Category: Drives

Planning a 4,000km Classic Mercedes road trip 2

Planning a 4,000km Classic Mercedes road trip

In Australia, each state (and territory) has their own Mercedes-Benz Club.   Most countries have a central club with regional chapters.   This isn’t really all that surprising given the states could not even agree on basic stuff like a common railway gauge.   Every two years one of the clubs hold a “National Rally” event on a rotating basis.  The idea is members from all the...

MBCNSW January 2022 Night Drive to Cattai 2

MBCNSW January 2022 Night Drive to Cattai

The first night drive of the year was held a bit earlier than usual to avoid the Australia Day Holiday.   This was actually a drive we planned for the second half of last year, but it was postponed due to the COVID lockdowns.    This month, while we are no longer in lockdown, COVID cases are up in Sydney and tests are not available...

MBCNSW late December 2021 night drive through Picton 2

MBCNSW late December 2021 night drive through Picton

Last night was the final night drive (and last official drive overall) for the Mercedes Club in 2021.    Since the lockdown was lifted, we’ve really struggled with the weather for these night drives.  Finally, the weather held up and we had a great turn out of 17 cars on the night.   It started out hot and humid but cooled off and proved to...

MBCNSW early December 2021 night drive to Bilpin 3

MBCNSW early December 2021 night drive to Bilpin

Last night was the first of two planned December night drives with the Mercedes Club.   This was now the 3rd time we’ve run the drive to Bilpin.   We did the route in May 2021 and November 2020.  The drive is pretty simple.   We meet at Windsor McDonalds and drive up to the Apple Pie Cottage at Bilpin.   The Apple Pie Cottage is run by...

107 107’s across the harbour bridge 1

107 107’s across the harbour bridge

2021 was fifty years since the introduction of the R107 and C107 models.   The R107 would go on to be particularly long lived model, finally getting the axe in 1989.   Despite being obviously old by then, it was still selling well right through the 80s. As part of the celebrations for the model, the Mercedes Benz Club decided to attempt driving 107 107’s across...

MBCNSW October 2021 night drive – Clovelly to Kurnell 1

MBCNSW October 2021 night drive – Clovelly to Kurnell

After a three and a half month lockdown, official MBCNSW night drives were back last night.   The route was Clovelly to Kurnell.   The night drives were supposed to be back two weeks ago, but freak hail again prevented the Berowra ferry drive.    It was a lovely spring Sydney evening of about 20c, perfect for an open top Night Drive, so I took my...

MBCNSW June Night Drive – Berowra Ferry 2

MBCNSW June Night Drive – Berowra Ferry

Today was the June MBCNSW night drive.   This month, we had planned to do the route originally planned for March.   Back then, Sydney had just experienced the worst storms in 60 years.  Our route was not going to be possible after all the storm damage.   We also had to postpone our planned route tonight.   We were supposed to drive over Berowra ferry, but as...

MBCNSW May 2021 night drive to Bilpin 1

MBCNSW May 2021 night drive to Bilpin

Last night was the monthly MBCNSW May 2021 Night drive.   This month we did a repeat of our very successful November 2020 drive to Bilpin.    As with last time, we met in Windsor and then headed up to the Apple pie cottage for a late dessert. Unlike the warm summer weather of last year, it was a little colder last night.   Only one...

National Motoring Heritage Day 2021 1

National Motoring Heritage Day 2021

Today was National Motoring Heritage Day.   National Motoring Heritage Day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of each May, with 2021 being the 15th year of this event.   The basic premise is multiple car related events all around the country to showcase our rich motoring heritage.      The Mercedes-Benz club combined this with a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 107 chassis....

MBCNSW April 2021 Night Drive – Eastern Suburbs 0

MBCNSW April 2021 Night Drive – Eastern Suburbs

A couple of days ago I went on the April 2021 night drive with the MBCNSW.   This month was a drive from Luna Park to Coogee via Vaucluse.   We had run a similar drive in December 2020, but the weather was a bit iffy on the day and quite a few people decided not to chance it.   This time there was no such issue...

60th Anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type 5

60th Anniversary of the Jaguar E-Type

In March 1961, the Jaguar E-Type was unveiled to the world at the Geneva Auto Show.   Few other automotive launches have captivated the public as much as the E-Type did.   Enzo Ferrari even dubbed it the most beautiful car ever made.     The E-Type would stay in production until 1975 across three different series and three major body styles.   Sixty years later, the E-Type...

MBCNSW March 2021 Night Drive 1

MBCNSW March 2021 Night Drive

Today was the monthly MBCNSW night drive.   Over the last week, Sydney has experienced the worst storms in sixty years.   The original route that we picked for the drive was not going to be possible.  It went down into the national park and close to flooded areas.   There was also the risk of unknown potholes in the road that we wouldn’t see at night....

Waterfall to Bulli night drive 1

Waterfall to Bulli night drive

Last night was the February 2021 MBCNSW Night Drive.   This month’s route was Waterfall to Bulli.   The rain all through the week in Sydney had been raining, but it finished just before the start of the drive and the weather was actually good the whole time.   It probably kept a few people away though. As usual there was a good mix of cars  –...

MBCNSW Mystery Drive to Berry 0

MBCNSW Mystery Drive to Berry

Today I joined MBCNSW members for a drive through the Southern Highlands to Berry.   The drive was billed as a mystery drive, with the route only being revealed the night before.   The drive started at Pheasants Nest, a service station just south of Sydney.    The weather was quite rainy, so I bought my 560SEL.  Its my most modern car and I like having...

Bathurst via Goulburn and Oberon 1

Bathurst via Goulburn and Oberon

The Mercedes Club have been running regular ‘pop up’ drives mid week.  These are informal drives at a couple of days notice.   I’ve been able to get to a few over the last couple of months.    Today was a really big one.   We started early at our meeting point in Pheasants Nest, just south of Sydney.    The plan was to drive down...

December 2020 Night Drive – Eastern Suburbs 0

December 2020 Night Drive – Eastern Suburbs

The December night drive was the last official night drive of the year took us through the eastern suburbs.   Yet again, the late night drive proved popular, as we had 25 registrations and a lot of cars show up on the day.   The meeting point,  at Bradfield Park (near Luna Park), under the Sydney Harbour bridge probably helped. The meeting point also provided the...

Classic Jalopy