all i can say is that i love the old ones - hate the new ones.

after years of running great benzes, starting with a 220, a turboed 240d, graduating next to a 450sel, then to a 560sel in 1986, i always thought that my next benz would be a desirable improvement.

then i got my call from my dealer. went to inspect my ordered new benzes in 2000[ml500, s500]. refused them the moment i saw that damned computer screen.

that's when i adopted the viewpoint that older ones were better ones. since i loved my 560sel, i began to search for low mileage and cherry 560sec's. found one owned by a widow. a 1987, 42,000 miles. interior-exterior like new. always garaged. never driven in westchester county during winter. infrequently serviced at manhattan benz. paid a bit too much. car was a great find. everyone loves it. i prefer it to 560sl. handles better. more room. i have put 40,000 miles on it over 3 years.

very simple car. no maintenance after correcting the po's lack of use.

next i found a lovingly maintained 1979 6.9. my colors. 50,000 miles. added it to the fleet. it also appears as if newly manufactured.

then i thought a convertible would be fun. looked at 1970 280se4.5 cabs. way overpriced by 2001. then i stumbled into a virtually undriven 1995e320cab. in my colors. 4,800 miles. acquired it.

for less than the price of one of the new over-electronicised sonderklasse cars, i have 3 benzes built to the old standards. bruno sacco cars.

as i see it, as long as my mechanic lives, i shall never have to buy one of the modern monstrosities. nor deal with a dealer again. heaven.

the only mistake i may have made is that i acquired a very low mileage and very cherry 1997 s500coupe, 20,000miles. at a very good price. i am still debating the issue of keeping it. so it is stored in an temperature controlled garage until i make up my mind. like its engine. like its handling. like its quietness. but not my colors.

old benzes with low mileage in excellent shape are out there. and as long as daimler continues its policy of supplying parts for these oldsters they are the best values in motordom. but beware schremmp. as daimler-chrysler flounders financially, there is the possibility that daimler adopts chrysler attitudes and abandons all of those oldsters.

never forget, the real owner of daimler-chrysler is deutsche bank. all decisions governing this company are made by bankers.

do you have that warm and fuzzy feeling now?