Mercedes 90s

Sir,

With reference to Mr. G.E. Gordon-Marshall’s letter published and your postscript enquiring about the present whereabouts of the 37/90 PS Mercedes which was owned by Mr. Blythe, the straight answer is that we do not know what happened to this car and must presume it was scrapped for the war effort appeal.

Mr. Blythe’s 90 was reputedly imported to the order of an English nobleman, name unknown, certainly not before 1913 as witness, the vee-pointed radiator, first available on this model in that year’s production series.

It was acquired by Mr. Blythe in 1932 and had been re-registered YF 7466 (original mark not known). In 1938 it was reputed to have been owned by Mr. J. Morris who may be the same person as the co-owner with Mr. Milner of the 200 h.p. ex Blitzen Benz, ex Hindenburg staff-car now in The Birmingham Transport Museum on loan from Mr. Murcott of Sutton Coldfield.

We have no record of any post-war ownership or sighting of this 90 and only two others are extant in Great Britain today, namely, the ex. A.W.F. Smith Corsica-bodied tourer now owned by Mr. Clarke and Mr. Halkyard’s white 90 ,vith disc wheel which appeared at VSCC meetings in the 1960s.

Incidentally, the December 1932 issue of Motor Sport contained a descriptive article by “Baladeur” on the 37/90 PS Mercedes, and the photograph therein is remarkably similar to Mr. Blythe’s car. There was one other 90 in Scotland which we are told was accidentally scrapped in 1952 by a scrap merchant during the owner’s absence from home. This was the 1948 Bo’ness Hill-Climb car, or rather chassis with box seat, driven by Lieut. Bellingham at that event (photo also in Motor Sport) and owned by D. Scott Moncrieff.

Ronald H. Johnson, Pre-War Librarian and Historian, Mercedes-Benz Club Ltd. – Falmouth