Mercedes-Benz Winter Meet 2020

2020 is a weird year, things are not at all as they were. As the current situation affected public gatherings and cancelled sports and concerts worldwide, the same fate has also affected any and all car meets around the world. This year, we saw almost zero car meets in Dhaka, a stark contrast to 2019 where it seemed like every other weekend there was something going on. Now that the situation is easing up ever so slightly, the Mercedes Benz Owner’s Club held their annual Mercedes Benz Heritage Meet, but this time with a selected roster and an even strictly regulated audience.

Haseeb Chowdhury

Fri Dec 18, 2020 12:00 AM Last update on: Sat Dec 19, 2020 03:49 PM

The meet was held in Chef's Table Courtside, the location being unchanged from the year prior. What did change is the manner of the meet. Whereas a car meet would boast at least 100 cars in a single parking lot, this time it was almost a fifth of that. Only the bravest —with proper precautions, of course— dared to bring their beloved Mercedes' to the meet. According to the club supervisors, safety was always their first priority and thus their roster was selected carefully.

Only two classics showed up on the event, both of them being W123s. The blue W123 boasted a set of Mercedes Borbet alloy wheels and was in overall great condition. The red W123 belongs to the president of the Mercedes Benz Owner's Club and was in almost immaculate condition. Photos do not do the car justice; the curves on the set of Ronal Pentas the car rides on can be fully appreciated only if seen in person.

The participants met first in Gulshan 2 and then rode together to the final destination. There they parked for an hour and shared their love for the brand, as young photographers and enthusiasts alike busied themselves taking pictures of the cars. For me, the highlight of the meet had to be a red 2019 C Class with a manual transmission. It is just different seeing one of these with a stick shift, as they are usually regarded as the standard for luxury automobiles, and a standard gearbox does not necessarily constitute as being luxurious.

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There was also a current model year Mercedes GLE, the hottest pick among Bangladeshi luxury car buyers currently. This car accurately captures what captivates the people of Bangladesh, luxury and usability. Sitting beside the black GLE, was a 2019 Mercedes S Class S560e, which boasted fully-loaded interior and exterior package. Among that were a few other current generations C Classes and a few older generation E Classes.

This might not have been the most exciting meet of the year, but it was for the better as the priority had been to keep everything safe first and fun second. All in all, it was a great little gathering, a refreshing change for car enthusiasts after being stuck in their houses for so long. We look forward to bigger and more exciting get-togethers once the situation eases up.

Photos: Akif Hamid