Choose your language:
The story of Kurt Deklerck, CEO of Adirack in Roeselare - Belgium, proves that the Mercedes-Benz SLC ‘built by GDM Motors’ is suitable for the most challenging terrains.
Kurt Deklerck recently went to Azerbaijan to participate in the Silk Road Historic Rally. “The Silk Road Historic Rally covered a total of more than 3,000 km over ten days,” says Kurt. “The rally started in Baku, a truly magnificent city. From there, we drove through Azerbaijan for two days. Then we went to Georgia and ended in Turkey, both beautiful countries.”
Together with his wife Claudia Allemeersch, who took on the role of co-driver, he thoroughly enjoyed the planned route. "The roadbook was drawn up by a Turkish organization. Using the ball-arrow system, we drove from hotel to hotel every day. The route was extremely varied, from four-lane roads to all kinds of gravel roads. Some participants had to crawl over the unpaved roads to avoid damaging their cars, but with our slightly higher and more robust Mercedes, we could just go full throttle everywhere. The suspension handled everything effortlessly. In a car like that, you actually have all the comfort you need for this type of road."
At one point, a police officer showed me a translated message on his phone: ‘Would you like to drive off at full throttle?’
At the same time, the car also held its own on the track. “In Georgia, we raced against a 600 hp Cobra on a circuit, which was really great fun. On the straights, we obviously had to let it go, but I was able to catch up again through braking and cornering. The road holding and balance are extremely good.”
The Mercedes SLC 450 never let Kurt and Claudia down. “The car performed exceptionally well. Two cars from Belgium provided technical support, but in reality, no wrench was needed. Every day, I checked the oil level and removed the wheels to check the brakes, but that was about it. I am not a great technician, but I was able to manage those things.”
During the trip, the car also attracted a lot of attention. "At every roadblock, we were stopped by the police. They insisted on seeing the car up close. They hardly spoke any English, except for ‘Very nice car’. At one point, a police officer showed me a translated message on his phone: ‘Would you like to drive off at full throttle?’ Then all his colleagues started filming us with their phones (laughs). Yes, with that bull bar and lights on it, the Mercedes looks like a monster coming at you."
Weeks later, Kurt is still reliving his adventure. "I really had a great time. This rally in combination with that car was really perfect for me. It was really awesome. We are already looking forward to our next trip!”