The Wedding Car

What’s the perfect wedding car?

I have got to that age, the age where your friends start to get married, it is very scary business but at least we ‘car people’ can have a think about what car would be perfect.

There are a number of considerations – and I’d like your input on this as well, being the Autoviva readership – including the weather, comfort, level of flashiness and quite simply what is available and within budget.

There are so many different permutations that I am simply going to tell you what I would go for, while slightly ignoring the budgetary question! That would ruin it, and tell you what my budget might be!

I can think of little better than a Mercedes-Benz SSKMercedes-Benz SSKGermany, 1928 > 19325 versions
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. There were fewer than 40 SSK’s built over a four year period and it is a testament to its desirability that over 100 high quality replicas have been created.

The SSK, despite its luxurious look was actually raced in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s in races including the 1929 British Tourist Trophy Race and the 1931 German Grand Prix. This is in fact because it produced 300bhp and 500lb/ft of torque in its highest state of tune from a seven litre supercharged straight six.

The SSK would be the car I would like to be driven from my wedding in for four major reasons:

The first reason is that the SSK is a convertible. Normally I am a fan of a coupe’s rigid structure, but the idea of driving away and into a balmy summer’s afternoon with the roof down is far too good an idea to resist.

The second comes to that seven-litre engine with 500lb/ft of torque. It may not be the most important thing to my future bride (who I’m still looking for) but the idea of a puny engine puffing its way up a slight incline does not give the impression of luxury that a wedding car should impart.

The wedding car should also be a little bit special, and maybe a mite different. Here in England Bentley’sBentleyUnited Kingdom, 1919 > present37 models
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and Rolls Royce’sRolls-RoyceUnited Kingdom, 1904 > present31 models
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are two-a-penny. Relatively speaking, and the rare Mercedes would put me, on my special day, in a much smaller group.

Those people not concerned with cars would not have any idea what the big Mercedes stood for, but those in the know would, and I’d like that.

Finally, and even more subjectively is the fact that is a Mercedes. I have grown up around Mercedes and I love the history behind the company. I love the Grand Prix racing Mercedes through the 1930’s, the 300 SLRMercedes-Benz 300 SLR Roa...Germany, 1955 > present6 photos
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that competed in the Mille Miglia with Stirling Moss and Dennis Jenkinson and the innovation that the company shows every time a new S-ClassMercedes-Benz S-ClassGermany, 1972 > present6 series
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comes out.

I’d be really interested to know what you would pick. And I’d really like to know why you picked that car – that’s the interesting bit!