Bob Torre’s first car, a white Porsche 356B that was listed in the PennySaver for $500, had no floors and buckets for seats. So a teenage Bob fixed it up, got it running, and traded it for a Fiat 124 Spider from “some guy in Yonkers.” Hence began Bob’s lifelong love affair with cars.
In 2018, Bob and his friend Randy Elber opened R&R Automotive Restorations in Mount Kisco. Bob’s personal automotive collection grew with the purchase of a 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT (one of only 23 produced) that he discovered in Portugal on Ebay, and a 1958 Mercedes Benz 300SL Roadster, bought at the 2017 Greenwich Concours Bonhams auction.
The 300SL Roadster still retains the majority of original factory details and highly original interior. It’s also been on a few 1,000 mile vintage rallies in Colorado, Lake Tahoe, Oregon, and Texas, including a special rally for 300SL’s. “The gentleman selling the car was getting divorced and needed to make the sale, so I was happy to oblige,” says Bob.
The crown jewel of Bob’s collection is a patina green 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, a rare barn find at a run down junkyard upstate. The Gullwing, whose elderly owner had purchased it at 16 years old for $6,000, hadn’t been started since 1975. The key was still in the ignition.
“I’ve gotta buy this,” Bob laughs, recalling his first thought. Back at his shop, the Gullwings lights, wipers, and fans all worked. Bob decided to strictly clean and preserve the original finishes still intact, and keep almost the entire car as is. Most of the interior of the car is original, and he chose to forego exterior restoration, leaving the classic Gullwing unaltered (patina).
The Roadster and Gullwing are Bob’s go-to’s for drives down scenic roads from Bedford to North Salem to Pound Ridge. His Gullwinng won the 2019 People’s Choice Award at Audrain Concours and is a favorite of car enthusiasts. What’s the next car in Bob’s collection? “I’ll know when I see it,” he says with a smile.
