Does anyone know the reason as to why so many ordinary people own Mercedes Benz cars?

What a strange question.

My brother and wife got themselves a rather natty and not too expensive BMW - and now I'm sure he swans around in it as a grand example of their conspicuous consumption - I suppose other people might feel the same about a Merc.

The only time I drove one occasionally was in my teens when I was working at a car-wash - they were rather nice and seemed to drive themselves, all one had to do was steer.

That should be "My brother and "his" wife..."

(I haven't got a wife :)

I would guess it must be because they used to last reasonable well, so older ones are available reasonable cheaply. Until about 25 years ago they were exceptionally well built cars. They are now trading on that history, as the current things are of only average, quality.

I find with all the German marques, someone is ripping the motorist off dreadfully with parts prices, & would not consider ever falling into their trap.

Perhaps some people still find some prestige in the make of car they drive.

Perhaps it
makes them feel less "ordinary.?" Why do some people
like sports cars or sun-roofs in their cars, or
being seen with good-looking females? It's a matter
of appearances - is it not? If you've got it -
flaunt it as Liz Taylor once said to Princess Margaret
when Princess Margaret told Liz that Liz's diamond ring was
"vulgar." Liz palced the ring on Princess Margaret's
finger and asked, "Is it still vulgar?"

Lexi I am hurt. All my cars are sports cars. One has gone 3 years without it's top being unfolded. Another has only had it's roof up only once in 5 years, when I was caught in a 2 inch thunder storm, 70Km from home.

It proved my sense of humour at least is still healthy, when I found it funny, when the water came in through the quickly erected hood, almost as fast as it was coming from the sky. Just as well it was Qld summer.

It's all right for you kids, with your lovely flexible bodies, with knees & hips that still bend, but do think of us old buggers some times.

Just joking sweety, but about 8 years ago now I started to have bad days, when getting into a car with a roof was quite difficult.

I went through 8 cars trying to find things I liked, & could get into, that did not give me back or hand troubles, when driving long distances. My kids loved it. The youngest daughter got the Peugeot convertible, when it didn't work for me, & my son simply swiped a nice old classic Triumph, leaving an old Cressida in its place. He told me it would be too expensive for me to run. Do you think I should send the cops after him?

Many people stop & talk about when they last saw or owned one of those, when they see my nicely restored up old things, others think I'm mad. Take your pick.

Come to think of it, I suppose those Mercedes drivers are actually kindred spirits.

it's because they like Few-Her cars

Dear Hasbeen,

Now you're making me drool!

I love the old "classics."

Cars and men alike! :-)

Lexi,

You'll turn Hasbeen's head if you keep that up: )

Just remembered something about Mercedes when I was car-washing. I operated a huge machine that had nine buttons (all in Italian) that needed to be pressed in the right order and held down in irregular patterns while the brushes swept over the cars. Sometimes we had to hold brushes up and away if there were immovable parts on the car that would be ripped off when the brushes did their thing.

I remember with the Mercedes that I was taught early on to grab the emblem, which was attached by something like fishing line, pull it up and twist if so that it was turned sideways - making it less of an obstacle for the brush to rip off.....very intricate expertise needed for car washing : )

I'll just add that we had the odd Jag as well - they were my favourite.

Dear Poirot,

Me turn Hasbeen's head?
Not a chance.
He's a sailor (vagabond) afterall.

All I can do is drool over his lifestyle,
and collection of "classics."

Simple.

>>Does anyone know the reason as to why so many ordinary people own Mercedes Benz cars?<<

Because it is a very ordinary car.

I well recall being surprised in the mid-to-late sixties (exact dates tend to get all gets blurry at this distance) when I found that every single taxi in Lisbon was a Mercedes.

Until that moment I had thought Mercs a tad exotic - from memory, I drove a Ford Popular at the time - but seeing them squeezing their way through hot-and-arid Alfama, covered in grime and dust, put them for me firmly into the "reliable workhorse" category.

I can only assume their slightly up-market image these days to be a triumph of marketing savvy over consumer experience. Heck, these days those slick spruikers even manage to sell Volvos to people younger than ninety, so selling Mercs to the chaps at the golf club would have been a breeze.

Reminds me, Pericles, that the bus fleet where I live was (and perhaps still is) pretty much all Mercedes.

Alas Lexi, I am going to have to disband some of my collection. Buying them in poor condition, & doing most of the restoration my self has enabled me to acquire them, however keeping them is not so easy.

