![]() Before Koniczek ties himself to a car, he invites its owner for a couple nights’ stay so they can get acquainted. But the process is time-consuming and tedious. Koniczek is equipped to do almost everything, from upholstery and stitching to transmissions, engines, rear axles and bodywork – everything except chrome work – at his property. Restorations by his team usually take 18 months and cost upwards of $300,000, depending on the handiwork that needs to be done. Nor does dropping in for a visit via fancy private jet, as many do. Shipping in a car, though, doesn’t guarantee that Koniczek will agree to work on it. “People ship their cars in for us to play with, and what an honour it is to do that,” Koniczek said. Word of his talent has spread worldwide: Collectors from Japan, Sri Lanka, China, Mexico, Bolivia, Germany, Ireland, England, Holland and beyond ship their cars to Koniczek’s 10-acre compound – sometimes whole, more often broken and in boxes. ![]() This is in spite of the fact that Koniczek has never advertised. To date, Koniczek and his loyal team of disciples, via his business Rudi & Company, have restored more than 100 300 SLs. While Koniczek did set up his own business, in 1971 in Victoria, he has maintained strong ties with Mercedes-Benz. “They recognized something more in me than just a normal mechanic … and they said, ‘Sie haben es ihrem kleinen finger’ – You have it in your little finger. Koniczek went on to become the only factory-trained apprentice in Canada, studying under three meisters who hailed from Germany he was so good, they told him, he ought to leave their body shop to go out on his own. After meeting the then-president of Mercedes-Benz Canada, Rainer Lange-Mechlen (Koniczek charmed his way into the man’s office to show his slot car collection, all of which were Mercedes), he was given an apprenticeship with the company. Koniczek first fell in love with the model as a young boy living in Toronto. For more than n40 years, he has been bringing dilapidated 300 SLs back to life in like-new condition, including the 1959 SEL Roadster Prime Minister Justin Trudeau inherited from his late father, Pierre, and drove at his wedding to his wife, Sophie. ![]() It’s about getting the car out on the track, driving it, living it,” he said.įor those who can and do, many have Koniczek to thank. To me, these cars are meant to be shared and enjoyed by everybody. ![]() “Back in the day, the people who drove these cars – prime ministers, kings, engineers – appreciated art. ‘I can buy this for 1.5 million and send it to auction in a month and get 1.7 million.’ That’s the wrong thought process. “Today, people buy these cars because they’re an acquisition, a commodity. That’s all this is,” said Koniczek, who wears a trademark glint in his eye and a floppy hat adorned with driving goggles. The money they’ll fetch isn’t what drives the eccentric curator, anyhow. On this day – as on any day – the lineup of Mercedes crammed cheek by jowl into Koniczek’s garages is so astonishing that doing the math on their worth is laughable. ![]()
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