I may be going out on a limb here, but I think the last "real" Mercedes were those that were overseen by Bruno Sacco throughout their design processes. The first project that Bruno led was the development of the 126 which debuted in 1979. He followed that with the 201, the 124, the 140, the 202, and finally the 210. Then, sadly, in 1998 or 1999 (not sure), Bruno retired.

Can anybody think of a more literally timeless design than the 126? A showroom condition Euro 1979 280SE still looks brand new to most eyes. Bruno was a not just a product of the Mercedes corporate structure, he was a developer. Bruno left, and so did the Mercedes that we all know and love.

I can't fully understand the state of mind of an individual who purchases a new Mercedes for the image. Personally, I would much rather have a timeless, beautiful, sturdy, rationally designed older Mercedes than some cheap imitation of the original. I guess I would find it difficult to take somebody seriously if they were to look down on me because my Mercedes was not as new as theirs.

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Ben

The MBs:
1976 300D (W115) - 330K and still going (sort of)
1991 300D 2.5 Turbo - Sold at 221K
1983 280SEL - Sold at 206K
1981 300SD - Sold at 232K