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When I'm 64
I'll have my toy.
COOL!
Lili Marlene
Midi format
Lili Marlene
Sequenced by Accordeon Man
Realizing a dream...
Truth be told, owning a Duesenberg was just that: a dream. Soon after retiring, in '84, I had my eyes set on a beautiful 'thirties-era' classic, the Mercedes 500K. I would carry the photo taken from the manufacturer's pamphlet around and hoping that perhaps, one fine day, I just might see my dream come true. Unfortunately, by the time I was 'ready' to take the plunge, that particular model had ceased to be produced for over ten years! But, as luck would have it, my son discovered 'the' very same dream car, neatly wrapped in its original 'shipping crate' and crying to be assembled! This is the story of how this came about.
And now, heeeeeeeeeeeere's The Dream Car!
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The Marlene II - View 1
The Marlene II - History
Decades of engineering by automobile pioneer Gottlieb Daimler had earned him a reputation as one of the geniuses of an emerging industry. It was the suggestion, however, of his friend and distributor Emil Jellinek which ensured his position in history. Jellinek envisioned a vehicle with more power, a longer wheelbase, and with more style than anything on the road at that time.
Jellinek, a wealthy Austrian banker, businessman and diplomat, made his suggestion in tandem with an offer - he would buy 36 of the reengineered roadsters in exchange for certain marketing rights, and with one stipulation: that these roadsters would be named after his beautiful daughter . . . Mercedes. Daimler agreed and a legend had begun.
Nearly 30 years later and long after Daimler's death, his company and that of his peer and rival, Karl benz, had risen to the top of their industry. In 1936 the economic pressures of World War I prompted the merger of these two remarkable firms.
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The Marlene II - View 2
By the 1930's, the new firm had succeeded in its racing efforts and was now internationally famous. Finally, in 1934, after thousands of design hours, a staff of top engineers at Daimler-Benz unveiled the Mercedes-Benz 500K. So desirable was this automobile that many famous people ordered custom versions. In 1936, Mercedes-Benz was commissioned to design a personalized model for international movie star Marlene Dietrich. It was an automotive status symbol without rival, the "brightest glint of a golden age." This car's fabulous styling has become so popular that today, IF you could find one, an original 500K would easily demand a price in excess of one million dollars.
Nearly a half-century after the first 500K rolled off the line, a staff of Classic Roadster engineers invested thousands of hours rising to the most demanding challenge of their careers - to faithfully capture the beauty, grace and luxury of the 500K, while incorporating the best of contemporary automotive fetures - dependability and performance - at an affordable price. The result is what many believe is the most beautiful classic reproduction ever designed.
It is with pleasure and, admitedly, a great deal of pride that Classic Roadsters offered an automobile in a class of its own . . . the Marlene.
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The Marlene II - View 3
THE DREAM IS BEING REALIZED ...
As of this day, September 1st 1998, (updated 30th October) I therefore have pledged myself to have the dream car built and ready for touring by 1 June 1999! I intend, in these pages, to publish a detailed running account of the venture, from deciding which car to build to publishing photos depicting the actual building process So, if you have ever thought of one day building your own car, I would suggest you bookmark this page and check it out, from time to time.
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The Dahboard and Cockpit
Please Note: As mentioned earlier, the Marlene is no longer in production however, plans are afoot to once again make this classic available to car lovers. If you wish to be notified when production begins, drop me a line and I will contact you when the great day arrives.
WHO WILL BUILD THE CAR
I long have been known to be mechanically challenged. My knowledge of cars is very limited (read: almost nil) so it won't come as a surprise to learn I have opted to have the dreamcar built by someone who has been doing such things since the tender age of 13.... my son, Danny.
Truth be known, contrary to the norm of the day where daddies usually were the ones to buy their son a car at sixteen, an impossible task for me at the time, good old Dan bought me or rather, built me a nice little sport car when he was sixteen! It therefore is only logical that, at his frequent urging, I would choose him to complete this latest project of mine.
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The man himself!
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