Chris Harris video: racing a Fintail

Chris Harris races a Mercedes Fintail round the Nurburgring with David Coulthard

By Chris Harris / Thursday, 17 October 2013 / Loading comments

Back in June I did a race at the Nurburgring for old cars in a very old Mercedes. It was a 220 Fintail from the early 60s, and it was being run by the factory museum. There was another journalist in the car too, and a man called David Coulthard.

Coulthard: 'Nice suit, where'd you get it?'

This was a three-hour race and with 120hp and a body the size of a small whale we were always going to be lacking some pace, but the Mercedes crew were the most affable bunch you could imagine. They just want to turn up, have some fun, get as many lovely old Mercs in the paddock as possible and then drink some beer. The race rather gets in the way of some of these activities!

Of course I accepted the invitation partly because it was a chance to meet David and pepper him with questions. The irritating thing about him is that however grounded, lucid and amusing he seems on television, he's even better in person.

So here's a video of a great weekend during which, as you might have suspected, not everything went to plan.

Enjoy.