Gray Market Rant

[280EZRider]

This terminology "gray market" is a bunch of BS. I would guess is was invented by American car dealers - and we all know how honest they are - who realized early on that all the so-called "illegal parts" on Euro cars were actually much better than the junk that the DOT requires, such as big ugly bumpers, sealed beams, silly side markers, etc. Does the DOT really think that such an intensely-designed MBZ could be inferior to the lame notions of a group of daft US government pukes?

I say, "Let's stop calling these cars 'gray market' and start referring to them as the "original-design, non-bastardized, authentic MBZ cars."

[Jim B.]

You can thank the American sealed beam headlight lobby, for that, especially, for starters.


And also, Mercedes Benz USA, and its US dealers, and their lobbyists, which had had their sales cut in half, by 1984, (as many price conscious and savvy shoppers finally had realized they could "do it yourself" and save HUGE bundles of money, and all those storefront conversion shops that arose to take care of them), for that.


And finally, of course, the lawyers. Espcially, US GOVERNMENT lawyers. They can do a MUCH better job than the the Mercedes Benz engineers in Stuttgart, when it comes to designing your car.

*Everyone* knows that. < dripping sarcasm >

[Fulcrum525]

I'm just annoyed because I'd love to have a grey market car but they are always overpriced. Case in point I ran a cross an 85 280SL yesterday that was rusty with worn seats and faded paint....for $12,000..........

[Jim B.]

Originally Posted by Fulcrum525

I'm just annoyed because I'd love to have a grey market car but they are always overpriced. Case in point I ran a cross an 85 280SL yesterday that was rusty with worn seats and faded paint....for $12,000..........

Do what I did. Rebuild it back piece by piece into a semi- Euro. Go to junkyards, ebay and network on the boards till you find what you need. It can take years (took me about 10) but I finally did it. The parts all retrofit PERFECTLY if you can find them.

I am almost finished: Mercedes Benz authentic period correct Warning triangle, Headlights, headlight wipers and motors, side front marker lights, French yellow fog lights, pair of side fender repeaters, (<---those from a MB dealer in Finland), fire extinguisher, a 2.65 rear end, a 7 litre jerry can, oddments box ("Glock" box), got a new pair of Euro , and (not installed yet) the dashboard headlight adjusters, a Japanese-only parking assist pole, a first gear start, and have a used pair of euro tail lights but still looking for a pair of new ones.

Over 10 years and I still am NOT quite done, bringing it back to Euro condition. It takes time patience and incredible luck and a WHOLE pile of money.

The DOT did not like the factory 7 litre acccessory gas cans, and fire extinguishers: (they feuded about the shape of the nozzles on them

The DOT hated the safety items like the warning triangles, and the first aid kits (your vin search says they were "deleted" and the reason is that some of the chemicals found back then in the first kit were from Germany and NOT approved by the US Food and Drug Administration <---- just fancy that)


Government lawyers again.

[Jim B.]

Originally Posted by 280EZRider

I say, "Let's stop calling these cars 'gray market' and start referring to them as the "original-design, non-bastardized, authentic MBZ cars."

What a refreshing and innovative way to get yourself sued by constipated US Government , (and Mercedes Benz) lawyers just sitting around waiting for something to do....

[Squabble]

i find this fascinating as a newbie to these cars. plus the fact that i LOVE all of the "original-design" parts and have been trying to get them on my car since i got it last year.

as someone who generally likes to know the history of any given subject, i'd love to hear more of this info. where did you learn all this stuff jim? and i'm wondering if there is a master list of the deleted items or some of the more common "original-design" options that were included (heated seats?, rear headrests?, etc.)? is there a decent site out there with this info and history lesson? very cool.

[Jim B.]

Originally Posted by Squabble

i find this fascinating as a newbie to these cars. plus the fact that i LOVE all of the "original-design" parts and have been trying to get them on my car since i got it last year.

as someone who generally likes to know the history of any given subject, i'd love to hear more of this info. where did you learn all this stuff jim? and i'm wondering if there is a master list of the deleted items or some of the more common "original-design" options that were included (heated seats?, rear headrests?, etc.)? is there a decent site out there with this info and history lesson? very cool.

No central list or site on the net that I have found especially for the W123 and W126 where it is the most important and relevant.

The W123 and W126 benzworld sections have the most informed and comitted participants though. I would look there, or register and flat out ASK, in a post. That would be the very best way to quickly flush out the answers you need. Your question is a VERY good one.


