"A Magnificent Mercedes" - '77 300D (orig. owner) cover story, SF newspaper today. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jim B. · #1 04-27-2008, 07:05 PM

This, with photos, was today's Cover story on the Front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, Auto section, about an 87 year old retired dentist who bought it brand new on the Euro delivery program, still drives it, and it has over 376k on it, and people are trying to buy it from him everywhere he goes with it.

Not a unusual story, for a car like this, for our beloved W123, but great publicity for them.

*****************
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/27/MTA9106RA7.DTL

A Magnificent Mercedes
Purchased factory fresh in 1977, this 300D is still going strong

Robert Smithwick, 87, is a retired pediatric dentist who practiced in Sunnyvale for more than 55 years. He lives in Los Altos Hills.

It was the spring of 1977, and my "old" new car (a one-year-old English sports car) was already having repeated motor problems. I'd taken it in to the dealer where I bought it, and then taken it back time after time for one problem and then another. It was the first new car I had ever owned, and the lesson was an expensive one.

After several months of this - and after spending most of our savings at the time - my wife suggested we examine our options, which were very limited as I was building my new dental office in Sunnyvale.

But what to get? A friend suggested that I consider a Mercedes, as he had had good experiences with the two that he had owned. He introduced me to his dealer, and I ordered a Mercedes - a diesel. This was the 300D, and as I recall it was one of the first passenger cars with a diesel engine sold in the United States. It cost about $5,500; I swallowed hard and ordered it with genuine leather seats.

I also found out that if I took delivery at the factory in Germany I'd probably save enough money to pay for the trip - not to mention a vacation - in Europe, beginning at the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart. A few weeks later, my son Mike and I drove a beautiful, shiny tan four-door Mercedes 300D out of the factory with less than ten miles on the odometer. We spent the next four weeks touring Europe and then shipped the car home to California despite the fact that I couldn't really afford it at the time.

Through the years, and even now as it stands in my garage with the original paint and original leather seats, the only damage on the car is one shallow inch-long "depression" - not a scar, not even a dent - on the left rear fender caused by a deer jumping off of a 10-foot bank next to the rural road I was driving on and landing on the car. I was watching in my rear-view mirror and saw the deer bounce off my car and land on the ground on its back. I stopped and ran back where the deer lay, but as I approached the deer scrambled to its feet and disappeared into the woods. The paint isn't even scratched to this day; I have my car professionally washed once in awhile but have never had to have the paint refinished.

Rarely does a month go by without someone coming up to me and asking if I would consider selling my car. However, it is still my regular day-to-day car, even though my other car, a Cadillac, is parked alongside it in the garage. It has had no unusual repair work except as recommended by the Mercedes factory and my own pride in my car. The odometer shows 376,593 miles as I write this.

Yes, I had the engine rebuilt - whatever that meant at the time - at about 190,000 miles, not because it was needed but because it was recommended by a friend. This cost me significantly more than what I paid for my car when it was new. I have been fairly careful with the car, and it is my custom to have regular, recommended service. I still don't have to add oil between changes every 3,000 miles or so, but to be safe I usually add a quart or so at about the 2,500-mile interval, and I watch the oil level closely when I get into that range.

SFCHRONICLE CARS is produced by the marketing department of the San Francisco Chronicle.

turbobenz · #2 04-27-2008, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

This, with photos, was today's Cover story on the Front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, Auto section, about an 87 year old retired dentist who bought it brand new on the Euro delivery program, still drives it, and it has over 376k on it, and people are trying to buy it from him everywhere he goes with it.

Not a unusual story, for a car like this, for our beloved W123, but great publicity for them.

*****************
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/27/MTA9106RA7.DTL

A Magnificent Mercedes
Purchased factory fresh in 1977, this 300D is still going strong

Robert Smithwick, 87, is a retired pediatric dentist who practiced in Sunnyvale for more than 55 years. He lives in Los Altos Hills.

It was the spring of 1977, and my "old" new car (a one-year-old English sports car) was already having repeated motor problems. I'd taken it in to the dealer where I bought it, and then taken it back time after time for one problem and then another. It was the first new car I had ever owned, and the lesson was an expensive one.

