Stealing Cars in the USSR during the 1960s: The Film "Beware the Car," or "Uncommon Thief," or "Watch Out for the Automobile."

 

Confined to the house because of our snow and deep freeze in Southwest Ohio, I decided to watch Amazon Prime car films. I was totally shocked by the first one I chose, "Watch Out for the Automobile," a movie about an idiosyncratic car thief in Moscow during the mid-1960s. You can find much information on the film on the Internet Film database, and on the car (a GAZ 21) at Wikipedia. 

Since memorable scenes focus on our unassuming car thief Yuri behind the wheel of a stolen GAZ 21, I thought it appropriate to feature the interior of this model of car, made between 1956 and 1970 in three iterations. Featuring a 2.5 liter side valve engine and made at the Gorky Automobile Factory, it was similar to American cars of the 1950s and prized by Soviet bureaucrats and elites.

I saw this film as quite different than American auto theft films of the period, however.  First, it clearly took a peek at what life was like in the USSR -- values, materialism, deceit, and aspirations. As remarked in beginning of the film, "Everyone wants a car, but once they get it they want to get rid of it." Yuri steals cars (5 of them), sells them on a black market, then gives the proceeds to orphanages. He uses very clever methods, including oil  on rusty hinges to eliminate the noise when opening a garage, and a crane to pick up a garage! He is a friend to the inspector who is pursing him, and an actor at ta community theater but his best role is in disarming people as he goes about his crimes. He is in love with a pretty woman who drives a tram, has a wonderful loving mother, and not an ounce of violence in his heart. But he has a great distain for hypocrisy and corruption.

This car theft film looks inwardly into a society while telling a rather funny story. I am not sure that American films of the era do that. "Gone in 60 Seconds" tell us more about the cars than the people of the values of our society at the time, values that also are centered on hypocrisy.  It seems that greed,  selfishness, and Social Darwinism have no national boundaries, but our hero Yuri has an uncommon heart to do good

50 Years of the Mercedes-Benz W 123 Model Series

Mercedes-Benz 230 of the 123 model series. Driving shot from left front. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: D291353)From the first moment on, this automobile inspires great confidence: after the press premiere of the new Mercedes-Benz Saloons of the 123 model series in January 1976 in Bandol in the south of France, and even before the official market launch of this upper mid-range model series, the entire first year’s production is already sold out. In particular, reporters focus on the objective qualities of the vehicle: its outstanding levels of active and passive safety, embedded in a calm, well-balanced design. The predecessor of the E-Class indubitably embodies the Mercedes-Benz brand values in its basic form – providing timeless substance and self-evident solidity. Today, this feeds into a passionate affection for one of the most popular and widely distributed classic cars inside and outside Germany.

The W 123 reflects many concept and style elements of the S-Class of that time (W 116). These include its high-quality finish, the excellent suspension tuning, the generous sense of space in the interior, a newly developed safety steering column and seat-belt buckles mounted directly on the seat fittings. From 1980 on, Mercedes-Benz already offers the ABS anti-lock braking system in the 123 model series, and the driver airbag from 1982 on.

Glowing reviews and high market demand

“Evolution to measure” is the headline of the first road test report in the specialist magazine “auto motor und sport” in Issue 3/1976. The verdict is unequivocal: Mercedes-Benz has succeeded “well above average” with the new W 123. The article mentions “balanced progress, targeted further development and the uncompromising commitment to quality” as decisive factors.

From 1976 on, the W 123 rapidly shapes the face of the Mercedes-Benz brand – and what appears on the roads. It becomes a new symbol of German automotive culture and, from the late 1980s on, successively develops into a popular modern classic and finally into a versatile classic in its own right. Fans of the series have long been able to choose from a wide range of body styles. About a year after the premiere of the W 123, the Coupé (C 123) follows in the spring of 1977. In September 1977, the model series gains its first Mercedes-Benz T-Model (S 123). With this addition, the brand places the focus on leisure and sport and fundamentally redefines the estate car segment. Further body versions include long-wheelbase saloons (V 123) and chassis with partial bodywork (F 123). With a total of almost 2.7 million vehicles produced by 1986, the 123 model series becomes the most successful Mercedes-Benz model series to date. Of these, 2,375,440 units are saloons. The most produced 123 model is the 240 D sedan with 448,986 vehicles. The rarest is the 280 C coupé with 3,704 vehicles.

