My car has been hit.
 

My wife was dropping off some letters in the drive up mail box. Across the street from her a less than aware driver in a 20' delivery truck backed into our car. My cherry 78 240D. Not a dent or ding until that moment. The back bumper of the truck hit the rear passenger door. That is where my 3 year old son sits. Pushed the car about a foot. My son is fine. The door buckled in, but you can not tell on the inside of the car. The door even opens and closes just like new. I thought it was pretty amazing given the amount of force it would take to move the car sideways like that. I am just glad my family was driving the Mercedes and not the Saab. Anyway, long story short, The car is getting fixed next week. Everyone is OK. And none of this is going to cost me a cent, other gals fault.

Glad everyone is OK, sorry you were hit...
 

I wonder really how many injuries could be prevented if cars were simply built to the "old" structural standards, and, in lieu of a lot of other "safety" gadgets, people just knew how to drive both defensively and deliberately.

In a mid '80s book Brock Yates noted that even back then automakers were trying to shift responsibilty for avoiding accidents from the driver(s) to the vehicles(s), thus leading to a generation of operators both lazy and unskilled.

MB's of your vintage are superbly RATIONAL cars that will protect you if you do your best to stay out of trouble. Wish you many more years with yours, and no lasting ill effects for you or your family.

This is exactly why I drive a Benz and a Volvo -- you are as well protected from accidents as it is possible to be in an automobile. I bought one for my Mother, too!

I'm very glad your son is OK -- I'm sure you are glad you have that 240!

I've seen a 300D hit in the side at about 50 mph -- driver pulled out of a gas station turning left and misjudged the approaching car (driver of which was not paying any attention and driving well above the speed limit!) Crushed the door in so far the turn signal is broken, broke both front and rear windows, etc. Driver was treated for minor glass cuts and a bruised hip, walked away from it. Very impressive.

Across the aisle in the junkyard was a big Oldsmobile, about the same age, about the same collision damage, except the front door was over the driveshaft. Passanger would probably have been dead!

My brother looked at a 300TD (W123) when searching for a replacement engine that had been run into a bridge abutment at about 70 mph -- the driver had fallen asleep and was woken by the crash -- turned the key off and got out to see what he had hit and tripped on the front tire that was under the front door......you just cannot beat these things for protection!

Peter

W123's are tough old birds. I remember controversy from years ago indicating that they were not as safe as other MB's because they didn't crush ENOUGH in head-on accidents.

The build and structure of the 123 can never be duplicated. Given way for the crumple-zone bodies of the future, the rigid tank-body of the 123 shines brilliantly and whose only public enemy #1 stems frrom the rust.

Glad that all was well.

Don't say that word!!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.........:eek: