I think these cars all aready there:
114 - 250CE/280CE
116 - 300SD/450SEL 6.9

Future Classics:

201 190E-2.3 (2.5)-16
123 - 300E-24 / 500E
126 - 560SEC
123 - 280CE / TE

I still feel envy when I see people drive these cars.

__________________
With best regards

Al

I'll have to be biassed and put my five cents in and say W108 1972 280 se 3.5L

No, no, no...I think you mean w111 280se 3.5. As for the w108. I think the last good year was 1970 as emission requirements were still low and compression value along with torque and HP made it the low-key 'muscle-car' of MB. Once you entered the 70's emission laws saw the compression drop and to compensate MB went to the 4,5 litre engine. But due to weight, your performance was not much better. Of course the 6,3's are going to chime in and say,'what about us/!'....well what about you? How many of you are there and where are you! Parked in a garage some where. Give the 108018012 its due. Its holding the line and trudging on come rain, snow or sun, while you sit in an air conditioned garage. Hats off and hearty 3 cheers to the 108's!!!
Leonard

I was always off the oppinion that these cars are already classics.

__________________
With best regards

Al

I'm going to add my '72 250C to the list. With the last of the 'bullet-proof' single-cam sixes and a more up to date suspension, compared to the sometimes criticised swing axle, these can be an affordable alternative to the pricey W111 coupes. And no automatic climate control or other electronics, save for the transistorized ignition, simplifys keeping one going.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

For Americans here.... gotta be *any* European model such as 4-spd 3.5 107's and even 4-spd 280SEL 6 cyl 116's, etc. Better yet, even something equipped with 5-spd Guttrag tranny - say last year of the Pagoda.

'Course the 108 3.5 SEL has gotta be the ultimate lifetime Benz sedan - no argument there.

I think high oil prices are here to stay until it finally runs out, I also think that the "tree huggers" will focus their attention on vintage cars shortly and lobby governments to take away the tax/emission breaks on vintage cars.
In 25 years we'll still see vintage cars on the road but the engines will be driven by compressed air from a tank in the trunk.......mind you they thought we'd all be wearing foil clothing by now !!

I could guess at a few; the 560SEC, the 126 560SEL nice cars. I do know that mine will be 72 300SEL 4.5 (109) nice ones will edge next to the 6.3s jst a matter of time.

The M-100s will always be a niche collectible, simply for the reason that they have four doors. Their appeal will only be to a very small fraction of Benz owners/collectors. Great cars, but collectibility and appeal limited by having too many doors and/or a solid roof.

Cheers,
Gerry

ive sorta replaced the 71 300sel 3.5 with a 1990 190e 2.6. the 71 smells better, lays more rubber down, but it gets half the mileage and its louder.

the repair bills are comparable too

mike

The '90 also should have far better HVAC, be safer, and overall be a far more refined car. You shouldn't have to deal with a regular spate of problems over time with the 1990 as with the 1971. With older Benzes, there is ALWAYS something that needs fixing. Some people just don't want to admit it, or they learn to "live" with things that don't work as they should.

Cheers,
Gerry

It isn't so much that you learn to live with it as you learn to wait to see it on ebay. Yes I know how much people hate ebay, but face it ebay gets the people who need the parts together with the people who have the parts. Finally got my choke for the MFI on my 220se coupe.
what your missing here is that with the early MFI cars it isn't what the problem is as much as waiting for the part to turn up; they have fewer parts, no computers, everything is mechanical and the symptom is is a direct correlation to the solution. With computerized systems, the failure could be related to this system or that system or heck it could be the failure of the test instrument....oh please someone argue this point with me....palease!
Face it, future classics are the diesels ie, 300cd. Come see me in 20 years when a 2000 600sl is restorable and collectiable (note that is 'and' and not 'or'), If I am wrong I'll give you the keys to my 1965 220se coupe, but I know I am right. As for the environmentalist; thats not a problem as the number of oleder cars is low, plus the mileage they acquire is year is even lower. My w111 has been driven 40,000 the last 12 years.
Let the environmentalist look into the older cars and then figure out how much pollution we contribute. Then we look at the 'moving museum' value we add to the roads, plus the economy of the replacement part industry. If it means that I have to pay a $1000 a year to finance Polluting Gas & Electric's need to upgrade their system, fine with me.
Leonard

I like this 'learn to live' theory..... So far I've gutted the central locking system from my car, pulled the electronic cruise control that never worked, disabled the seatbelt sensor and ripped out the leaky AC system from under the hood - enabling superior cooling for the regular radiator. Another good idea was pulling the dopey rubber trunk liner from the trunk, so water wouldnt get trapped underneath.

Hell, with an '84 or newer Mercedes there'd be no end to the useless crap I'd be pulling out of the car.

It would be an enjoyable challenge to reduce one their new machines to simplicity of the 110 - my favorite Benz i've ever owned - 1963 190c sedan souped up with 220Sb dashboard woodwork, variable heater fan dial and deluxe 2 spd wiper switch. Thats all.

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'80 300SD/ w116
'79 240D 4-spd
'71 750cc Guzzi

previously owned:

'83 240D 4-spd
'77 280SEL 4-spd
'74 280/8
'72 250/8
'65 220Sb 4-spd
'63 220Sb 4-spd
'63 190c 4-spd
'61 220Sb 4-spd
'60 190b 4-spd

OK Gene, here is the picture of the 300 diesel sl. I posted your picture on a website. If you want you can use it to post pictures
Leonard

Thats a W123 coupe, in what some people on eBay would discribe as restorable condition.

__________________
With best regards

Al