Worldwide spare parts supply and vehicle trading by Mercedes-Benz Classic

From the outset, the W 123 is intentionally designed for ease of maintenance and servicing, durability and quality. High resale values are the result – and the fact that, to this day, numerous vehicles of this model series are still on the road as classics which have been maintained with loving care. In order to ensure that these icons in the E-Class tradition continue to run safely and reliably in the future, Mercedes-Benz Classic Genuine Parts offers a comprehensive range of replacement and wearing parts for the 123 model series. Manufactured according to original factory specifications, they impress with high levels of dependability and are generally available within 24 hours via the worldwide sales and distribution network. 

The range of parts for the 123 model series extends from details such as the safety door lock knob (A 110 760 05 65 9051) to safety-relevant components such as the front brake callipers (left: A 123 420 05 83, right: A 123 420 06 83). Also available are the coupé windscreen (A 123 671 05 10) and front wings suitable for all three body styles (left: A 123 880 05 18, right: A 123 880 06 18). Engine-specific parts for the M 102 include the crankshaft (A 102 030 21 01) and the camshaft (A 102 050 02 01). After a longer absence, spark plugs (A 003 159 10 03 26) for the M 110 engine in the top models 280 and 280 E are once again available. Also back in stock is the spare key (A 000 760 08 06). It is manufactured specifically for the locking system upon presentation of the vehicle registration document at the dealership.

Today, anyone interested in a model from the 123 model series will regularly find attractive, hand-picked examples in the Mercedes-Benz Classic vehicle sales offering. Currently listed is a 230 TE manufactured in 1984 in forest green, an exceptionally original vehicle with a total of just 52,000 kilometres on the odometer. Link: www.mercedes-benz.com/oldtimer

The versatility of the 123 model series

The versatile model range of the 123 model series extends from the 200 D, which is particularly popular as a taxi, and the innovative and agile 300 D Turbodiesel all the way to the 280 E with its powerful, sporty straight-six engine. Yet regardless of engine variant, those who order a W 123 from 1976 or later will receive a vehicle which is not only extremely refined from the start, but one which also conveys a message: every one of these saloons is a discreet expression of the driver’s affluence, with no need for short-lived effects. The W 123 offers performance without ostentation and comfort without pomp. The versatile yet serene character of the 123 model series continues to fascinate to this day.

In 1977, the model series even takes centre stage in the international motorsport arena: at the London–Sydney long-distance rally, a gruelling race lasting six and a half weeks and covering 30,000 kilometres across Europe, Asia and Australia, two Mercedes-Benz 280 E vehicles prevail in the face of strong competition. This triumph impressively demonstrates the uncompromising durability and reliability of the model series. The winning vehicle of the team Andrew Cowan/Colin Malkin/Mike Broad from 1977 can now be seen at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

In 1982, right from the plant, Mercedes-Benz offers a bivalent engine capable of running on LPG and petrol. Test vehicles also run on hydrogen as well as with a battery-electric drive. Thus, almost half a century ago, the 123 model series was already pointing the way to the future of drive technology. 

Mercedes-Benz CL 600 (215 model series)

Premiere with style and stone: The Mercedes-Benz CL 600 from the 1999 Geneva Motor Show

Mercedes-Benz CL 600 (215 model series)

Living mineral: Natural stone on trim parts in the interior of a car? What an extraordinary idea. Mercedes-Benz implements it for the first time in this CL 600. Soft like an organic material, this otherwise hard and brittle mineral hugs the curvatures of the interior. The trim on the centre console and door panels of the luxury coupé, for example, shimmers gently and deeply, and the blue tones glow seductively in the right light. The luxury coupé with its exclusive and at the same time safe trim made of natural stone offers an overwhelming aesthetic – astonishing experts and the general public.

Double debut: This CL 600 is a premiere vehicle of the 215 model series at the Geneva Motor Show from 11 to 21 March 1999. It was given a place of honour on a pedestal in the middle of the Mercedes-Benz stand. The silver-painted sister model, the CL 500, is on display next to it. The brand sets standards with its luxurious, two-door touring cars. The coupé was initially launched in 1999 as the CL 500, followed by the CL 600 in the spring of 2000. In 2001, Mercedes-Benz finally launched the stone trim parts made from the Norwegian granite type larvikite in the interior as part of the designo customisation programme.

Innovative sophistication: “How do you spell the future of the car?” – Mercedes-Benz posed this exciting question in Geneva in 1999 and presented the C 215 as one of the answers. The luxury coupé looks out into the world with a twin-headlamp face typical of its era. Like the S-Class, it perfectly combines innovative technology and maximum exclusivity. The newly developed 5.8-litre V12 engine M 137 in the top-of-the-range CL 600 model is a perfect match. A V12 emblem on the side discreetly indicates the engine. The premiere vehicle from 1999 can be experienced in the special “Youngtimer” exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum until 12 April 2026.

Driving dynamics in a new dimension: One milestone is the Active Body Control ABC active suspension, which has its world premiere in this CL generation. ABC compensates for the usual body movements using hydraulic cylinders on the axles; the corresponding signals are supplied by sensitive sensors. The result is highly cultivated handling of the powerful two-door touring car. The press release from 1999 describes: “In this way, the Mercedes-Benz CL pushes forward into new dimensions of driving dynamics while maximising ride comfort.” This also benefits the particularly sporty AMG versions of the CL, which are offered for the first time in the 215 model series.

Racing technology for the luxury coupé: In Formula 1, the CL 55 AMG was even used as the Safety Car in the 2000 season. Driver Bernd Mayländer loves the combination of high-speed precision and luxury ambience it offers, as he says in retrospect in an interview. The special CL 55 AMG “F1 Limited Edition” model, which is available in a limited series of 55 vehicles from the summer of 2000 on, is reminiscent of the Safety Car. It is the world’s first road-legal car to have a carbon braking system with internally ventilated brake discs made of fibre-reinforced ceramic. The high-performance material is produced as a composite of carbon fibre, carbon powder, resin and silicon.

Individualisation at the highest level: The natural stone trim parts are included in the Mercedes-Benz range for individualising the CL at an absolutely top level. In addition to the designo labrador blue pearl colour, as can be seen inside this CL 600, the designo viking green variant is also available from 2001. The production is complex: the hard stone is sawn into wafer-thin slices, which are then fixed to a flexible base layer. Rollers then break up the grain structure, while the optical and haptic properties are retained. This particularly high-quality material can now also be processed with very tight radii for interior design, and bent or cut as required.

Sporty exclusivity: Anyone approaching the CL 600 in the “Refinement” section of the special “Youngtimer” exhibition will be captivated by its timeless design. Long bonnet, elegant roofline, slightly taut rear, an overall clear and powerful silhouette – the large coupé radiates sporty exclusivity. The special designo chromaflair paint finish emphasises the exclusive appearance of the exhibition vehicle at the Museum. It offers fascinating colour changes depending on the light and viewing angle. This CL 600 from 1999 also demonstrates the wide range of high-quality customisation options made possible by the designo range – the forerunner of today’s MANUFAKTUR range.

Perfection in every detail: The Mercedes-Benz CL offers the driver and passengers maximum comfort thanks to numerous solutions. This starts with the design of the door hinges, which ensure easy entry and exit despite the long, heavy doors, supported by an automatic closing mechanism. And it extends to stowage systems between the front seats, where the integrated car phone has its own spot on a separate level. The sophisticated COMAND operating and communication system, the highly customisable seat adjustment and much more are also included. In the sum of all the equipment details, the CL 600 makes it clear that true luxury is the result of technical optimisation. This is what the 215 model series stands for – what Mercedes-Benz used to redefine the coupés of the luxury class in 1999 and what fascinates today’s visitors to the special “Youngtimer” exhibition.

German Auto Race Driver Hans Hermann (1928-2026)

 

Hans Herrmann, Mercedes-Benz works racing driver in 1954 and 1955. Photo of test drives at the Autodromo in Monza in August 1955 in the W 196 R Formula 1 racing car with streamlined body. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archive: 55256_5)

• International fame as a Mercedes-Benz works driver in 1954 and 1955
• Starts in W 196 R Formula 1 racing car and 300 SLR (W 196 S) racing sports car
• An extremely versatile racing driver with very consistent, fast lap times
  
  

Hans Herrmann, the famous racing driver, Le Mans winner and Mercedes-Benz Heritage Brand Ambassador, passed away on 9 January 2026 at the age of 97. He began his international career in 1954 and 1955 as a works driver for Mercedes-Benz in Formula 1 and in sports car races. Despite his connections all over the world, the racing driver, who was born in Stuttgart on 23 February 1928, remained deeply rooted in the region. His fame and popularity there is correspondingly high – as shown by the initial reactions to his death.

 

“It is with great gratitude that we remember Hans Herrmann, an outstanding racing driver who had a decisive influence on the history of Mercedes-Benz. As part of the legendary Silver Arrows racing team in the mid-1950s, he impressed with his speed and mastery in races. His likeable charisma and his passion for motorsport made him very popular with fans and fellow drivers alike. After his active career, Hans Herrmann remained closely associated with our brand as a representative of Mercedes-Benz Heritage and helped to preserve the heritage of our vehicles.”
Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH.

 

Mille Miglia class winner joins the Mercedes-Benz works team

A trained confectioner, Hans Herrmann began his motor racing career in 1952, driving his privately owned Porsche 356 in the Hesse Winter Rally. In the same year, he won a class victory in the Germany Rally. In 1953 and 1954, driving a Porsche, Herrmann won class victories in the legendary Mille Miglia 1000-mile race in Italy. These successes made him a very promising young talent – and Alfred Neubauer, head of the Mercedes-Benz racing department, brought the twenty-six-year-old into the works team alongside Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling in 1954 for the brand’s return to Grand Prix racing.

Herrmann didn’t hesitate to prove his talent in the premier class of motorsport. When the new W 196 R Silver Arrows made their debut at the French Grand Prix in Reims on 4 July 1954, Hans Herrmann immediately made his mark by setting the fastest lap time of 2 minutes 32.9 seconds – equivalent to an average speed of 195.463 km/h. In this season, he achieved two podium finishes – in the 1954 Swiss Grand Prix and the 1954 Avus race, finishing third in both races. In this inaugural season, the works team won numerous victories, and Juan Manuel Fangio became Formula 1 World Champion.

Stirling Moss completed the successful team for the 1955 season. During training for the Monaco Grand Prix in May 1955, Herrmann suffered an accident and was so badly injured, especially in his hip, that he was unable to participate for the remainder of that season. After an outstanding season, Fangio was again Formula 1 World Champion. Hans Herrmann fought his way back into active motorsport. He was also popularly known as “Hans in Luck” because he survived a number of serious accidents.

After the spectacular successes of the 1955 season, the then Daimler-Benz AG withdrew from motor racing in October 1955 and concentrated on the development of new production vehicles. Hans Herrmann remained closely associated with the brand with the star. Among other things, he took part in the 1961 Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE “tail fin” rally car (W 111). He crossed the finish line in second place and, together with the winner Walter Schock, also in a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE, completed the double victory in this gruelling long-distance race covering more than 4,500 kilometres.

 

Versatile motor racing talent

Taking part in Formula 1 and Formula 2 Grand Prix races, sports car races and rallies, Herrmann showed himself to be an enormously versatile racing driver. Apart from Mercedes-Benz cars, he particularly competed in Porsche racing and sports cars. He also raced at the wheel of various B.R.M., Cooper, Maserati, Abarth and Veritas racing cars.

Herrmann achieved his greatest successes in long-distance sports car races. These included his overall victories in the Targa Florio (1960), the 24-hour race in Daytona (1968) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1970). After his Le Mans triumph, the Swabian opted to end his active career without even finishing the season. At the start of the endurance classic in France, he had promised his wife, Magdalena, that he would never again contest a race if he won Le Mans. He fulfilled his promise and then successfully devoted himself to running his company dealing in car accessories.

As a Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz Heritage in particular, he remained closely associated with motorsport – as long as he lived. In numerous runs in Mercedes-Benz Heritage cars, he proved his adaptability to a wide variety of racing cars right up to an advanced age, and was always ready for a friendly chat with spectators on the fringes of these events. In October 2012, Herrmann was honoured by the town of Collesano for taking part in the Targa Florio eight times. A matter of honour: the former works driver arrived for the ceremony at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR racing sports car (W 196 S).