MAGNUS WALKER

b500 magazine

The spirit of AMG -The Silber - Sau

Man with a Beard Builder, Collector, Driver Born in Sheffield -1967 Wrote a letter to Porsche as a 10 year old wanting to be a car Designer Lives in Los Angeles since 1987 Car Enthusiast M y relationship with the silver pig began at Pebble Beach back in August of 2019.

The car was on display at the MercedesBenz stand on the lawn of the famous Golf course, where every year car people, celebrity & tourists gather to kick tires, sip champagne, dress up and share stories. For many this is the highlight of the year.

I leave my golf clubs at home and occasionally attend these festivities, as there are always some great opportunities to drive some special cars, and the highlight of 2019 was to get behind the wheel of a working class hero; The factory recreation-tribute to the famous ‘Red Pig ‘. The 300 SEL 6.8L AMG, that surprised many by winning its class at SPA -50 years ago back in 1971, before disappearing never to be seen again.

The Silber Sau was built for the 2017 50th anniversary of AMG By Mercedes-Benz with a few modern updates, Including suspension,6 speed transmission, a carbureted 6.8L 420 HP V8 Along with 18” wheels and modern sticky rubber. The short 15 min drive around the narrow crowded streets of Pebble Beach barely getting out of 2nd gear only whetted my appetite for more seat time in the SAU.

Thankfully the kind folks at MB reassured me this would be possible at some point. The wait took over a year, but in late November of 2020 I finally got back behind the wheel of the silver dream machine, this time on my favourite empty and uncrowded road - Angeles Crest highway, more commonly know as HWY 2. This time I had a film crew and a MB support team…

With bare floors, no carpet or sound insulation, the 300 SEL is loud! It rumbles, spits and makes you feel like you’re in a tumbler with a chain saw. It’s intoxicating, surprisingly nimble and fun to drive. The clutch is easy to modulate, the shifter a joy to move thru the gears and the suspension and tire set up inspires confidence to push harder through the turns. The engine revs quickly and makes power easily in a way that makes you want to keep on driving.

Now if I could only talk the folks at Mercedes-Benz into letting me drive this on the Mille Miglia ;)