Gullwing and a prayer


The 300SL years ago. What does it look like now? Photo: Michael E. Ware
   IN THE BRAVE tradition of Spanish adventurers, Miguel Llorente decided to set course for the New World.
   Already, he has conquered America, and now, at the helm of a 30-year-old Mercedes-Benz 300 TD station wagon bearing Kansas licence plates – Miguel apparently being the first Spanish explorer to settle in Wichita – he`s pressing south to Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala and beyond. His ultimate destination: Tierra del Fuega, at the tip of South America.
   But unlike his forebears, Miguel Llorente`s quest is not gold, or a passage to the Pacific, or even the Fountain of Youth (unlikely to be a priority for a man who appears to be younger than his car). Instead, this explorer seeks scenes he can photograph and experiences he can write about. And because of his keen curiosity, he`s never short of subjects.
   Miguel has, however, at least one additional goal. He wants to see for himself the famous Mercedes 300SL Gullwing that hides somewhere in Cuba. CARISTAS readers will know this car (or cars – some people suspect there could be as many as three Gullwings secreted on the island) from the photographs that have appeared here since 2009.
   Miguel spent two weeks on his Cuban quest and now has started to describe his adventure in This European Life, his witty and entertaining blog. And yes, he confides, he did locate a Gullwing, and soon will provide the particulars on where and how. (If you can`t wait for the entry, he has already posted a photo of his discovery on Facebook.)
   Given his success finding a car that many have written off as more myth than metal, perhaps Miguel now should consider seeking out that Fountain of Youth. He might have more success than Ponce de León.



 See also:

 Discovered in Cuba, a rare Mercedes-Benz

 Gullwing bits and pieces

 Elvis in a Gullwing in Havana

Comments

Ralphee said…
What a heartbreaking discovery! I was thrilled to read about Miguel's story. But somehow, it leaves me with mixed emotions. The Holy Grail: demystified. The valuable pinnacle of contemporary german engineering and design: nothing but a empty lump of ever more deteriorating metal. It is a strange setting: the grail's keeper obviously knows very well about the value of these cars, but does nothing to keep them in shape. Not even a cover to protect them from the rain! With this saddening discovery, it became a shattered dream. I think: let them rust and disappear. I'm not interested anymore.
December 14, 2012 at 3:14 PM
Caristas said…
I hear you, Ralphee. But take heart -- I firmly believe that other Gullwing coupes remain on the island, dry and secure and in much, much better condition than this sad example.
December 16, 2012 at 1:36 PM
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