INTRO: Did I regale you yet with stories of how unbelievably cunty the official Amelia Island Concours people were this year? I was chased off the lawn numerous times during what they claimed were “private” photo shoots.

Typically, having three media badges around your neck is enough — unless you are in slummy, run-down Jacksonville, Florida-adjacent.

Was mostly a lovely time, but repeatedly ruined by the Ritz-Carlton Residences retirees (volunteers I now dub: the ‘colostomy bag hags’) who were running the show with an entitled arrogance of unbelievable proportion.

One such run-in with the old guard was taking some lovely photos of this car out on the lawn in media preview day – when a pear-shaped old gentleman photographer told me I had “better not publish those photos.”

The Amelia Island Concours death-march squad will probably be grabbing their walkers and girdles now to come chase me down….

But don’t worry: I’m a fast walker, so will be okay.

1914 Mercedes-Benz GranPrix Race Car in 25 Original, High-Res Photos

This car does not photograph with quite the same intensity and impact of seeing it up close.

There are numerous elements that truly reminded me more of a racehorse than a racecar — including the specially-made leather bonnets for much of its suspension and braking gear. Why? To keep the grime out while putting its 105-horsepower to use hitting nearly 67MPH. In 1914, those were death-defying speeds.

The Dunlop Cord tires are filled harder than horseshoe steel: 80-plus PSI to maintain shape, versus about a 35PSI max in modern cars.

But the real racehorse impression? This car is at once both difficult to tame, but easy to love.