The primary theme of the 2022 Antwerp Concours d’Elegance was arguably the stare-down between two iconic German premium brands. The “duel of the giants” was a central topic that lined up the largest number of cars, including many rare pre-war specimens.
We also loved the concept of paring a few iconic competitors, especially the Gullwing and the 507, where the wish to compete was truly obvious.
The 300SL is a true automotive icon. It is often credited as the first modern supercar. The birth of the model was preceded by the W194 race car’s success at several iconic races. The road car was called to life by Max Hoffman, a very influential businessman featured also many of our Porsche articles. He was the United States importer of Mercedes-Benz, pressing the company for the 300 SL to satisfy the clear demand for a high-end European supercar.
Mercedes unveiled the 300 SL in 1954 at the International Motor Sports Show in New York. The car using Mercedes’ largest 3-litre inline-six engine to date proved to be an instant success that lasted for over a decade.
We encountered 300SL specimens at every car show, making the Gullwing one of the most proliferate classics, while auction prices hardly ever drop under million euros. This red specimen is one of the last cars, built in 1957 for the US market. Opposite the Gullwing, the organisers managed to showcase its direct competitor from Bavaria.
Obviously, BMW wanted to make a dent in this lucrative market and developed a competitor. You would never guess who was the godfather of the BMW 507… Max Hoffman also approached BMW about a sportscar using the technology developed for the upmarket BMWs, and the Bavarians did their best to meet the demands of the US Market.
The 507 used a shortened 503 frame with a reduced wheelbase, designed by Albrecht von Goertz, with hand-formed aluminium body, and hardly two specimens with exactly the same shape. The 3.2 V8 produced 150 HP and accelerated the 507 in a bit over 11 seconds.
Unfortunately, the efforts did not prove to be sufficient, and sales fell below expectations. The 507 remained a rarity and the few surviving specimens became stars of every auction.
A few other pre-war cars were paired similarly, with the red 1939 Mercedes 320 A Mannheim cabriolet our personal favourite. Positioned under the 500 K series, the 320 was equipped with a 3.4-litre straight-six petrol engine, producing a then very respectable 77 PS.
The car is paired up with BMW’s iconic 328 Roadster from 1938, probably the most iconic classic BMW from the pre-war period.
The other pairing was a blue 1939 BMW 327 Cabrio sport and a 1939 Mercedes 170 (from the w136 series), a lightweight four-cylinder 2+2 roadster.
Another face-off was planted by the entrance of the chateau, with a rather weird rusty Gullwing from 1956, and a very well restored pre-war 1934 Mercedes 170 Sport Roadster.
The other side of the Castle entrance was guarded by a 315 Roadster also from 1934, paired with a 1934 BMW 328 rebodied in 1952 by Belgian Hugo de Ridder. He was not a coachbuilder in the traditional sense, as he personally built it during a period of 4 years. He was 16 when he started hammering the metal sheets together. The car was powered by a 2-Litre 6-cylinder engine from a 1938 BMW 328, producing 80 HP with the help of three carburettors.
The rest of the German flock was distributed in batches. The Mercedes post-war fleet seemed somewhat older with many cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s (the newest was a 190E Evo II from 1990).
The white 1952 300S Cabriolet is a fine specimen and was accompanied by 1969 230SE (of the W111 series) and a few other rarities.
Near the entrance, there was a trio of lightweight roadsters, starting with a 190 SL followed by a W113 Pagoda and an R107 FROM 1979.
The Bavarian trio on the opposite side of the gate is much more diverse, starting with a cute Isetta (well-specced, even with a luggage rack). The cutie was accompanied by the rear-engine 700CS from 1965 and the “Neue Klasse” 1500 from 1962.
Generally, the selected BMWs are a bit younger, ending with a fairly recent Z8 roadster, that closed a trio of coupés, accompanied by a “batmobile” 3.0 CSL from 1979 and a 635 CSI from 1987. The batmobile was the first car built by the Bavarians’ M Division.
The theme amassed some 30 cars of all sizes, purposes and epochs. A lot to choose from. Strangely, the absolute winner of Antwerp Concours did not come from the two German brands. So let’s have a look at the best cars from these two brands (the award winners and also our favourites where we disagreed), after the jump to the next page:
