Contacted MBNA About 500E History - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

placo1 · #1 05-27-2003, 01:56 PM

I just got off the phone with MBNA and the craziest thing happened.......I'm still in shock.

I spoke to a person with regards to getting build information for my car and mentioned that it was built by Porsche. The person responded, I've heard of no such car that was built by Porsche!

So I reiterated the significance and collaboration of the two companies and he still insisted that there is no such car. He then went on to say that he has been with the company for 10 years and would no if something existed. He then stated that in 94 an E500 was built by AMG..........totally clueless.

I was pretty frustrated at this point and was trying to think of historical places to send him to SCHOOL him on something he should already know.

By the end of the conversation he said he would call the factory to determine if such a car existed and try to find some build data.......we'll see if he actually does it.

Anyone have comments or historical places I can send this guy. I'm not sure Dean's or any of our websites would qualify as true history as we're only reitterating other literature.

Mark Stetson · #2 05-27-2003, 10:11 PM

That's one uninformed voice you found at the other end of the line. Pretty sad for a representative of a company with such a proud history.

Point him to: Road & Track, May 1992.

Point him to: members.lycos.nl/mercedes500e/

That should be enough to get him interested. If not, well, stop wasting your time.

Glen · #3 05-27-2003, 11:11 PM

I've heard similar stories in the past...kind of funny when you think about it.

You might try calling back and hope to get someone more knowledgable...

Cannoli · #4 05-28-2003, 02:19 PM

That guy is a snotty nose, wet-behind-the-ears, ROOKIE!

yhliem · #5 05-28-2003, 09:27 PM

Oh well...maybe i should take some pics of the Porsche badges on the rear deck of our 500s just to mess him up

btw, these are the nice Porsche shield hood emblems. dad picked them up when he was in Stuttgart last month

Blue Devil · #6 05-28-2003, 11:47 PM

He didn't say what he was doing for 10 years at Mercedes

Embarassing for any company when outsiders know more about their product.

Too bad you didn't get your conversation on tape or was via email because you could probably send it to another department or management and maybe get something for your "frustrations".

placo1 · #7 05-29-2003, 12:17 AM

Well it's been a couple of days now and I have not received a response.

Either he just didn't care or was too EMBARASSED to call back after the comments he made.

I will make another call tomorrow and mention the earlier conversation, if I get a similar response I will try and make a friendly wager and then point them to the DaimlerChrysler Website. I did a search on this website and found that in 1990 the 500E was introduced to the world at the Paris Motor Show, it also listed horsepower (326) and that it was built by Porsche. Can't get any better than that!

If I can get the build information I will post it here for everyone's benefit.

Yhliem,

Why don't you post a pic for us?

ItalianBenz · #8 05-29-2003, 12:48 AM

Afshin .What is it your trying to do.

MB customer care is for road side MBCC,payoff info. Euro deliveries and so forth.

The chap you spoke with is only customer care. yoiu need to get a hold of Alfterbach some how speak to the regional rep incharge of north american operation. If your is a 12/93 or later prod date.

placo1 · #9 05-29-2003, 12:59 AM

I'm trying to educate MBNA

Actually Guido, I'm trying to get the build informatoin for my car. I'd like to see something on paper from MB stating the involvement of Porsche during production of this car. I will be entering concours events this year and want to have something in writing explaining the fender flares, big engine and overall uniqueness of the vehicle.

MBNA has several departments including one that can get historical data and information on older vehicles. I know this because one of the attendants was kind enough to explain the various departments to me and who I should talk to the first time I called in.

My car was completed in 5/92, do you think the regional guy will be able to help me? Do you know who to contact? If he/she can help then by all means I will contact them.

yhliem · #10 05-29-2003, 01:35 AM

Afshin,

You could always colour copy the various magazine articles and put them together on a board for people to read.

placo1 · #11 05-29-2003, 10:04 AM

yhliem,

That is in the works.

Actually Norm has been collecting 500E literature and is making copies of everything for me. We will create a timeline starting with the introduction of the W124, and the AMG Hammer which initiated the thought process and concept for the 500 and finish with the magazine articles.

In that timeline I would really like to add the documents from MB for my car but so far no luck.

yhliem · #12 05-29-2003, 12:14 PM

Afshin,

One of the things you'd probably want to get is the pre-sales information package that MB delivered to its dealer to give them the scoop on the newly introduced models. Although a lot of it mirrors what's in the sales brochures, there's more detailed info in there. I doubt that any dealerships still have them so you'd have to go automobilia hunting.

Good luck!

BTW, I'm working on getting pics of the "Porsche"

Chris W. · #13 05-29-2003, 12:39 PM

I posted this a while back. It's from a letter to the editor to Road & Track which I stumbled on, written by an MBNA guy.

Rgds,
Chris W.
'93 500E

>>>
And finally, from Road & Track, October 1992, page 16, a letter to the Editor from Frederick R. Heiler, Manager Public Relations of MBNA, trying to clear up a bit of inaccuracy/confusion on the Porsche thing. I quote:

I enjoyed your Mercedes-Benz 500E road test (May 1992) but there was a mis-statement about the assembly process. For the record, the body is built at Porsche. A few stamping parts from the 300E are shipped across town from Sindelfingen, but the remaining pieces are either bought from suppliers or made at Porsche, where the body is welded together. The body in white is shipped to Sindelfingen for painting because Porsche cannot duplicate Mercedes-Benz colors. The painted body goes back to Porsche for final assembly and then returns to Sindelfingen for checking and delivery. Considering the complication it’s no wonder that there was some confusion about the process.”

>>>

placo1 · #14 05-29-2003, 03:47 PM

Chris,

Which issue of Road & Track was that in? Also do you have a source for this online?

After reading that I wonder if Porsche has anything to do with the suspension setup, sounds like they only handled the modifications to fit the engine.

Those are the types of things I'm trying to get.

Yhliem,

I would love to get my hands on a dealer handbood for the 500 but good luck finding one. It's hard enough to find the standard brochure in English.

placo1 · #15 05-29-2003, 07:22 PM

Well the good news is that I finally reached someone that knew what the car was. He actually had the opportunity to test drive it a few years back and in the one day he had it got a speeding ticket!

Anyways the bad news is that MB doesn't really have any type of build documentation that ties MB & Porsche together.

He did some research while we were talking and suggested buying a MB Production Model Book and gave me the publishers name and address. He had the book on hand and confirmed that it does show Porsche as the builder of the car and gives the specifications for the car.

If anyone else has managed to get information I would love to know how and where too look. Thanks for listening.