The Mercedes Benz Classic Center USA in Irvine told me this: Every parts request made through them, is sent direct to Stuttgart, which first reviews them against the "Kill List" on file in Stuttgart. It shows the DOT banned parts for the car.


If the part is not BANNED, and the approval from Stuttgart comes to OK the sale to the US buyer, then it will be IMMEDIATELY shipped out of Germany to the Montvale NJ distribution center the next day, for distribution to the US dealers and customers..

I got the US euro coupe headlight valance panels only THREE days after I ordered them, from Germany right to my front door, using the MB classic center that way.


You can get your part quick, because the demand for Classic parts is so high, a jet full of them leaves Germany every single day.

You CANNOT
buy a US DOT banned part through the Classic center.


Though a Mercedes Benz dealer in Europe through its parts department could sell you one. Gets tricky and expensive with some parts, filled fire extinguishers are really hard to ship legally....for example.

Maybe if you contacted THEM at the classic center parts department, you could find that comprehensive list of the banned parts, in Germany


Your sig goes to show that you are well on the way to getting those rare in USA, banned, or practically unobtainable, parts for your car.

Sadly there is no easy fast and cheap way to acquire those parts, banned so long ago....

~~~~~~~~~


With all those unique and rare hard to find Euro parts on it, PLUS all the AMG performance mods, I finally felt it best to lay out the $350 for a full, written appraisal on the vehicle last year.


Was I ever shocked when it came back!!!!


$22k.


AAA told me then, that they would only pay $5k for a totalled out car like that. And did not even want to insure it in the first place anyway.

[Fulcrum525]

When I go to Portugal next year i'm going to stock up on a few Euro parts. I'll buy another luggage bag if I have to or i'll leave some cloths behind

[compress ignite]

Jim B ,

You might have to find a unusual insurer (Like Loyds),BUT it is possible to get
an insurer to agree to ,Provenance backed, "Stated Value".

The trick I'm trying to see is to have one insurer cover liability + Medical
and another cover "Stated Value".

[tankdriver]

Originally Posted by Squabble

i find this fascinating as a newbie to these cars. plus the fact that i LOVE all of the "original-design" parts and have been trying to get them on my car since i got it last year.

as someone who generally likes to know the history of any given subject, i'd love to hear more of this info. where did you learn all this stuff jim? and i'm wondering if there is a master list of the deleted items or some of the more common "original-design" options that were included (heated seats?, rear headrests?, etc.)? is there a decent site out there with this info and history lesson? very cool.

History of what; the gray market? In the 80's, any employee of certain UN and UN affiliates like the World Bank and IMF could buy a MB directly from the factory at practically cost, skip through US regs, and put 'em on the road. The fit hit the shan after a few years when all the US gov employees complained about how even the janitors at the WB and IMF offices drove Benzes. That and some WB/IMF employees made a side business out of buying the cars and selling them privately, drawing even more attention to them.

[Jim B.]

Originally Posted by compress ignite

Jim B ,

You might have to find a unusual insurer (Like Loyds),BUT it is possible to get
an insurer to agree to ,Provenance backed, "Stated Value".

The trick I'm trying to see is to have one insurer cover liability + Medical
and another cover "Stated Value".

Thanks a lot!!



The problem I had last year, looking into that "Stated value" insurance is that it comes with a mileage hook, ie, you can only drive the car 1,000 -3000 miles a year, and I have done 25,000 since Thanksgiving.

My car is a driver, not a show car. And I drive it a lot!!!


I looked into it

[Squabble]

yes, the history of the gray market, the history of american AMG shops, the history of how and why decisions were made to delete and/or change some of the original equipment options when these cars hit the US.

is that story true? i am ignorant to the whole thing, but i am very interested in leaning more. i was 2 yrs old in 1983 when my car was made, and no one in my family was even close to being able to afford a mercedes, so the whole thing is a history lesson that i have no experience with outside of my own w123.

Originally Posted by tankdriver

History of what; the gray market? In the 80's, any employee of certain UN and UN affiliates like the World Bank and IMF could buy a MB directly from the factory at practically cost, skip through US regs, and put 'em on the road. The fit hit the shan after a few years when all the US gov employees complained about how even the janitors at the WB and IMF offices drove Benzes. That and some WB/IMF employees made a side business out of buying the cars and selling them privately, drawing even more attention to them.