Mercedes 300SL

You, me, and Alan makes three

Apart from licking my face with all the enthusiasm of an empty food bowl; Alan is a sociable creature.

 

I find there are elements of Alan that remind of Tintin’s side-kick, Snowy. But Alan's as much at home on the rear bench as he is lapping-up his next adventure. Alan is also very handsome. He cuts a fine dash and provides an added air of sophistication to our outing as we head further into the forest.

 

Alan doesn’t feel he needs to rush off and round up ponies either. 

So-what if the speed limit in the New Forest is restricted to a maximum of 40 MPH? The indigenous ponies roam freely here all year-round; it’s their home turf and it's us who fit in around them. If you've come to the New Forest for the day then there is no point in being in a hurry - no one else is. It also means that I get plenty of quality time in a car that I've always coveted.

 

Crazily out-priced by the older W113 series of Pagoda’s, the third generation SL hasn’t changed too much since 1972. Eight engine options have filled the bonnet space of the R107, but regardless of varied incarnations, what remains is a car, given the proper care and attention, will retain all the grace and desirability that three pointy arrows can muster. 

Aside from all that: driving around with the roof down in any car on a stupendously crisp, blue winter’s morning has to be on anyone’s list of natural highs. We're also cruising around in arguably one of the most recognisable Mercedes to grace its Bremen production line; I find our 300SL to be as easy on the eye as it is to drive.

 

The winter sun is struggling to get any purchase in the sky but already the forest is awash with cyclists, walkers and horse riders as we pass through the eclectic mix of bric-a-brac shops and cafes of Burley. Golfers are teeing off as I press harder on the accelerator and we reach the plateau above the village. There’s an imperceptible nudge from the car as it changes up a notch and Alan barks loudly to let everyone know we’ve arrived.

Tipping my head back and stretching my neck to peer over the long nose I suddenly imagine myself as a World War Two Spitfire pilot (or should that be a Messerschmidt 109) lumbering along across one of the many airfields that graced the New Forest in those dark days of the Battle of Britain. The straight-six engine gurgles away, happy as a baby on the bottle, as I struggle to keep the needle smack-on 40 MPH, but I feel she wants to go, she wants to fly – I want to fly.

 

But let’s not get too carried away here. The SL is no revved-up, muscle-flexing Über car. The 300SL is a ‘sport Leicht’ a mile-munching carpet of luxury that will get you from here to there with the minimum of fuss and backache. She sits on the road like she owns it, and best of all, I feel safe.

Here, in the deepest corner of Hampshire, winter has yet again arrived in typical British format: Storms laced with lashings of extra rain and wind bring our 'surprised' country to a halt. 

Ironically though, there’s not a cloud in the sky today, and having booked this drive about three weeks prior, I think we did very well. But as we rise and fall through a series of tree lined bends towards Brockenhurst I catch sight of the drainage ditches on either side of the road that are ominously full. The New Forest might be rapidly filling up with rain water but I can't remember the last time driving was so much fun.

A big thank you to Karl for the loan of his lovely Mercedes 300SL for the day. You might catch a glimpse of the car around Ringwood from time to time; most probably parked somewhere near the heart of the town - Framptons.

If you haven't discovered Framptons Cafe and Bar yet then you're really missing out on something special, it has to be one of the best independant cafe-bars anywhere. Have a look around here to see what you're missing: www.framptonsbar.co.uk

A list of important dates:

Circa 1079 - William the Conqueror finds himself a new playground 'The New Forest'

1886 - Karl Benz designs and patents his/the 'first' motor car

1926 - The first use of Mercedes-Benz as a brand is introduced

1954 - the first Mercedes SL is born, the 'Gullwing'

1972 - the R107 replaces the W113 Pagoda SL series

29/12/2013 - Colin gets to drive his first 300SL