Chris Haliday helped us out with the proceedings for prize giving this year – and started out with the following oration.

 

Good afternoon everyone,

It’s wonderful to be here today with fellow members of the Auckland Mercedes-Benz community — or, as our spouses call it, “that support group for people who have dashboard warning light anxiety.”

You know, owning a Mercedes is a little different from owning any other car.

  • Toyota owners talk about reliability.
  • Porsche owners talk about performance.
  • BMW owners talk about their poor resale value.
  • Tesla owners talk about software updates.

But Mercedes owners?

We talk about “engineering.” And we say it with great pride.

We don’t hav e cup holders. We have “precision beverage management systems.”

We don’t have indicators. We have “optional directional intentions.”

And we certainly don’t have old cars. We have “future classics currently between values.”

There’s something deeply special about Mercedes ownership. It’s not just transport — it’s a relationship.

Sometimes a loving relationship. Sometimes an expensive relationship. Often both!

But there is a reason we keep coming back to these cars.

Mercedes-Benz has always represented Quality craftsmanship, innovation, and elegance. From the legendary Gullwing to the stately S-Class, from rugged G-Wagons to the refined SLs — these cars were built with ambition.

And occasionally built with enough wiring to provide power to West Auckland.

I think one of the joys of a Mercedes club is that it brings together people from every walk of life, with a common love for their cars.

  • Some of us love Concourse originality.
  • Some love restoring old masterpieces.
  • Some love the AMG’s raw horsepower.
  • And some just enjoy polishing chrome that nobody else even notices.

What I particularly enjoy about this club is the stories.

Every Mercedes has a story.

  • There are cars in the club that crossed continents.
  • Cars restored over decades.
  • Cars inherited from parents or grandparents.
  • Cars that survived children learning to drive.
  • Which, frankly, may be more impressive than surviving the Peking to Paris.

Because there’s a feeling a Mercedes gives you that’s hard to explain to non-car people.

  • It’s the special bond between an engineer and an engine.
  • The solid “thunk” of the door.
  • The effortless cruising.
  • The smell of leather.
  • The sense that the car was designed not merely to function — but to endure.

Even modern Mercedes models still carry that heritage.

Although admittedly some now have so many driver assistance systems that the car becomes mildly offended if you attempt to drive it yourself.

I recently took a new modern Mercedes for a test-drive and the dashboard displayed so many graphics and alerts I felt less like a driver and more like I was launching a satellite.

Meanwhile, owners of older Mercedes are incredibly proud that their cars contain almost no electronics whatsoever.

I remember an elderly gentleman telling me about ordering his first new Mercedes and when the salesman asked if he wished it to be automatic, he indignantly responded, no machine is going to tell me when to change gears Laddy! Very old school indeed!

Clubs like this matter. Because this isn’t really just about cars.

  • It’s about friendship.
  • Shared enthusiasm.
  • Mechanical curiosity.
  • Road trips, that discover those amazing places.
  • Amazing events.
  • Helping each other find impossible-to-source parts.
  • And occasionally helping push-start something German and magnificent.
  • Car clubs preserve stories as much as machines.

Today, we celebrate the people who drive Mercedes-Benz, and we will now honour their achievements.

Before I finish and we hand out the prizes, I’d like to leave you with one final observation about Mercedes owners.

We are eternal optimists.

Because no matter how many warning lights appear…

no matter how many mechanical issues we have on arrival…

no matter how many hours disappear on WhatsApp discussing how to source lights that will face in the right direction to get a WOF …

we still walk away from our parked Mercedes and look back at it one more time.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is love.

Thank you very much, enjoy the prize giving, and may all your warning lights remain purely decorative.

Chris Haliday

 

The full list of prize winners is here.