to have a ZF 5 speed installed in it. The data card does not indicate it. I have owned the car since 1976, so the 5 Speed was added sometime between 1967 and 1976 while he owned it. It may have been done by the Italian dealership where he bought it?

[Benz Dr.]

My info seems to indicate that more 5 speed cars were sold in Italy than any other country. My car is one of those.

[George Des]

Ya, Dan, that is my understanding as well regarding the ZFs and the Italian market. One of the mechanics I used to have work on mine back in Italy told me that many Italians were used to 5 speeds because most Alfa’s and other performance Italian market cars came equipped with them as a matter of course and they demanded them on the MB as well. My guess as I mentioned is that the conversion on mine was done shorlty after its original sale and mkst likely by the dealership in Italy. There were probably lots of ZF boxes around back then and a conversion was probably no big deal cost-wise at the dealership.