Among the (tri) Stars

Very few automobile brands exude the level of sophistication and heritage that the Mercedes Benz brand intrinsically has. For many, as an aspirational brand, nothing even comes close. In fact, each automobile that comes from the imagination of the engineers at Stuttgart has the innate potential to become a classic. And, in reality, not a few Benzes have actually achieved such a hallowed status in the eyes of many a car enthusiast.

Recently, The Philippine STAR was invited to cover an event that celebrates this fantastic heritage of fine engineering. The event, held at the picturesque province of Chiang Mai in Thailand, was aptly called the Mercedes Benz Star Drive 2006. The stars of this particular drive were 42 classic Mercedes Benz cars restored almost to perfection by rabid Thai enthusiasts. The classic cars shared the spotlight with what our hosts argued were "future classics" — 27 current production models from the Mercedes Benz line ranging from A-Class compacts to the epitome of cutting edge design, the CLS super sedan. Quite simply, the event made available to us a dizzying array of cars which were and still are the stuff of dreams for any motorhead. We’d have been fools to let the opportunity pass us by, so off to Thailand we went.

On our first night in Chiang Mai, the Philippine media contingent made up of this writer, The Inquirer’s Tessa Salazar, Mercedes Magazine’s Alvin Uy and CATS Motors’ Benjie Bautista was greeted by one of the rarest Mercedes Benzes in the world — a 1955 W198 300SL Gullwing. At the very sight of the vehicle, we began to salivate collectively. While some of us later argued that it was probably a confluence of hunger and the invigorating scent of Northern Thai cuisine that had us drooling, I’d have to say that the gnawing sense of longing and excitement at the sight of the car the next day was just as tenacious. Mercedes Benz Club of the Philippines members Tippie Yaptinchay, Junnie Crisostomo, Mike Genuino and Carla Villanueva agreed later during the trip that at first sight, the Gullwing drove them to near frenzy as well. Heh. Never really thought I’d drip spittle at the sight of a 51-year-old either but that’s the effect a beautiful, classic Benz can have on you.

The next day, we were given our chance to actually drive the cars. At first, I was scheduled to take out a 1969 W115 200D for a 47-kilometer spin along with a couple of Thais. But seeing as to how our host Benjie was assigned by his lonesome to a diesel powered B-Class, I thought it would be best to accord the guy some company. Benjie was, of course, kind enough to give me the wheel of the pretty little hatch.

A B-Class Benz, I found out then, is almost an engaging drive as a C-Class sedan — smooth, fairly agile and quite responsive for a diesel. Quite frankly, after the run, I surmised that the B-Class and BMW’s 1-Series have about as much in common as La Sallians and Ateneans do — which is nothing much had they not been bracketed into a common perceived mold. While the B-Class delivers refinement and comfort not exactly inherent in its Bavarian counterpart, it is not nearly as solidly straightforward and nimble as the 1-Series. To each his own strength, I suppose.

Upon reaching the Wat Baan Den temple where we were given the chance to offer prayers ("Eternal gratitude to you oh Lord for giving me the chance to drive these gifts of engineering perfection around traffic- and pothole-free roads…"), I left Benjie to ride with our "adopted daughter" Sonia Kaur of the Borneo Bulletin, the lone media representative from Brunei. Which is how I found myself riding in one of three 1955 W121 190SLs in the fleet. The absolutely sexy sports coupé shined an elegant white, even as its plush leather seats and well-trimmed interior carpet juxtaposed a fiery red shade. As it was nearing noon, we latched on the car’s soft top and rode comfortably in its superbly air conditioned interiors. With just a wee bit of rattle — which is not exactly surprising considering we were riding in a 50-year-old vehicle — we did quick work of the 33-kilometer stretch despite the rather leisurely pace we took.

After a hearty lunch at the Green Valley Golf Club, we moved on to the Maesa Elephant Camp, where elephants with more artistic talent than wannabe artist poseurs are a dime a dozen. One even painted a Mercedes Benz emblem, which just blew everyone away. From there it was off to the brand spanking new D2 Hotel, our modern/minimalist hotel home in Chiang Mai. For the trip back home we commandeered a C180 CDi sedan and asked Tessa to take the wheel — which she gladly did. The twists and turns of Chiang Mai’s winding roads proved no match for the admittedly small yet comfortably agile sedan. We were home in almost no time at all. As it was close to nighttime, we reserved the rest of our drives for the next day.

Early the next day, a kilometric list had us forego any attempt to drive any of the classics in the fleet. Instead, we had to "settle" for a C180 Estate Kompressor, a looker of a station wagon with extra juice underneath its hood. I drove all the way to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, which is like Chiang Mai’s version of Antipolo, sweeping panoramic views and all. This route I took with Mercedes Benz Club of the Philippines members Junnie Crisostomo and Mike Genuino, who both loved the ride of the "future classic" but had legroom concerns with the admittedly compact station wagon. As such, after a hearty lunch at the serene Ka Lae Restaurant, we switched cars with their club president Tippie Yaptinchay, who had managed to snag a more spacious E240 sedan. With a more spirited driver in the person of Junnie, we did quick work of the route to our next stop, the wooden handicraft center Baan Tawai before I once again took to the wheel en route to D2.

After all the driving over the first two days, I decided to get to know the people behind the event as much as I now knew the cars that participated in it. I’ll cut to the chase, though. Despite the number of great people I got to meet, no one impressed me more than Stefan Rohrig, Director of Mercedes Benz Classic — simply because he gave me the one killer quote that any writer worth his words is always aching to find. "We put together this event because we believe that these classic cars are the greatest ambassadors of the Mercedes Benz heritage in themselves. There is no better way to communicate a car’s reason for being than by allowing those you want to reach out to, to experience it themselves," he said. To which I simply had to say, "amen", for already I was among the stars, and indeed I was happy.