We are Truly Blessed... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rs899 · #1 03-27-2005, 06:25 AM

My family just retured from a 2 week vacation in central Europe. We visited Budapest, Krakow, Berlin and Paris. Much of that time we were "hoofing " it on the streets and also spent a lot of time on buses , S-bahn and trains.

In that whole period of time we ( and I say WE because my wife drives her 300D and our 4 year old can spot anything with a star on it) saw no more than 15 W123s and one W116. The few we saw were in very sorry shape as well- I would say only 2 or 3 would have been worth more than $1000 here in the US.

The Europeans seem to be buying new cars at a rapid pace. They are still going for smallish cars about the size of the new Bug or Mini. Of course, my observations are limited- maybe there are some older cars out in the smaller cities but I didn't see many in the big cities. I am also something of a Citroen fan and I saw only 2 2CVs - and none in France.

Rick

braverichard · #2 03-27-2005, 09:40 AM

I'm sorry but I still don't get which part of your story shows we are truly blessed as you said.

Brian Carlton · #3 03-27-2005, 09:54 AM

I suppose we are truly blessed because we continue to have W123 and W126 vehicles in good condition over here??

TomJ · #4 03-27-2005, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

I suppose we are truly blessed because we continue to have W123 and W126 vehicles in good condition over here??

Or it could be because we don't import French cars?

aklim · #5 03-27-2005, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomJ

Or it could be because we don't import French cars?

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Fuzzball · #6 03-27-2005, 04:57 PM

The safety inspection in Germany is so tough that most of our cars would have a problem meeting them. This is why you don't see many cars older than 10 years old on the road.

While I was there I bought my 1972 280 SE 3.5 for a mere $2,000 as it was 10 years old and would have required a few thousand in repairs to be drivable. When you have to pay a $75 fee, pass or fail, I can understand why the owners just hoped some GI would buy it. (The US service personnel have an inspection that is similar to the one here in Texas, meaning just about anything will pass....)

That would explain the lack of cars somewhat.

rs899 · #7 03-27-2005, 06:04 PM

I didn't think I was being so ...obtuse(?) but yes- we are "blessed" with a fairly large available pool of older diesels compared to what I saw with my unscientific sample.

Most of the MBZs I saw did not look as though they would pass an inspection

Brian Carlton · #8 03-27-2005, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rs899

I didn't think I was being so ...obtuse(?) but yes- we are "blessed" with a fairly large available pool of older diesels compared to what I saw with my unscientific sample.

Most of the MBZs I saw did not look as though they would pass an inspection

CA-CHING

m_omer · #9 03-27-2005, 09:15 PM

I imagine the reason you don't see that many older Mercedes in Germany is the same reason you don't see that many 25 years old chevy's and fords in the states also, unless it is in a classic car category.
As for other eastern european countries, the population in those countries were driving russian and soviet era cars until the berlin wall came down, and any old benz from western europe ended up there, rust and all, and probably there aren't that much network of parts dealers there.
Also Mercedes is/was considered a high class car here, and owners tended to take care of them much more than domestically made cars.

1988 300SE
1985 Peugeot 505GL
1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
1996 Mercury villager

boneheaddoctor · #10 03-27-2005, 09:20 PM

It becasue we tend to take better care of our cars than they do........with the cost of oil they tend to change the oil far less than the NEED to and WAY less than we do.

rs899 · #11 03-28-2005, 07:29 AM

I also noticed that in the eastern cities we visited (Budapest, Krakow, Dresden) there was still a significant population of old east-bloc iron. There were more Trabants (plastic), Polski Fiats, Wartburgs, Skodas, Ladas than I expected to see- certainly more of these in the east than their equivalents (2CVs, R4s, R5s, VW bugs, etc) in the west.

I don't know if this is due to the simplicity of these designs or the relative poverty of the owners

#12 03-28-2005, 01:43 PM

I just got back from a cruise about the Carribean and I noticed quite a few Mercedes Utility Vehicles. Most of the people busses I was on were mercedes diesel stickshift! Odd to see a brand new passenger bus with a stickshift (shouldn't we be so lucky

)
Saw quite a few Unimogs and a few w123's spattered about. Saw a sad 300D being towed by a volvo diesel wagon. I was going to offer assistance but as it was Beliz and I was without tools, not much I could do I guess.

Sad though, probably just a plugged filter

It is nice though, so many diesel vehicles in Central America...they throw the diesel engines in automobiles I have never seen before.
Pretty cool

PatrickW · #13 03-28-2005, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rs899

In that whole period of time we ( and I say WE because my wife drives her 300D and our 4 year old can spot anything with a star on it) saw no more than 15 W123s and one W116.

Must be nice!

I don't know that I've ever seen a W116, and I can count on one hand the number of W123's I see in a year (including the one I own).

I gotta get to Europe.

- Patrick

Brian Carlton · #14 03-28-2005, 10:10 PM

I remember the first time I saw a W116. It was down south (none of them up here). I couldn't figure out for the life of me what I was looking at. Too long and slim looking to be a W123, but, not big enough to be a W126.

I walked around it four times.

A very attractive vehicle.

Hatterasguy · #15 03-28-2005, 10:49 PM

Brian I know of a 6.9 for sale locally that is probably a parts car but for $5k or so could be a fun toy.

It has BBS wheels to...