After several months of this - and after spending most of our savings at the time - my wife suggested we examine our options, which were very limited as I was building my new dental office in Sunnyvale.

But what to get? A friend suggested that I consider a Mercedes, as he had had good experiences with the two that he had owned. He introduced me to his dealer, and I ordered a Mercedes - a diesel. This was the 300D, and as I recall it was one of the first passenger cars with a diesel engine sold in the United States. It cost about $5,500; I swallowed hard and ordered it with genuine leather seats.

I also found out that if I took delivery at the factory in Germany I'd probably save enough money to pay for the trip - not to mention a vacation - in Europe, beginning at the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart. A few weeks later, my son Mike and I drove a beautiful, shiny tan four-door Mercedes 300D out of the factory with less than ten miles on the odometer. We spent the next four weeks touring Europe and then shipped the car home to California despite the fact that I couldn't really afford it at the time.

Through the years, and even now as it stands in my garage with the original paint and original leather seats, the only damage on the car is one shallow inch-long "depression" - not a scar, not even a dent - on the left rear fender caused by a deer jumping off of a 10-foot bank next to the rural road I was driving on and landing on the car. I was watching in my rear-view mirror and saw the deer bounce off my car and land on the ground on its back. I stopped and ran back where the deer lay, but as I approached the deer scrambled to its feet and disappeared into the woods. The paint isn't even scratched to this day; I have my car professionally washed once in awhile but have never had to have the paint refinished.

Rarely does a month go by without someone coming up to me and asking if I would consider selling my car. However, it is still my regular day-to-day car, even though my other car, a Cadillac, is parked alongside it in the garage. It has had no unusual repair work except as recommended by the Mercedes factory and my own pride in my car. The odometer shows 376,593 miles as I write this.

Yes, I had the engine rebuilt - whatever that meant at the time - at about 190,000 miles, not because it was needed but because it was recommended by a friend. This cost me significantly more than what I paid for my car when it was new. I have been fairly careful with the car, and it is my custom to have regular, recommended service. I still don't have to add oil between changes every 3,000 miles or so, but to be safe I usually add a quart or so at about the 2,500-mile interval, and I watch the oil level closely when I get into that range.

SFCHRONICLE CARS is produced by the marketing department of the San Francisco Chronicle.

No pics? Thats a shame. 370k, the paint cant be that nice. Maybe not faded but not perfect

unkl300d · #3 04-27-2008, 09:32 PM

The pics in the hardcopy of newspaper were terrible. Atleast mine was.

About 3 pics. Nothing you have not seen on this board.

But, a neat sighting.

(gee nobody asks to buy my car...por lonely me...

)

rcounts · #4 04-27-2008, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unkl300d

....(gee nobody asks to buy my car...por lonely me...

)

It never got to the point of a dollar figure being offered, but I had a guy where I work ask me if I wanted to sell mine on Friday. I told him, nope, I just bought it two weeks ago!

pizzachef · #5 04-28-2008, 06:53 AM

He got the engine rebuilt because it was recommended by a friend? And it cost more than $5500? Holy mother...

nhdoc · #6 04-28-2008, 07:38 AM

Well his memory of prices may just be a bit foggy. I'd guess a '77 300D with leather seats and just basic luxuries (A/C, Power Windows) would over $10K, rather than $5500. My '74 which was delivered at the factory was just under $9000 with the same level of amenties and the W123 was more expensive than the W115.

And yeah, anyone who has an engine rebuilt because a friend recommends it even though it didn't need it isn't much of a car guy either. Still there's something to be said for someone who owns the same car for over 30 years. You don't see that kind of loyalty too much.

Dee8go · #7 04-28-2008, 08:21 AM

Nice story. Thanks for posting it, Jim.

Phil · #8 04-28-2008, 10:27 AM

I read that in the Chronicle yesterday, one of the first sections I go to just to see what car they are writing up that week. The guy doesn't seem like that much of a car guy but he did say he kept up with the factory service.