February 2026 has already put up a spectacular showing across Florida, with Cars on 5th, Miami Concours, and Palm Beach Cavallino, but the action is far from over as Moda Miami is just around the corner.
Since its debut in 2024, the event has grown into a serious fixture on the American concours calendar. Last year, we saw a spectacular lineup of automobiles across a range of events, from high-end auctions to heritage drives and more. With less than a week to go for this year’s event, Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to present a rolling timeline that stretches from the first gasoline-powered car to a Formula 1-derived hypercar.
Between 27 February and 1 March 2026, ModaMiami returns to the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, a property that opened in 1926 and which serves as the backdrop for a 140-year timeline of the automobile. Thursday will open at the Concours Club circuit, with the action moving to the road on Friday with Moda Classic. The weekend will settle onto the ModaMiami showfield, where 140 years of engineering will be showcased. The Moda Awards will be presented to outstanding participating vehicles by the organizers on Sunday.
At the center of that story sits the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the three-wheeled vehicle Carl Benz patented on 29 January 1886. That patent is recognized by UNESCO as part of the Memory of the World Register. This won’t be a static display but one that will carry passengers around the showgrounds and lead the Friday Moda Classic drive.
Mercedes-Benz Classic Vehicle Trade is offering fully drivable replicas of the Patent Motorwagen, complete with wear and spare parts support. It is a rare chance to operate what is effectively the birth the automobile.
<- Gallery ->
The historical context continues with a 1905 “American Mercedes,” built under license in Long Island and mechanically identical to the Mercedes Simplex 40/45 PS. After its appearance in Florida, specialists at the Classic Center in Long Beach will prepare it for the 16 August 2026 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it will compete in the Early American Speedsters class. (Pre-WWI)
Mid-century icons, including a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 290 Cabriolet and a freshly overhauled Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, will share the lawn, alongside a 1961 300d that once defined diplomatic transport. Rally heritage will appear in the form of a 300 SE “Rallye” inspired by Ewy Rosqvist’s 1964 Argentine Touring Car Grand Prix entry.
Fast forward a few decades, and expect to find a 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II, one of 502 homologation cars built for DTM, and a 2008 CLK 63 AMG Black Series scheduled for Sunday’s 100 Club drive. Wrapping up the lineup will be a Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar. Limited to just 275 examples, it brings Formula 1-derived technology to the street. Pairing a 1.6-liter V6 hybrid and four electric motors for a combined 1,063 horsepower.
Mercedes-Benz will also spotlight its MANUFAKTUR individualization program at ModaMiami, which allows extensive customization across the brand’s lineup. The featured vehicle is a 2026 Mercedes-AMG G 63 MANUFAKTUR finished in Sea Blue Metallic with a MANUFAKTUR Black interior accented by blue contrast stitching. This focus on personalization reflects a long heritage at Mercedes-Benz, from Sindelfingen custom coachwork in the 1930s to the designo program launched in 1995 and MANUFAKTUR introduced in 2021.
View All Mercedes-Benz For Sale
Images: Mercedes-Benz
