I am retired Army and an automotive instructor on the east coast. I have been involved in the automotive technology field since the very early eighties. Teaching and mentoring at the same time meets at the job. I am impressed on how well the mercedes was engineered from my point of view.
I recently purchased a 450SL and to me it is a discovery to put it back together. She runs pretty well. I spent close to a decade in Germany where I was exposed to first hand knowledge to their automobiles. BMW or Mercedes. They know how to build a car. Their mindset is to make it last.
Its an art.