On early Sunday morning, nearly 70 Mercedes-Benz SL convertibles lined the Alpine, New Jersey, boat basin against a picturesque Hudson River backdrop.
asserted
convertibles → line → backdrop
In colors ranging from classic black to rare green, with soft and hard tops, the R129s, a luxury convertible produced from 1990 to 2002, drew proud owners who peered through windows, compared price tags, and swapped stories.
“I’m the black 600 over there,” one attendee announced, pointing to his refurbished, two-seater whip.
asserted
attendee → range → whip
“Oh, no s**t,” another replied.
asserted
another → reply → ?
Although admission was free, attendees had to apply in advance, submitting photos of their prized rides to event host Andrew Glaser for a spot at the exclusive gathering devoted to the Mercedes-Benz R129 SL, followed by a scenic group drive.
asserted
attendees → have → drive
Many of the selected enthusiasts were in their 30s and 40s, part of a growing wave of collectors turning childhood car obsessions into grown-up indulgences — and fueling a modern-classic car boom in the process
Auctions and online sales of collectible cars surged 10% to $4.8 billion in 2025, according to classic-car insurer Hagerty.
uncertain
Auctions → select → Hagerty
A 2024 survey by the company found that 60% of Gen Z respondents were interested in owning a classic car, nearly twice the share of baby boomers.
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% → find → boomers
For Nev Schulman, a 42-year-old New Yorker currently three cars deep into his Mercedes modern classic obsession, who attended Sunday’s event, the appeal is simple: it’s the adult toy he can actually afford now.
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he → attend → event
The car enthusiast stumbled across his blue hardtop Mercedes on Facebook Marketplace earlier this year while shopping for a friend’s 40th birthday present.
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enthusiast → stumble → present
But when his friend’s wife passed on the offer, he couldn’t resist fulfilling a childhood dream.
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he → pass → dream
“I’ve always wanted this car,” Schulman told The Post.
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Schulman → want → Post
“These are the cars I grew up with, and they were so expensive, but now I can afford it,” he said, describing his latest acquisition for $6,000, with 72,000 miles on the odometer.
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he → grow → odometer
Tony Dinkins wiped down the hood of his hunter-green R129 hardtop as attendees gathered to admire the rare color of his 1997 model.
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attendees → wipe → model
The 38-year-old who drove from Stamford, CT, told The Post he bought the whip two years ago for $12,000 after a lifelong search for the car he’d coveted since childhood.
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he → drive → childhood
“I used to watch MTV; this car was in Tupac’s “Picture Me Rollin’” music video,” Dinkins gushed.
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Dinkins → use → video
The car, which represented peak status as a kid, is only his summer, warm-weather flex, with a Jaguar as his workhorse.
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which → represent → workhorse
For Andrew Glaser, 40, who organized Sunday’s gathering, that nostalgia is driving big business.
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nostalgia → organize → business
The founder of Vantage Auto, a New Jersey dealership specializing in modern classics, and owner of Mercedes repair shop Wolfgang’s in Tenafly, said demand for the R129 has surged as millennials and Gen Xers with disposable income seek out the cars they grew up admiring.
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they → specialize → cars
“It’s relatable to people, and that’s why they’re going after them,” Glaser told The Post.
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Glaser → ’ → Post
“Their grandparents had one, and their parents had one, and
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parents → have → one
they’re also incredibly built cars, superbly engineered, amazing cars.”
asserted
they → ’re → ?
Standing in front of his black hardtop with a red leather interior, Glaser explained the boom, estimating he’s sold nearly 2,000 of these models recently and noting that some models once scooped up for around $10,000 can now fetch $60,000 to $70,000 in excellent condition.
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models → stand → condition
“Let me sell you nostalgia and really cool stuff,” Glaser said, summing up the appeal of the burgeoning market.
And the obsession is no longer confined to the traditional boys’ club of car collecting.
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obsession → let → collecting
Glaser has noticed the shift firsthand.
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Glaser → notice → shift
At a recent car event in Newport, Rhode Island, he estimated that at least half the people approaching his business were women.
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people → estimate → business
The trend mirrors a broader nostalgia craze, from the revival of early-2000s designer handbags to Gen Z’s fascination with film cameras, flip phones and other analog relics.
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trend → mirror → cameras
Even New York City, hardly known as a car lover’s paradise, is now ripe with modern-classic enthusiasts.
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City → know → enthusiasts
“In New York, people are meeting at six, 7 a.m. downtown in Soho and parking their cars on the streets to meet up,” Glaser said.
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Glaser → meet → streets
“It’s thriving.”
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It → thrive → ?
For many, the appeal goes beyond aesthetics.
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appeal → go → aesthetics
As new cars become increasingly dominated by touchscreens and computerized controls, older models offer a more analog driving experience.
asserted
models → dominate → experience
“Everything was about new, new, new, and now people [are] like, wait a second, hold on, maybe we want what used to be,” Glaser said.
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Glaser → wait → ?
Back at the boat basin, a fleet of R129S followed one another in their prized rides, forming a nearly 70-car procession that snaked along winding roads toward Harriman State Park.
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that → follow → Park
“This is my last day to drive it with the top off,” one owner remarked.
asserted
owner → drive → top
But judging by the lengths these collectors go to celebrate their vehicles, a little cold weather is unlikely to put the brakes on their obsession.
asserted
weather → judge → obsession
The Aporia
