MERCEDES DAMAGED BY FLOODING: MB/8 CLUB DONATES FUNDS AND RESTORATION WORK
During the night of 14 to 15 July 2021, massive flooding turned the Ahrtal valley into a disaster zone, with a death toll of 135 people. Many houses were washed away, numerous families devastated and businesses destroyed within just a few hours. Even today, almost two and a half years after the catastrophe, life in the Ahrtal has not fully recovered. At its annual meeting in July 2021, the MB/8 Club Deutschland e.V. spontaneously resolved to collect donations for the disaster-struck region and was able to hand over € 2,000 to Altenahr District at the beginning of August.
Well known in Bremen for their spectacular stand constructions, the members of the club helped out not only with cash, but also with their special Mercedes expertise. After the flooding, the owner of a Mercedes-Benz 250CE coupe contacted the MB/8 Club Deutschland e.V. with a desperate call for help. Inside its garage, the flood waters had filled the coupe up to the bottom of the steering wheel.
Without a moment's hesitation, MB/8 members organised a trailer and transported the completely dirt-encrusted vehicle to Lower Saxony. There, thanks to their own work and the amazing support of various local businesses, club members expertly dismantled the vehicle. Over the past two years, they have cleaned it up, repaired all the components individually, and reassembled the whole car. Hundreds of hours' work and huge commitment from the club's members made all this possible. At the end of August 2023, two years after the vehicle was picked up in the Ahrtal, it passed its MOT with flying colours. Now it holds a permit for driving on German roads for the next two years, and the testers awarded it a mark of 2+ (the top mark is 1).
The MB/8 Club will present the fully restored coupe in Hall 2 at the Bremen Classic Motorshow at the beginning of February. A photo documentation will show visitors the many stages in the extensive restoration of the Mercedes-Benz 250CE coupe from the w114 range dating from 1970.
© MB /8 Club Deutschland e.V.
