Skip to main content
Please wait...
Submitted by DavidWommer on Sun, 2021-09-19 08:09
Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 - 04:45pm
Ormond Beach, FL
Florida

 

Southern Stars Section recently visited The Birthplace of Speed on a Mansion Run, followed by a Drive & Dine through a scenic drive through the Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail!

 

Did you know that the Ormond Beach, Florida area, with Daytona Beach nearby, is considered the Birthplace of Speed? At a time when America had few paved roads, the hard-packed sands of Ormond Beach served as a race course for automobiles, motorbikes, and their pioneering builders. The first sanctioned meet was in March of 1903, featured time trials and races.

 

We met at The Casements, the former Winter home of John. D. Rockefeller, now also the Cultural Community Center of Ormond Beach. Exhibits include an entire room dedicated to photographs, and history or The Birthplace of Speed! These were photos of some of the first Mercedes-Benz vehicles to arrive! 

 

From The Casements, we took a scenic drive through the Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail (OSLT), a 30+ mile double loop of roadways traversing some of the most beautiful and diverse natural scenery remaining in all coastal central Florida.  We concluded our adventures with a waterfront lunch at River Grille on the Tomoka River and had a great time chatting about cars and future club activities! 

 


Membership Director Gary Keener even captured a photo of The German "Blitzen-Benz". The driver this time was the daredevil Barney Oldfield, who set a new record of 211.4 km/h (131.724 MPH). In 1910! Check out the photo Gary Keener captured at the Casements of the “Lightning Benz!”

 

A hearty Thank you to Jackie Keener for finding discovering this historic venue and guiding the tour! Thank you to Gary Keener for guiding us through Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail before we arrived at our lunch destination! Everyone had a fantastic adventure! On the way home, we wondered if a fellow Southern Stars Section member was in front of us as we noticed a G63 from Hilton Head Island!

 

If you didn’t make it this year, we look forward to making another trip in 2022!

 

Which Mercedes-Benz will you share at our next Cars & Coffee?

Our next Cars & Coffee events is be:

October 2
 Mercedes-Benz of Orange Park 
7018 Blanding Blvd. 
Jacksonville, FL 
8:00am - 10:00am 


 

Black and white photos shared by Membership Director Gary Keener.

Remaining photos shared by Section VP Dave Wommer.

 

Join Southern Stars Section on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/mbca.southernstars/

https://www.instagram.com/southern_stars_mbca/

 

Southern Stars Section Link Tree, featuring our favorite resources!

https://linktr.ee/mbca.southern.stars