Top Gear Botswana Cars

May’s Mercedes didn’t have drama. It didn’t break suspension arms or catch fire. It just... worked. The air conditioning blew cold. The engine hummed. While the Lancia shed parts and Oliver needed constant encouragement, the Merc cruised across Botswana like a colonial governor on safari. May famously tied a sofa to the roof and still made it. The 230E finished the challenge without a single mechanical failure—proof that sometimes, boring wins.

Hammond loved "Oliver" so much he shipped it home, restored it, and still owns it today. James May 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E top gear botswana cars

The cars faced extreme conditions that standard two-wheel-drive vehicles were never meant to handle: May’s Mercedes didn’t have drama