Skip to content
  • We Are SLSHOP
  • The world’s leading classic SL destination. Welcome to SLSHOP.
tel +44 (0) 1789 337 070
SLSHOP
  • HOME
  • Showroom
    • Classic Mercedes-Benz
      • Showroom
      • Current Inventory
    • New Builds
      • W113 Factory
      • R107 Factory
      • R107 Sportline
      • R107 Electric
    • Selling Your SL
      • Valuation
      • Consignment Sale
      • Sell Us Yours
      • Previously Sold
    • BN COL 1
      • The SL Market

      • Buying

    • BN COL 2
      • SLSHOP Warranty

      • We are SLSHOP

  • Owner Services
    • W113 SL Tailored Services
      • W113 Pagoda Servicing
      • W113 Pagoda Setup
      • W113 Pagoda Restoration
    • R107 SL Tailored Services
      • R107 Servicing
      • R107 Bulkhead Repair
      • R107 Correct Restoration
      • USA to Euro Cosmetic Conversion
      • Hard & Soft Top Adjustment
      • Bulkhead Check
      • Sportline
    • R129 SL Tailored Services
      • R129 Servicing
      • R129 Diagnostics
      • R129 Restoration
      • R129 Roof operation fix
    • BN COL 1
      • Epic Restorations

      • Improving

    • BN COL 2
      • SLSHOP TV

      • We are SLSHOP

    • Classic Mercedes-Benz Owner Services
      • Complete Health Check
      • Structural Check
      • Engine Check
      • Brake Check
      • Under Body Check
      • Classic Mercedes Restoration
      • Modern Classics Servicing
      • Pre Season Check
      • SLSHOP MOT
    • SLSHOP Supporting services
      • Detailing
      • Hardtop Storage
      • Vehicle Storage
      • Transportation Support
      • Valuation Certificate
      • Rust protection
      • SLSHOP Service Process
    • CARE
      • CARE
      • How it works
      • Pricing
      • Inspired Places to Visit
  • CARE
    • CARE
    • How it works
    • CARE Pricing
    • Inspired Places to Visit
  • Experience
    • Cotswolds Tour
    • Wales Tour
    • Open Day
    • Donnington Park
    • Rally Experience
  • Parts Store
    • W113 Pagoda Parts
    • R107 Parts
    • Sportline Parts
  • ClubHouse
  • We Are SLSHOP

The SLCenic Route – Episode 13

Graham Laing decided to retire 10 years earlier than planned […]

Graham Laing decided to retire 10 years earlier than planned to enjoy an epic driving tour with his SLC. The plan, inspired by conversations with his Father, was to drive the SLC from the southern most tip of mainland Europe in Spain to the northernmost tip of mainland Europe in Norway.

When he told his children, they said ‘you should write a blog about it’… So that’s exactly what Graham is doing. Graham approached the SLSHOP and asked whether we would be interested in hosting his work, and we were only too happy to share his story. The SLCenic Route was born!

In this episode Graham enjoys an Alpine Route, or two.

The SLCenic Route

Episode 13 – Oberreute to Ramsau via Oberjoch Pass (210 miles)

Germany has a number of interesting well documented and signposted routes. This one is known as the German Alpine Route, you can google it and get information on thing to do and see along the way. Don’t be surprised that it takes you into Austria a number of times, but do be surprised if you see a sign you’ve changed countries, I didn’t. Programming the Satnav to follow the route was impossible so I gave it a final destination and happily listened to it not get annoyed every time I went off route when following the many Alpine Route signposts.

It turned out to be the perfect day to recharge my batteries and recover some of the emotional energy consumed by the fantastic highs and lows of the past 2 weeks, mostly highs! That’s not to say it was boring, there were still some wow moments, but the gentle rolling countryside with the Bavarian Alps in the background are the perfect tonic for a weary traveller. The scenery was very lush and green, throughout the whole route. I kept expecting Julie Andrews from the Sound of Music or Steve McQueen from the Great Escape to appear round the next gentle smooth tarmac bend.

The Oberjoch Pass at 3864ft is noted as one of the highlights on the route, and is lovely, but after the 2 Swiss Passes yesterday, cruising all the way up in third gear seemed like a simple stroll in the park and at only half the height, meant no snow. Oh how I longed to get to third while climbing the Oberalp yesterday. As with the Swiss passes, stop short of the top for some peaceful walks in the forests and don’t worry about racing cars and bikes in the middle of the road, this is Germany and much more observant of rules.

The Bavarian Alps are not so much “in your face”, there was room for some sky above them, often yesterday in the Swiss Alps, all I could see out of the windscreen was impressive snow topped mountain after snow topped mountain.

