Well,

I always think that driving an older mercedes shows style and class that people just can't run out and buy. Sure, you can just buy one, and many do, but you have to be the kind of person to buy one, and you have to know that even though they are expensive to fix, they don't need it very often if at all. Often that experience comes from being in a family where a new mercedes was looked at as affordable.

I mean, we bought a 280se new, and it was in the shop so infrequently over 300,000 miles it is ridiculous. Since it was my teenage car, many of those trips were due to my heavy hand as a new driver. Many were also for brakes, etc. standard wear items. It was sold due to terminal rust, an unfortunate side effect of that many miles in the salt belt.

If you didn't have that experience, how would you really know if you should believe the guy that says they are cheap, or everyone else you know that says they are money pits.... only for rich folks.

In a sense, I think driving an old mercedes makes one kind of mysterious in a nebulous old money sort of way, where people never really know do you drive it because its all you can afford, or because you put all your money into investments and are too smart to buy a new car.

That is probably where the jealousy stems from, they just don't believe you when you say you are broke and figure it is all offshore or something. Plus seeing your nice car makes them question why they spent $50,000 on a piece of crap when they could have a mercedes for peanuts.

take care,

Jester

__________________
Current MBZ:
1970 280s - no rust california car
1966 230s - Dad's merc. big honkin sunroof, in family since early 80's

Departed MBZ:
1986 300sd - Mom's killed by a wreck @ 200k or so
1976 W123 300d - Slow, sold due to rust @ 275k mi
1970 280SE - Bought new, my first car in 1986. died from rust @ 300k, ran like a top.
196? 230 - My brother's college car. Rusted to pieces & egnine put in 230s we still have.