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It’s one thing to swap an engine over a couple weekends in your home garage. Not an easy task at all. However, it is a whole other thing to swap an engine and have everything be so perfect and finish every single little detail that nothing looks out of place. You tie in all the modern systems while keeping that classic look. It’s literally the best of both worlds. That is what we have today.
This is a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL with an M113 V8 and a five-speed automatic transmission. That isn’t the end of it. 15″ wheels with full covers, KW suspension, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and ASR, and an absolutely perfect red leather interior. It just doesn’t stop.
They’ll never be another Mercedes-Benz like the W116 S-Class. In the late 1960s when these were developed, the philosophy was just different. I’m really not trying to be the “They don’t make them like they used to!” guy, but these were just built differently. Bank vault-like doors are replaced by doors where closing as softly as possible is the goal. Don’t get me wrong, I love new cars and would absolutely love a new S-Class, but a properly sorted W116 is just so satisfying. That explains why I still have one in my modest collection.
Today’s car, a 1977 280SE up for sale in California, pre-dates the 300SD turbodiesel and is the little brother to the 450SEL and legendary 6.9. It isn’t a powerful car by any means, but sturdiness and longevity is the name of the game here. Which is probably why we are still checking it out some 46 years later.
Welcome back to another installment of “This is how you get your car crushed.” This is a 2019 Mercedes-Benz A250 … hatchback up for sale in Bellingham, Washington. If you live in the US and are wondering why you’ve never seen these zipping around, it is because we were never blessed with him. You can see how having one of these for sale in the state of Washington could be a problem. This is very clearly a Canadian-market car that made its way down to Washington where it sits today at this dealership with a really bizarre logo that doesn’t give off any kind of Parteiadler vibes. Nope, nothing strange about that.
Who said cars were dead? In one of the more surprising moves I’ve seen recently, Mercedes-Benz decided to launch an “all-terrain” version of the E-Class literally called the E450 All-Terrain. It is the standard E-Class wagon with some bizarre black body cladding along with a 29mm higher ride height thanks to the Air Body Control air suspension and standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive. Why did Mercedes bring this to the US? Well, to cut into Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country sales, of course.
If you are looking for pure utility without buying an SUV or crossover, here you go.
Last month when the International Auto Show rolled into town I had a few minutes to sit in and play with the new W206 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. I’ve very pro-sedan in a world where they are all going away, so this was somewhat exciting to me. What I climbed into was a car that had an outstanding steering wheel and two screens, and the rest was a letdown. I was ready for this as a C-Class is not an S-Class, but the cheap vinyl, plastic, and generally “lightness” of everything was a real down. I really hate to be the “They don’t make them like they used to.” guy, but you are buying a price point with these cars now. I did really love that steering wheel though.
