A car with a boarding pass

A 1.5-million-euro car, a race on the other side of the Atlantic, and a schedule that allowed for no further delays. In certain operations, the choice of aircraft has less to do with distance than with the cost of arriving late.

In October 2022, a race-prepared Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” had to travel from Germany to Mexico to participate in the Carrera Panamericana—exactly 70 years after Mercedes’ historic victory in that race. The car had an estimated value of 1.5 million euros. But there was another increasingly scarce asset: time.

A mechanical issue delayed the scheduled departure. Finally, the Mercedes took off from Frankfurt on October 11, landed in Mexico City on the night of the 12th, and still had to clear customs and cover some 400 kilometers by road to Veracruz. It arrived at the starting point at 6:30 a.m. on October 14. The race was set to begin at 7:30. A one-hour margin.

The plane wasn't simply the fastest option. It was the option that still made the trip make sense.

A car is not checked in like a suitcase.

Before flying, it was necessary to check issues much less visible than the body of a Gullwing: lubricants and other fluids, battery and tire pressure. Outside the plane, the car was kept in protected areas to prevent damage during normal cargo terminal operations. In addition, classic cars usually travel accompanied by a supervisor.

Then comes a particularly delicate question: how to hold an object designed to move without damaging it by preventing it from moving. The car is fixed on a loading pallet. The system has to withstand the forces that may occur during flight and keep the vehicle completely immobilized, but without transferring forces capable of damaging tires, suspension, bodywork or sensitive structural points.

In this type of transportation, a stronger grip does not necessarily mean a better grip.

In air freight, the decisive factor is sometimes not the cost of transport, but the cost of waiting.

It doesn't have to be a collector's car

The Gullwing is a spectacular case, yet it illustrates a logic that recurs throughout the air transport of automobiles. Specialized solutions exist for race cars, confidential prototypes, complete vehicles, and urgent parts for the automotive industry. Temperature-controlled transport is also an option for certain prototypes containing sensitive materials—such as the clay or modeling paste used during development.

A manufacturer might need a prototype on another continent for a specific test. A racing team may face a departure deadline that cannot be moved. A production line might be waiting for a part whose absence costs far more per hour than the price of air freight. That is where the question shifts. It is no longer just a matter of "How much does it cost to transport this?" One must also ask: "What is the cost of it not arriving on time?"

And with electric cars, another variable comes into play

Electric vehicles introduce an element that has become increasingly important in air cargo: the battery.

IATA establishes specific requirements for lithium-battery-powered vehicles, covering classification, protection against short circuits and damage, and conditions regarding the state of charge. Furthermore, requirements for certain vehicle batteries transported by air have been tightened, effective from 2026.

This means that two similarly sized cars can entail different operational procedures simply because of the energy storage system they use. The car remains the same type of object; the logistics change.

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