J.G. Francis, proprietor of Mercedes Motoring, helped to get the family heirloom from its location in the Engs’ garage back onto the road. He worked with care and dedication on the restoration of the Mercedes-Benz 300 d, even after the repair of the interior showed itself to be far more demanding that he had imagined at first.
It’s not unusual to see a hipster tooling around Silver Lake or Williamsburg in a beat-up old Mercedes. What’s rarer is to find those 35-year-old sedans, coupes and wagons restored to mint condition.
Ten years ago J.G. Francis bought his first Mercedes-Benz…since then he has been buying, selling, and restoring low-mileage largely original Benzes from the ’60s through the ’80s. They’re perfect for the baller with discerning taste.
This wagon is the ultimate implement. You could try Craigslist, but a safer bet is a trusted restorer like Mercedes Motoring.
Car Matchmaker: Spike Feresten and Rich Rubin come across the classic 1973 Mercedes 250C with its ultrarare 15” wheels at Mercedes Motoring.
JG and his small team of artisans find, purchase, disassemble, and refurbish these iconic monuments to German monomania.
You can take the whole car apart and put it back together without any problems. That’s when you have this moment of “wow, that’s amazing”
Rather than spend the rest of their days behind showroom glass or under cover in a look-don’t-touch garage, they get back on the road. “Our cars are meant to be driven, not just sit looking pretty,” explains Mr Francis
JG Francis joins A.J. on the CarStories podcast to talk about starting his company, restoring cars and traveling all over in search of the world’s finest Mercedes.
Francis … favours cars capable of surviving mountain rain, after-dark breakdowns and the winding tracks of Yosemite over a collection of pristine trophies whose road days are over.
A true purist in his field, Francis uses the car’s original parts whenever possible, with the goal of maintaining the intended engineering and styling.
Like all of the rides he and his crew build, the green coupe is driven on a regular basis, from state-crossing road trips to daily commutes … “I'm thinking of all the bat-shit crazy experiences I’ve had in my life and none of them revolve around staring at my car in the garage.”
Driving one of his comfortably worn-in beauties is like going back in time. I’ve seen his work, driven in his cars, and they are absolutely wonderful.
When choosing a ride for cruising around Tinseltown, forgo the latest and greatest for a classic. The 1973 Mercedes-Benz 250C from Mercedes Motoring stands out with timeless styling that says, “Yes, I have taste, means, and self-confidence.”
It’s a constant search across America for the rare few that still hide behind barn doors or under a cover inside a garage.
After 10 days and 4,000 miles, the men and their machine arrived back in the Golden State, and were given no issues by the classic diesel four door.
To say these guys are serious about restoring old Benz’s would be an understatement.
Like whiskey, country music and Batman movies, the OG versions deserve to be celebrated. This same dedication to and love of vintage is alive and well in LA-based garage Mercedes Motoring, where they restore old Benzes to their former glory with attention to detail that would make the original craftsmen proud.