Mercedes Universal - for Crayford

[Grant V]

Caroline,
I read your response on "Who are you?" and thought I'd let you know more about the Universal. (P.S. You've got good taste in cars, girl - me too would like a DS Safari)
I found it in a scrapyard in Pretoria waiting to be crushed, so I immediately bought it, but without an engine. Over time I have been buying up parts to complete the car, like a donor 200 for the engine, rear seats from Germany and new taillight lenses off eBay.
I believe that the car is a 1967 model, apparently one of only 416 200's that were built by IMA. I also understand that three 200 Universals were imported into SA in the late 60's by MBSA, to be used as field representative cars, and I think that this might be one of them, based purely on the blue/ white colour scheme, which were the corporate colours of the time.
There used to be a great and thorough website about Universals, which was run by a guy called Kevin Reuss. He had put together a register of Universals and a few years ago there were about twenty odd cars listed. The site has, unfortunately, disappeared, along with all this valuable info.
There are a few Universals in SA. There's a 220S in Bloemfontein, which belongs to Louis Coetzer, the Free State region chairman of the MB club. Waldo Scribante, the Southern Cape chairman of the MB club has just imported a Universal from the UK, and I believe that a local guy has just bought a good example from Zimbabwe. I'm not sure if he's got it yet. All of these cars, including mine, are right-hand-drive.
Every now and again a Universal popps up for sale in Germany - just last month I found a 190d for sale. A 220S seven seater was for sale for quite a while from a German dealer - EUR25 000! Don't know if it's sold yet.
Do you know of any Universals in Australia?

My car :





Louis Coetzer's 220S:





The German EUR25000 220S Seven Seater:

[gregdeklerk]

Grant, I hear that Waldo's car is "vrot" with rust!!

[OzBenzHead]

Just caught up, somewhat belatedly, with this thread.

Kevin Reuss, two years ago, offered me the honour of taking over and maintaining his Universal site.

At the time, although keen, I was far too committed to too many other things (and not just Benzes) and thought that as I had never even seen a Universal in the metal there might be worthier candidates.

Unfortunately, the site hasn't, to my notice, reappeared.  Kevin had found a couple of possible curators - one in the UK and one in the US (that one also keeps a Ponton site) - and fellow Universal owners - to take it on, bur perhaps that fell through.  I've not heard from Kevin since.

He did, however, send me the entire site which I have archived on my Mac.

In honour of the spirit (hell - even the law!) of copyright, I feel constrained not to publicly share the site's content; however, if anyone is particularly interested, I wouldn't mine e-mailing a few pics privately on request (there are 140 of them).

Now that I've jogged my own memory on it, perhaps I should ask Kevin what has happened to the site.   Then again, perhaps not - do I need another commitment (aside from that which might happen to me any time soon, accompanied by men in little white coats!).

Groan ...

No.  Yes.  No.  Maybe ...

Oh ffff[ornication]!

[Grant V]

Gordon,

Kevin's site was really quite a treasure and very well researched. I was very disappointed when it disappeared, as it was probably the best source of information regarding these very rare cars.

I don't know what it might entail to get this site live again, but I would seriously consider the opportunity. Would you contact Kevin for me, or PM me his details?

[OzBenzHead]

Grant: PM sent.

G

[OzBenzHead]

Oh, and Grant, there was a Heckflosse Universal (called "Fritz") for sale in Beverley, Western Oz, in September 2005. The vendor was asking $AUD19K.

Chassis No. 111001-60-079332

Engine No.   180947-20-007479

I've no idea of its fate.

[500eguy]

That is one very good looking Estate.. good thing you found it before it went to the crusher.