The best?

Sir,

With regards to your current “Best Car in the World” campaign, I offer a suggestion that might cause you to reassess your opinion as to whether Mercedes-Benz is suitable to carry this famous title.

Choose a corrugated or ripple surfaced road and follow the first loaded, late-model, Merc. Watch the violent contortions, for a mile or so, of the rear suspension. If you can bear it so long without biting your finger nails you will notice that geometry becomes absent, that fore and aft alignment varies measurably with track variations and that only the inside inch or so of tyre face takes the load. In brief, like an exaggeration of my Beetle. You will probably make the following conclusions:

1. German tyre manufacturers make good tyres.

2. Mercedes make admirable univercal joints.

3. That when driving Mercedes what the eye doesn’t see the heart doesn’t grieve.

4. That for aspiring “Best Car in the World” manufacturers true i.r.s means—no swing axles, however botched up with compensators.

5. If R.-R. isn’t the answer what about Chrysler or Cadillac?

Peter Hutchinson.
Brandsley.