CRUNCH!

A CLASSIC Rolls-Royce which once belonged to the ruler of Bahrain has been 'written off' in a head-on smash on a country road in southern Germany.

The 1953 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn was too badly damaged to repair, say its heartbroken current owners who were seriously injured in a collision with a Mercedes.

Classic car enthusiasts Klaus-Josef, 58, and Katharina Rossfeldt, 56, only survived the accident thanks to the seat belts they had installed after taking ownership of the 'priceless' vehicle which was originally built to order by Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who was the ruler of Bahrain from 1942 until his death in 1961. His official title was Hakim of Bahrain.

"Alas, an artefact from Bahrain's history that had been kept appropriately might be considered as having been destroyed," said a distraught Mr Rossfeldt, a specialist in industrial and marine electronics.

He added that thousands of hours of tender loving care in maintenance and service had been lavished on the car to keep it in a pristine condition. Testimony of the car's exceptional appearance was the fact that it had been awarded 1st prize in its class at the '2009 Annual Meeting of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club' in England.

The accident happened on June 6 as the couple was returning from a Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club meeting entitled 'Romantische Nacht' (Romantic Night) after celebrating Mrs Rossfeldt's birthday.

Police believe the 85-year-old driver of the Mercedes had complied with an instruction from its GPS-system to 'Wenden Sie' ('Do a U-Turn') shortly before the collision.

The pensioner and his passenger were treated by medics at the scene of the crash but escaped serious injuries.

Mr Rossfeldt, however, suffered a heart attack and had to be 'stabilised' on board an ambulance and his wife suffered internal injuries and was in a life-threatening condition in hospital for several days.

"We considered this Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn to be the finest car in our family's collection," said Mr Rossfeldt who is now back at work with US-based Flight Systems, which developed and made electronic items for the Lunar Rover, the vehicle that was used on the moon.

"It was so near perfect as a motor of more than 50 years of age could be - immaculate paintwork and interior, complete with all equipment ex-factory still on board the car, impeccable engine and drive-train. Money was no object because this car was a present to my wife.

"After the accident we both agreed the car should be restored to its former glory. Mechanics were surprised that they didn't find even one corroded screw; no wonder, the car had been kept in perfect condition down to the last nut and bolt.

"It was only after the car had been partially dismantled that the experts were able to make up a 'horror list' of all the damaged components.

"We certainly did not like to accept their verdict that it was beyond any economic sense to repair the car - the insurance company's term is 'written off'.

"Accident cover under German regulations means that insurance companies have to pay for a car to be repaired - even up to 130 per cent of the market value if the car's owner insists on repair for emotional reasons. However, although the market value was established by experts to be a considerable six figure amount, the sum for parts and labour to restore the car was estimated to exceed even that high price of a classic car of this calibre."

Mr Rossfeldt had bought the Rolls-Royce for his wife to commemorate their seventh wedding anniversary. It was purchased from the estate of its second owner, an industrial tycoon.

For almost 20 years the couple considered it to be the finest car in their collection of Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars - which includes a left-hand Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II that had been altered into an Objet d'Art and painted all over by a French artist - and was only driven sparingly on special occasions.

It had been Mr Rossfeldt's schoolboy ambition to own a Rolls-Royce or Bentley at least once and his love affair with classic cars started when he bought his first Bentley at the age of 23 when he finished university.

He said: "That 1954 Bentley R was utterly reliable (bought second-hand, it is still with the family, present mileage 504,000 miles). Hence over the years a few more cars have been acquired."

Mr Rossfeldt assists other classic car lovers, authors and researchers and has a popular website entitled www.rrab.com.

He added: "My motto is 'Geteilte Freude ist doppelte Freude' (roughly translated: 'If you share your joy you'll have it twice'). So the website was installed to share photos and knowledge about the cars with others who are interested - and to promote books written by fellow authors."