Go West, Young Man – My dream trip in my dream R107 | MBCA

Caden Matson

When it finally came time for me to buy my first car in high school, my choice was a no-brainer: Shortly after turning 16, I purchased my own 560SL with money I’d saved from after-school jobs. Just a few short years later, after lots of restoration and TLC, “Winchester” was ready for my epic road trip.

Go West, Young Man

My dream trip in my dream R107

Article and images Caden Matson

Every car enthusiast grows up with a dream car in mind, and for me, that car has always been the R107 series. When I was in elementary school, my dad and I would go to the Concours d'Elegance in Amelia Island, where nothing piqued my interest quite like the classic SLs. In fact, my first Instagram post as a sixth grader was a vintage advertisement for a 450SL with the caption “dream car!” When it finally came time for me to buy my first car in high school, my choice was a no-brainer: Shortly after turning 16, I purchased my own 560SL with money I’d saved from after-school jobs. Just a few short years later, after lots of restoration and TLC, “Winchester” was ready for my epic road trip.

The road-trip idea came to me shortly after I got Winchester, when I realized how much I truly enjoyed driving the R107. Winding down the Florida coast on A1A with the top down, I felt a connection to the car unlike any other vehicle I’d ever driven. From the way it pitches around tight curves to the slightly worn finish on my Nardi steering wheel – an awesome find off a European 500SL – every aspect of the R107 adds to the character I deeply enjoy. Ultimately, it was an appreciation of my dream car added to my long-held desire to see all the beautiful national parks out West that led me to drive from Florida to California last summer, taking the scenic route from start to finish.

I planned the entire trip with one main goal: Always take the prettiest road, regardless of whether it increased the driving time. In many ways, the road trip was more about the driving experience than the destination, and of course, my 560SL was a key aspect of the endeavor! To add another retro touch – and in a valiant effort to stay off our phones – my cousin, Blake Matson (who would join me in Denver), and I planned to navigate the entire way via a paper road atlas that I’d marked beforehand. With everything set, it was finally time to embark on the journey that I’d dreamed of for years.

At 4:00 a.m. on July 1, I left Jacksonville, not knowing if I would make it 1,000 miles to Houston by the end of that day, let alone all the way out West to California by the end of the month. But Winchester and I made it to Houston without a hitch, and by Day 3, I’d made it to the Denver Airport, where I picked up Blake; And then the real road-trip began. From that day forward, no day consisted of more than five hours of driving, leaving us plenty of time to explore every place on our list to the fullest.

In New Mexico, we drove through the little town where my dad grew up, and in Colorado, we enjoyed the Fourth of July fireworks over Estes Lake from the top of the Rockies. Driving through Bryce Canyon at sunset, climbing Angels Landing in Zion, and my short off-road adventure in the desert of Canyonlands National Park were all amazing experiences beyond my wildest imagination.

To top it all off, waking up in the morning after we arrived in San Francisco and driving down the coast to Big Sur was one of the most rewarding days of my life. I kept looking out over at the Pacific Ocean, totally in awe that I’d made a similar coastal drive less than a month ago on the opposite side of the country … more than 3,000 miles away. This car was built to drive: By traveling all the way from Florida’s A1A to California’s Pacific Coast Highway, I accomplished exactly what my R107 was designed to do.

Winchester is now back with me in Gainesville where I’m a second-year mechanical engineering major at the University of Florida. I bought the car with just over 100,000 miles, and a few years later, the mileage reads 127,000. Many people might frown upon driving a classic car this much, but I believe cars are meant to be driven. I’ve gotten more enjoyment and incredible experiences out of these 27,000 miles – beyond anything else money could buy. My summer road trip was only the beginning. There are many more beautiful roads Winchester and I have yet to conquer.