Looking for information on factory workers who built my 81 300D - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

showme · #1 05-21-2011, 01:40 PM

I'm doing some research on the factory workers who built my car, a 1981 300D, and I can't seem to find anything anywhere! I'd specifically like to know what union they have\had, what their pay scale was back then, etc. If anyone can shed any light on this subject, or direct me to any books or sites that deal with it (In English, please, or at least translatable), I would really appreciate it! Thanks in advance for any help on this! Lee

kerry · #2 05-21-2011, 02:00 PM

This may start to get you in the general vicinity. I'd look at the footnotes for relevant references to Autoworkers Unions.

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=819A32CFA331C7F2408AE999FF65ABF9.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=3276100

Pooka · #3 05-22-2011, 04:48 PM

During that era Mercedes were hot and hard to get with diesels being among the hardest to come up with. There was a waiting list several months long in Europe.

So men from the Middle East would come to Germany and work at the Mercedes plant. They would build cars and live in apartments shared with other Arabs. Their pay went into the bank and they put their name on the list for a car with a Taxi package.

In about six months they had made enough to pay for a Taxi package car and, being employees, they jumped to the top of the waiting list. So they bought their Taxi, drove it back to their home country, and went into business as a Taxi driver.

Are they still doing this? I really don't know, but 30 years ago it was a somewhat common thing.

showme · #4 05-24-2011, 09:42 AM

Very Interesting! I would have thought with the high native Germans to non Germans in the population there, it might be kind of tough getting into a job like that. Especially if it was union. But that is an interesting story. My wife and I watch a lot of foriegn films, and I'm always amazed at how many MB taxi's show up in the roughest 3rd world countries. Also, my great uncle, who was stationed in Germany back in the 70's, told us that when they bought their 76 300D, there was a financing plan that was close to what a home loan would be (extending for decades instead of 2 or 3 years like here in the states. The idea was that these cars were going to last 30 years, and in order to be availble to all at the price they commanded, it made sense to have a loan that was affordable and a car that would be dependable enough to last the length of the loan. If only that were the norm with the cars made in America these days. Thanks for the info, guys! Anybody else?

Pooka · #5 05-24-2011, 03:13 PM

As far as Americans cars lasting a long time....

The company I was with used to test its' lubricating products at a text track in Texas and we would run Chevys and Fords for 250,000 miles before tearing down the engines to check for wear. They were all given regular oil changes and such unless we were trying to find out just how far they would go without one.

We did top them off if it was an endurance test since otherwise they would run out of oil due to burning it. The research goal was to discover the degree of wear necessary to destroy an engine by doing what a lot of owners of old cars did at the time.

A taxi company in Dallas/Fort Worth used to run Dodge vans, full size ones, for 250,000 miles and then install a new engine and run them for another 250,000 miles.

Regular care is the key!

showme · #6 05-24-2011, 07:01 PM

I agree, Pooka! I've owned Chevy and GM vehicles most of my life, and have sold most of them with between 250k - 350k on their engines. And like the old saying goes about GM engines, "As long as you keep oil in them, they should keep running. (But those gaskets in the 350's sometimes made that an expensive stipulation). Biggest problem with most of mine was rust, or the cooling system causing a problem. I still like the older models, (i.e., the ones the common man could still work on, without the engine compartment looking like it was assembled by pickle packers). My first truck was a 51 Chevy. I'd love to have one with a fresh 350, automatic transmission and air conditioning! Of course, I'd like to have a '66 Jaguar and a 48 Indian Chief, too.

MTI · #7 05-24-2011, 08:37 PM

Chevy/Pontiac engines with the plastic timing belts need more than oil to keep running.

showme · #8 05-25-2011, 10:30 AM

Never had one.

Stretch · #9 05-25-2011, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pooka

During that era Mercedes were hot and hard to get with diesels being among the hardest to come up with. There was a waiting list several months long in Europe.

So men from the Middle East would come to Germany and work at the Mercedes plant. They would build cars and live in apartments shared with other Arabs. Their pay went into the bank and they put their name on the list for a car with a Taxi package.

In about six months they had made enough to pay for a Taxi package car and, being employees, they jumped to the top of the waiting list. So they bought their Taxi, drove it back to their home country, and went into business as a Taxi driver.

Are they still doing this? I really don't know, but 30 years ago it was a somewhat common thing.

Nice to hear it wasn't just the building industry... so many British builders used to work in Germany that there was even a television comedy program made =>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auf_Wiedersehen,_Pet

I doubt very much that there is a similar situation anymore with workers outside of the European Union.