My earliest memory of a Mercedes was back somewhere between the years 1981-1983. I was ages 5-7 during those years. I remember my aunts 1974 Mercedes 240D automatic sedan, which is a car that made it back into the family in 1999.
I remember smelling the diesel and me and my cousin riding in the back and thinking it was funny that she was driving S L O W, but we did not know that a 240D was a slow car back then.
It was like brand new, because my uncle bought it for her new and kept it in perfect order. They sold it I think in about 1985. In 1999, I saw an ad for a 74 240D for $100! I had to go look. Body was still excellent (so I thought), but the interior was very dirty (originally white/black, but was all black when I bought), engine had a bad knock, due to the owner accidentally leaving the oil cap off and driving with NO oil and destroying the engine. After I bought it, my grandpa went back with me to haul it home and he knew the man. He recognized the car as my uncles old car and the man told my grandpa that he bought it from his son in 1985, before my uncle moved to North Carolina. Small world. Anyway- the car had set on FOUR flats, on a soggy somewhat swampland bottom for years and you know what happened. After I got it home- I noticed the floors (ALL of them) had huge rust holes, a well as the trunk, but the rest of the body was perfect. I decided it was not worth a new engine and replacement of floor pans, as well as the electrical glitches in the taillamps, so I sold it to a girl (who said she was going to restore it) for $75. I did keep the original white color-keyed wheel covers. I guess they was worth the $25.00 difference I lost.