In his 80 years, Dr. Philip Lutfy has owned at least 125 Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Probably. It could be more. “It’s between 125 and 150, for sure,” he tells us.
In the last half century and beyond, he’s owned a dozen gullwings, more than 20 Pagoda-top SLs from the ’60s, and more Pontons than he can remember. Most generations of SL, plus plenty of coupes and sedans with rare options, have passed through his collection over the decades. And most of these have been made better at his hands. “I like to touch everything,” he said recently. “I like to play with everything. Upholstery work, a repaint, complete restorations, you name it. I love to work on it, take it apart, and make it like it was when it was new.…