Mercedes R107 Pagoda road trip – Lake Vrynwy

Earlier this year, SLSHOP Managing Director Bruce Greetham took his Mercedes 113 Pagoda on a road trip to Lake Vrynwy.

Bruce was fairly new to the 113 Pagoda, having only recently taken ownership of the car for the first time. Therefore, it was a perfect opportunity to take a trip in the car to truly enjoy it on the picturesque Welsh roads.

He was joined on the trip by Lee Downing. Lee and Bruce first met some time ago when Lee was a customer of SLSHOP. The company had worked on a restoration project of Lee’s SLC, some of which Lee had been keen to get hands-on and help out as he learned his way around a project like that.

For this road trip, Lee would be driving his white 300 SL which he had purchased from SLSHOP.

Located in mid-Wales, Lake Vrynwy was a great choice of destination for the road trip. In Bruce’s own words, it’s ‘far enough to make you feel like you’ve been somewhere’, so perfect for an outing with the Pagoda. With good weather and great cars, the trip begun on the Friday afternoon.

The pair met in Welshpool on the Friday before continuing on down through the Welsh countryside. It was a lovely run and both cars certainly attracted a significant amount of attention during the course of the weekend.

Prior to leaving, Bruce had booked some parking at the hotel for both cars to ensure the cars were safely parked nearby. Upon arrival, they discovered that the spaces had been marked off with the pair’s respective surnames marked across the bays.

“We felt quite privileged!”, Bruce recalls.

The location of the parking bays was also perfect for showing the two SL’s off. Still glistening and in outstanding condition, the cars were surrounded by people keen to ask questions, take photographs and generally learn more about the cars. With SLSHOP business cards available, there was significant interest in the work of the company, too.

Getting out of the garage and on the road

Many classic car owners love to get the cars out and enjoy them out on the road. While working on them in garages certainly has its attraction, there is no better way of enjoying the SLs than going on a tour or road trip.

For Bruce, tours like this give him the opportunity to experience that other side of owning classic cars such as the Pagoda.

Speaking after the trip, Bruce said: “I’m proud to own the cars that I have. I’m also very fortunate that I’ve been in a position to be able to buy them.

“I’ve got the mechanical knowledge to be able to put them (the SLs) to a level for which I want to use them for. It’s a world of difference between a concourse car and a driving car. Not only in commitment, but also from a financial perspective.

“The lifestyle is a key part for me in terms of owning these cars. I like to have the nice weather and to have a nice place to drive to. it’s not about the A-to-B, but in getting out and enjoying driving these wonderful cars”.

Tempted by the car? Take a look at cars currently being offered by The SL Shop.

Read more about Bruce Greetham’s car history here

If you’d like to join us for a tour of Wales, you can explore the same roads with a whole host of other enthusiasts as we embark on a tour Wales this July 2022.

CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE OUR 2022 TOURS