Fred, what a body shop did is not necessarily what Mercedes did originally - a lot of body shops will take short cuts. Clearcoat is essentially a labor saving shortcut. Some paint manufacturers will "suggest" a basecoat / clearcoat solution even when the original was single stage. And a lot of paint store employees will tell you that a car was BC/CC when it wasn't because that's all they have to sell, or they are more comfortable selling it. The reality is that a single stage metallic is tough to apply in a non-factory environment - it's hard "work" the finish, that is to wet sand and buff, without disturbing the the metal flakes.

The touch up kits from Mercedes will sometimes include a clearcoat can even when the original was not clearcoated. This is apparently based on the assumption that an amatuer with a spray can will not get as "wet" a finish as the factory, unless they have a clearcoat. These are lacquer products so in no way are they the same thing that the factory applied. Those clearcoat spray cans from Mercedes seem to have a strange way of turning pink. I throw them away and try to put the color coat wet enough so that the clear isn't necessary.

Shyne, like many others the auto paint industry has consolidated in recent years. Everyone has a full line of paints, from low end to premium - e.g. Glasurit is now a division of BASF. The key is to buy a premium paint - all manufacturers offer excellent high end lines, including PPG. The problem with looking for Glasurit is that they don't seem terribly interested in the retail market these days.