Watch this Mercedes 300SL Gullwing defend position from a swarm of Healeys
The 77th annual Members Meeting is taking place at the historic Goodwood Circuit, and that means oodles of footage of vintage racers going wheel to wheel on the smooth and fast road course. Those who can’t make it to see the event in person can still experience the battle of a Mercedes Benz 300SL working hard to hold back an attack from two Austin Healeys.
Taking place over two days each year, the Members Meeting features competition on Goodwood’s 2.4-mile circuit in Chichester, England. This weekend also serves as the opening salvo for the circuit’s season, which is best known for the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival events.
This particular clip gives a good perspective on just how hard the drivers at the Members Meeting push their cars, regardless of their off-track value. David Coulthard is an ex-Formula 1 driver, and a runner up in the 2001 World Championship, who slipped behind the wheel of a gorgeous 300SL positioned at the front of the starting grid. Joining him on the front row were two Austin Healeys that seemed to have his number and every intention to get around him through the seven-turn track.
One Healey manages a pass or two in the corners, but the big Benz cannot be caught on the straights. The in-car footage shows Coulthard sawing at the wheel (which is signed by Walter Rohl, by the way) and shifting the four-speed transmission furiously, in a way you rarely see a million-dollar car treated. The Benz doesn’t seem to slide around as much as the chasing Healeys, but you can tell from the amount of body roll seen via the on-board camera that the car is certainly operating at the limit.
The grid is full of various levels of racers for two days, from Minis to Porsche 917s. Let us know in the comments below what car you dream of running on the Goodwood Circuit, and what you’d like to race against in a manner like this Benz/Healey battle.
