Parking Lot Pimpin: Mercedes W123 240D

Parking Lot Pimpin: Jaguar XJ6

yes, it is sandwiched in by a row of Honda Civics, and oddly there was another Civic here.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mercedes 450 SEL

Its not a secret that Mercedes currently makes some of the most technologically advanced luxury cars on the market today-- but what may be hard to grasp is that the concept of Mercedes being at the forefront of the luxury car game is nothing new. Enter the Mercedes S-Class; first debuted in 1954 as the "Ponton", the S-class would move up the rankings to eventually become the luxury car everyone benchmarked for their own cars--and the car that no one has come close to beating, in terms of ride, handling (for a big car), styling (which is now hideous), and technology.

Over the years, like all cars, the S-class got bigger, and it gained V8 engines in the W111 series. It was in 1972 with the introduction of the W116 that having a V8 no longer meant having the very top-tier model. The 450s were the top of the non-special order series and as the name suggests, these cars had a 4.5L V8, good for roughly 230 horsepower, and roughly 300 ft/lbs, the 4.5 in these big cars was no slouch.

Granted, it was no 6.9, but the regular 4.5 was a decently performing car—and for the people who bought these, that's what mattered most. Oh, and luxury mattered too. That's why these cars had Zebrano wood in the dash, the instrument surrounds and in the center console. and leather on about every other surface—and that includes the headlining.  About the only thing that wasn't very luxurious about these cars, and this goes for all pre-W123/W124 Mercedes is the rustproofing—which were pretty much non-existent. The complete opposite of Volvo's strategy.  More on that later.

 As I explained above, this generation of Mercedes S-Class was notorious for rusting, even in drier climates. Here in the rustbelt, a vast majority of these cars have already met their fate, and this one looked to be doing the same. 

When viewed from across the street, this example appeared relatively clean. Problem was, on closer inspection, it wasn't. While the white paint looked generic at first glance, it probably was original. However, on this poor example, that's not saying much.  Deep down, this big Benz harbored a very dark (and quite sad) secret. Rust—and lots of it, if the crevices were any indication.

Since I shot this car about four years ago, this one has likely met its maker. Here's hoping that before it did, it provided a new owner with whatever decent body parts it had left.

Am I glad I shot this? Yeah, because I haven't seen another one driving since.  Yes, I have been by this adress, and there's a boring Oldsmobile Alero out front. Sad day, I suppose.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mercedes 300TD

I am a staunch Mercedes fan, but I am picky about which Mercedes I like. While some people narrow it down to model years of bodycodes, I narrow my likes and dislikes down to color and wheel combinations as well--and the W123 is proof of that.

To me, the W123 is the best modern-classic Mercedes; it's new enough that there are still quite a number of them on the road, and finding a used example won't break the bank. On the flipside, these W123s are old enough that finding a nice one can be a tad tricky.  In exceptional condition, bodywise,yeah, but mechanically, I am pretty sure that all of these are solid and won't die. After all, Mercedes products made before the DaimlerChrysler merger are solid vehicles and the W123 is one of the best cars around. Period. Want proof? The W123 has been featured on Wheeler Dealers, and its used as a current taxi in several countries where cars garner tons of abuse, such as Turkey, Botswana, and Iraq and Iran.

This example of one of Mercedes' most timeless modern-classics is a rather nice one; obviously, its dirty, but that's the only real problem with it. I didn't notice any rust, and all the trim is in place. While I don't like the stock wheels on these at all, these wheels are used on everything from late-1960s Mercedes, to these, and they don't look good on anything. To be a perfect wagon, it needs color-matched hubcaps with trim rings, not these godawful disaster-pieces.

I also much prefer the European headlights as well, but honestly, aside from those two nitpicks, this 300TD represents the breed well. Worn, sure, but it probably has quite a bit of life left.

While these are still sort of common, I do shoot them every now and then, and I'm glad I shot this one; it has since been involved in a wreck, but it still chugs onward despite a blue front fender and lack of a bumper. As I said earlier, this generation of Mercedes' midsize car is unkillable.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV