Mercedes parts trove featured in Worldwide’s Silver Star auction

Marshall Ehlers collected more than 100,000 parts. They join 20 cars and more on auction docket

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Worldwide
20 'project' cars and more than 100,000 Mercedes-Benz parts are offers at auction | Worldwide Auctioneers photos

One of the most unusual of collector car auctions has begun as Worldwide Auctioneers stages the Marshall’s Silver Star Motors Mercedes-Benz Auction, an online sale that ends with a live-bidding session on July 15.

The docket includes 20 project cars, several vintage wooden boats and engines, including two Chris-Craft, and a single lot of more than 100,000 curated classic Mercedes-Benz parts.

Marshall Ehlers moved from Chicago to the Bay Area of northern California in the early 1970s. He had multiple passions, including motorcycles, wooden boats and Mercedes-Benz automobiles, Worldwide reports.

In 1998, he narrowed his focus “and quietly started amassing a huge inventory of hard-to-find Mercedes parts and cars in warehouses he owned behind his Oakland motorcycle shop,” Worldwide says in its news release.

“Over the years he purchased multiple Mercedes-Benz parts businesses and dismantlers, whose inventory he constantly purged to retain only what was valuable and usable for re-sale. 

“Silver Star Motors became a full-service restoration and repair shop and was the sole Bay Area Mercedes-Benz dismantler for 20 years,” Worldwide adds. 

“Mr. Ehlers was a businessman, mechanic and avid longtime Mercedes-Benz collector who knew the value of good parts,” said Chris Peterson, Worldwide senior specialist. “Silver Star Motors was born from a passion for the marque and became a respected source for parts supply worldwide and the first choice for other service shops and licensed Mercedes repair facilities.”

Ehlers died in 2014 and his son, Nils, has spent two years organizing and cataloging the Mercedes’ parts, but he will focus on the motorcycle business and thus contracted Worldwide for the Mercedes auction.

Parts for cars dating to the 1950s include engines, transmissions, Becker radios, fuel pumps, seats, trim, glass, and lights, as well as smaller parts and various seats and convertible tops, and more.

While the parts are being offered as a single lot in the no-reserve auction, the 19 project cars will be sold individually. 

1968 Mercedes-Benz 250S

Those vehicles include a pair of 1958 220S ponton sedans, two 1959 220S ponton sedans, a 1961 190 ponton sedan, a 1966 600SWB, a 1966 250SE coupe, a 1968 250S sedan, a 1969 600SWB sedan limo, a 1975 450SL coupe, 1977 450SEL sedan, a 1978 240D sedan, a 1979 450 SEL sedan, a 1988 560 SEL sedan, a 1988 420 SEL 4-door sedan, a 1989 300TE station wagon, a 1980 560 SEL, a 1992 500 SEL, 1994 500S coupe and  a 1995 500S. 

1989 300TE station wagon

For more information, visit the Worldwide Auctioneers website.

7 COMMENTS

  1. HI
    I m looking for parts for Mercedes 1953 170 SB
    how can i see the list of the parts ?
    where can i see the list of the car
    thnks
    AVI

  2. The parts are being sold as a single lot, not individually. So you buy more than 100,000 parts or your buy none of them.

  3. Hi Larry, As an owner of a 280 SEL, I would be interested to know who ends up with all of these parts. So many items like radiators are in short supply. I am sure I am not the only one. How can we find out?

  4. If I am looking for an engine and transition would that go under group of parts or separate group
    Thanks
    Jorge
    Would I be able to get the name of the buyer of engines and transmissions
    1959 pontoon 190b

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