Somewhere can’t remember where, on the route I stopped to look at a ski jump. Obviously at this time of year it was empty and black, with no snow. Seeing it up close without anyone around, I could see the attraction of wanting to hurtle down and jump out into the unknown. At least, I know the 17 year old in me would have been desperate to do it, now at the sensible (?) age of 55 I’m happier to watch.

One annoying thing today, Germany doesn’t like google street view. I’ve used it every day on this trip so far, both to see what is coming up tomorrow and figure out where I went wrong today. Somebody need to have a word!

One good thing for me, is the language problem, most Germans speak at least a little English. I did German at school, but I was rubbish and 40 years later I remember more German from watching war films in my youth than anything I did in class. Apologies to any hard working language teachers, it’s just my brain is more numerate than literate.

A short note on the SLC itself; as you can imagine, at 46 years old, it has a bit of history, at some point in the past (probably 10 years ago) the original 4 speed gearbox was replaced with a perfectly spaced Mercedes 5 speed which makes cruising speeds even more pleasant. If anybody does know who had this SLC previously I would love to meet them.

Another day, another perfect performance from the SLC. (Am I tempting fate?)

Click here to read Episode 14

Graham Laing decided to retire 10 years earlier than planned to enjoy an epic driving tour with his SLC. The plan, inspired by conversations with his Father, was to drive the SLC from the southern most tip of mainland Europe in Spain to the northernmost tip of mainland Europe in Norway.

When he told his children, they said ‘you should write a blog about it’… So that’s exactly what Graham is doing. Graham approached the SLSHOP and asked whether we would be interested in hosting his work, and we were only too happy to share his story. The SLCenic Route was born!

In this episode Graham enjoys an Alpine Route, or two.

The SLCenic Route

Episode 13 – Oberreute to Ramsau via Oberjoch Pass (210 miles)

Germany has a number of interesting well documented and signposted routes. This one is known as the German Alpine Route, you can google it and get information on thing to do and see along the way. Don’t be surprised that it takes you into Austria a number of times, but do be surprised if you see a sign you’ve changed countries, I didn’t. Programming the Satnav to follow the route was impossible so I gave it a final destination and happily listened to it not get annoyed every time I went off route when following the many Alpine Route signposts.

It turned out to be the perfect day to recharge my batteries and recover some of the emotional energy consumed by the fantastic highs and lows of the past 2 weeks, mostly highs! That’s not to say it was boring, there were still some wow moments, but the gentle rolling countryside with the Bavarian Alps in the background are the perfect tonic for a weary traveller. The scenery was very lush and green, throughout the whole route. I kept expecting Julie Andrews from the Sound of Music or Steve McQueen from the Great Escape to appear round the next gentle smooth tarmac bend.

The Oberjoch Pass at 3864ft is noted as one of the highlights on the route, and is lovely, but after the 2 Swiss Passes yesterday, cruising all the way up in third gear seemed like a simple stroll in the park and at only half the height, meant no snow. Oh how I longed to get to third while climbing the Oberalp yesterday. As with the Swiss passes, stop short of the top for some peaceful walks in the forests and don’t worry about racing cars and bikes in the middle of the road, this is Germany and much more observant of rules.

The Bavarian Alps are not so much “in your face”, there was room for some sky above them, often yesterday in the Swiss Alps, all I could see out of the windscreen was impressive snow topped mountain after snow topped mountain.

Somewhere can’t remember where, on the route I stopped to look at a ski jump. Obviously at this time of year it was empty and black, with no snow. Seeing it up close without anyone around, I could see the attraction of wanting to hurtle down and jump out into the unknown. At least, I know the 17 year old in me would have been desperate to do it, now at the sensible (?) age of 55 I’m happier to watch.

One annoying thing today, Germany doesn’t like google street view. I’ve used it every day on this trip so far, both to see what is coming up tomorrow and figure out where I went wrong today. Somebody need to have a word!

One good thing for me, is the language problem, most Germans speak at least a little English. I did German at school, but I was rubbish and 40 years later I remember more German from watching war films in my youth than anything I did in class. Apologies to any hard working language teachers, it’s just my brain is more numerate than literate.

A short note on the SLC itself; as you can imagine, at 46 years old, it has a bit of history, at some point in the past (probably 10 years ago) the original 4 speed gearbox was replaced with a perfectly spaced Mercedes 5 speed which makes cruising speeds even more pleasant. If anybody does know who had this SLC previously I would love to meet them.

Another day, another perfect performance from the SLC. (Am I tempting fate?)

Click here to read Episode 14

More from ClubHouse

  • Generation Game – Three Decades of Automotive Icons, 1968 to 1989

    Generation Game – Three Decades of Automotive Icons, 1968 to 1989

    December 11th, 2020
  • Midnight Club – True Blue

    Midnight Club – True Blue

    October 28th, 2020
  • What does inspirational reliability mean to you and your car?

    What does inspirational reliability mean to you and your car?

    January 29th, 2020|1 Comment
  • What does financial reliability mean to you and your car?

    What does financial reliability mean to you and your car?

    January 29th, 2020|5 National Insurance Number
  • What does emotional reliability mean to you and your car?

    What does emotional reliability mean to you and your car?

    January 29th, 2020|4 National Insurance Number
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 32

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 32

    June 26th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 31

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 31

    June 25th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 30

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 30

    June 24th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 29

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 29

    June 24th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 28

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 28

    June 24th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 27

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 27

    June 24th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 26

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 26

    June 24th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 25

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 25

    June 24th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 24

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 24

    June 24th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 23

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 23

    June 20th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 22

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 22

    June 20th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 21

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 21

    June 20th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 20

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 20

    June 20th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 19

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 19

    June 13th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 18

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 18

    June 13th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 17

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 17

    June 13th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 16

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 16

    June 11th, 2019|1 Comment
  • The SLCenic Route – Episode 15

    The SLCenic Route – Episode 15

    June 10th, 2019|1 Comment
  • Classic Mercedes-Benz Storage with SLSHOP – Your Perfect Partner

    Classic Mercedes-Benz Storage with SLSHOP – Your Perfect Partner

    June 8th, 2019|0 National Insurance Number
  • Aston Martin Storage with SLSHOP – Your Perfect Partner

    Aston Martin Storage with SLSHOP – Your Perfect Partner

    June 8th, 2019|0 National Insurance Number
  • Porsche Storage with SLSHOP – Your Perfect Partner

    Porsche Storage with SLSHOP – Your Perfect Partner

    June 8th, 2019|0 National Insurance Number
  • Classic Jaguar Storage with SLSHOP – Your Perfect Partner

    Classic Jaguar Storage with SLSHOP – Your Perfect Partner

    June 8th, 2019|0 National Insurance Number

CARE membership plans

 Join Our Family

Improve your SL

Increase the value it brings you

For every SL owner we have met, the key aspect in ownership and running these amazing motorcars is ensuring that this prized possession remains a joy to use whenever, wherever and however; protecting and increasing its value over time.

As the World’s largest specialist in classic SL’s we have drawn upon our experience with our customers, with hundreds of cars and thousands of hours behind the wheel and under the ramp to develop CARE; a way of engaging a community of owners and protecting the value of their investments as well as enhancing their cars condition, reliability and desirability.

Discover More

CLASSIC

Would you like to be a little more involved with your car and the marketplace? It’s easy to be a member and join our community. CLASSIC gives you access to an extensive range of benefits without the commitment of a service plan.

COMPLETE

The importance of a correctly maintained classic cannot be understated when it comes to the eventual sale of your asset. COMPLETE membership adds a Service & Maintenance programme specifically designed around your usage.

CONCIERGE

Time poor? You’ll like the idea of CONCIERGE. We will collect and deliver your SL, or provide a premium experience at point of service that includes an overnight stay on us as well as access to our market expertise.

Be the First to Know

We don’t mind whether you are in the market for one of our awesome cars or just interested in seeing whats new and whats going on in the market. Pop your details in here to receive updates on all thats “hot” in the showroom.

Contact

What are you waiting for? Drop us a line and let us know which car you would like to hire and when you would like it. We’ll guide you through everything from there on in.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

More From SLSHOP

Experience
Owner Services
Parts Store
CARE

Contact SLSHOP Showroom

Whatever your Mercedes-Benz, Whatever your needs are, Let the SLSHOP help you. It all starts with getting to know you and your needs. We have designed this contact form to be quick and easy and we never share your data.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Contact

Location

T:01789 337 070

[email protected]

SLSHOP

Unit 1a, 2, 3, & 4b Drayton Manor Drive
Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire
CV37 9RQ

Hours:
Mon-Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday by appointment only
Closed Sunday

 

Services

  • Showroom
  • Owner Services
  • Experience
  • Parts Store
  • Additional Services

SLSHOP

  • We Are SLSHOP
  • COVID-19 Information
  • Visit or Contact
  • Terms
    • Part Sales Terms
    • Car Sales Terms
    • CARE TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • UK Event & Experiences TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • Hire Terms
    • Gift Voucher Terms
  • Privacy & Cookie Policy

Connect

Join the SLSHOP family. We know you won’t want to miss out.