Two Vagabonds from South Africa are Driving their Battered Benz ‘Home’ to Germany

Best mates Kobus Esterhuizen and Marius Burger Lourens are doing what many before have done, making a continental crossing from Cape Town to Europe. However, the pair have decided to do so in a car that not many, if any, others have used for this trip – a 1996 Mercedes-Benz C-class.

A W202 series C-class is not an obvious choice for this long journey, but if you are going to do it, why not in comfort and style? The car was handed down from Esterhuizen’s mother, who bought it new. It had been sitting unused for many years. Instead of selling it, he decided to undertake the massive road trip.

The car has NO special preparation. It rides on the standard alloys and suspension. “We’ve done nothing to the car, it’s stock standard. We were gonna put on a roof rack, but a so-called specialist wanted to fit steel bolts into the roof to fit it,” says Esterhuizen.The pair are even planning to sleep in the sedan. Funky graphics aside, the pair managed to get members of the Rugby World Cup-winning squad to sign the bonnet of the Merc.

“We hope people will be interested in signing their names on the car to be displayed for as long as possible. Throughout this journey, we want to give people something to talk about and just to make them happy. We hope our journey will bring people closer in some way,” he adds.

The former Capetonians don’t really have a plan for this trip. They are just two boys on a long road trip with no real plan on their way to Europe. But they are supporting #driveforunity, cancer awareness, Save the Rhinos and Save the Whales.

“We are just winging it and we will take everything as it comes. We gotta guy who is extremely knowledgeable about Africa, about places to avoid, etc. There is no set plan, we will take it day by day. If something comes up for a month or two, we will stay there. We do not have a time frame,” Lourens said.

They also plan to sleep inside the C-class, when it’s cool enough. “We already stayed in the car for two weeks, not easy for two big guys, but it is a Mercedes so it’s actually quite comfortable,” they said at the start of the 12,000+ km adventure. 

Oh, and once the pair reach Europe, they are planning to drive all the way to Stuttgart. At the home of Mercedes-Benz the duo hope to hand over the car to its maker for preservation in the company’s museum. The ‘vagabonds’ have made contact with Mercedes-Benz HQ. “They know we are on our way, they just aren’t 100 per cent sure we are going to make it…”

You can follow their adventures on their Facebook page: Vagabond Travels.

Words Sudhir “Banzai” Matai Instagram

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