If you haven't heard of Harry Metcalfe before, know that he is a swell chap plus the editorial director and founder of Evo magazine. Nowadays, he makes his own Youtube videos which many people find quite entertaining.
Sorry about the baited headline, but there really is a connection between this 1971 Mercedes 350 SL and the yellow Lotus Elan you see in those screenshots. Apparently, this generation of the convertible Mercedes set such benchmarks that the legendary Colin Chapman bought one. To hell with lightness, V8 engines are cool!
The fact that the SL was expensive even over four decades ago comes as no surprise to us. Sure, it cost more than the entry-level Ferrari of the time and twice as much as the Jaguar E-Type. But you can say the same thing when comparing the F-Type with something like the SL 63 AMG.
Watching this video reminds us of the emotions Mercedes sportscars used to evoke. Sure, the AMG GT is nice, but it won't make you bite the back of your hand as hard.
We're of the opinion that sportscars should be rounded at the bottom. It makes them look light and small, while spoilers and rocker panels added "because racecar" look like the chunky plinth of a statue.
Remember how old cars had ribbed lights that you just had to stroke when nobody was looking? Well, this has ribbed metalwork at the bottom. It must be a pain in the lower part if it ever catches rust.
The interior is weird and fantastic at the same time. Yes, that is the original blue leather, but it's actually pleather. And back in the 70s, the second wing mirror and headrests were options you had to pay extra for. It's kind of crazy when you consider that some modern cars can drive themselves as standard.
Right, the engine. Current Mercedes are so complex that they break down all the time, often within weeks of being bought. But by keeping things simple, this 3.5-liter V8 has lasted forty-five years, and Harry says there was hardly any wear on the cam chain.
To drive, well, it's like a convertible Range Rover that smothers the bumps. In fact, we had a short drive in the Evoque Cabrio, and it didn't appear to be this comfortable.
Wow, what a classic. We had a quick search online and found you can have one of these for Dacia Duster money. So, forget about ever getting your wife pregnant and buy one of these instead.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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