Registration & insurance, even for low mileage classics is getting prohibitive today, on my far from high income. The hardest thing will be deciding which one to let go. This is why I didn't really mind when the kids took a couple. They took the expense, without me having to part with them, if you know what I mean. They are still sort of mine.

I'm not sure you would like my life style, grease under the finger nails may not go down too well in the library.

If you promise not to tell any one, I'll let you into a little secret. I have taken to disposable surgical gloves, which keep the nails cleaner, & protect the thinning old skin a bit.

Don't tell anyone. I might be excommunicated from the bush mechanics club.

Mr Opinion,
First, what do you mean by ordinary people?
Do you mean - not rich? Middle Class?
Second, how do you know that so many of whatever category you're referring to actually do own Benzs?
Data source, please.
Third, if what you assert is in fact true, maybe they just like Benzs.
They're are, after all, a fairly good car.
Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au

Dear Pericles,

The import duty on European imports here in Oz makes
them very expensive and therefore desirable for
people who want to impress others. Why do they buy
designer labels in clothes, glasses, and other
fashion accessories. Why do people want to live in
"expensive suburbs?" Keeping up appearances is important
to some. While others want vehicles that they consider
strong and reliable as Poirot pointed out.

Dear Poirot,

The buses in my neighbourhood are also Mercs as are vans
and other "working vehickles."

To each his/her own.

Dear Hasbeen,

It is sad that you're going to have to get rid
of some of your collection of classics after
all this time. Still, keeping some in the family
is a great idea.

Not sure that I approve of gloves in mechanical
work. I would have thought that you need to
feel the problem in order to fix it. Try picking
up a small object with gloves on - unless of
course you're talking about surgical gloves.
Dirt under the nails comes with the job doesn't it.
Just as librarians and novels go together.
(Librarians -being novel lovers). ;-

I happen to own a 1980 classic gold 280 SLR which is currently undergoing a mechanical overhaul which will give it another 30 years of trouble free, very comfortable driving.
I guarantee you that if any other post 2000 vehicle were to run into me not only would they have a hefty insurance bill to pay their 'plastic' car would disintegrate.
The "L" in the badge stands for limousine and that it what it is.
A well made piece of history.
CG

Possibly a slip of the pen, chrisgaff1000

>>I happen to own a 1980 classic gold 280 SLR<<

Not sure I recognize that model.

Perhaps you'd better have another look - you might find it is a Polish knock-off. That would be a shame.

Feel free to link to a picture of it, though, I'd hate you to think I don't believe you.

Sorry Pericles
I was cleaning my Vietnam special 'SLR' Self loading rifle which we are not allowed to own any more.
I meant CEL where the 'L' means limo
CG

I'd pop outside and have a look at the badge, if I were you, chrisgaff1000

>>I meant CEL where the 'L' means limo<<

Unfortunately, Mercedes did not produce a model 280CEL.

And while we are about it,

C = Coupe
E = Einspritzung (fuel injection)
L = Lang (long wheelbase, not "limo")

Care for another spin of the wheel?

Pericles,

Now you have really got me worried. I shall trip down to the mechanic, (12 years with Merc in Germany, father with Porsche, and photograph the damn thing.
How do i post a pic on this site?
CG

Envy

“Envy is the religion of the mediocre. It comforts them, it soothes their worries, and finally it rots their souls, allowing them to justify their meanness and their greed until they believe these to be virtues. Such people are convinced that the doors of heaven will be opened only to poor wretches like themselves who go through life without leaving any trace but their threadbare attempts to belittle others and to exclude - and destroy if possible - those who, by the simple fact of their existence, show up their own poorness of spirit, mind, and guts. Blessed be the one at whom the fools bark, because his soul will never belong to them.”
Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Angel's Game

No need for such drastic measures, chrisgaff1000

>>Now you have really got me worried. I shall trip down to the mechanic, (12 years with Merc in Germany, father with Porsche, and photograph the damn thing. How do i post a pic on this site?<<

Just find a valid reference, anywhere, to a Mercedes-Benz 280 CEL, and post the link. The I will post a link to the definitive list of Mercedes-Benz's production models, and we can do a comparison.

But you will never get away with the idea that the "L" refers to "Limousine". It refers to the wheelbase, as your mechanic will no doubt tell you.

Sorry to hear it is still with the mechanic, by the way. When are you expecting it back?

Depending on who told what to whom, when... if the conversation was something like "You've got a C280 CEL P0015" it stands for Check Engine Light code P0015. Which indicates a fault with the camshaft timing.

Hope this helps.