5:20 In those days, if you wanted more legroom, you ordered the w109, which was the "Lang" wheelbase version of the w108, most of which went to the back seat. Bare in mind, this was also the period when you could have a 600 if you were filthy rich, so the w108 was "just" the upper-middle class car. It's main selling point, especially in the US back then, was its build quality. It was the size of an American "compact" (like a Nova) but built like a tank, which is why so many survived. Naturally, when MB threw a V8 (you had a choice of three, actually) in the w108s in the early 70s, then Americans lapped these up and MB began its long quest of taking over from Cadillac. Even so, these were expensive new and when you said "they've got a Mercedes," even if it was the smaller w114, it *meant* something. MB escaped a lot of the Greatest Gen ridicule on foreign cars in the 50s~60s due to their build quality.
If you wanted a flashy car full of gadgets and chrome that drove like a big comfortable yacht, you bought a Cadillac. If you wanted a solid driving experience with solid materials and understated styling, you bought a Mercedes-Benz.
You could buy a Cadillac land yacht covered in chrome and flashy gadgets and impress everyone with how much of a big shot you were. Or, you could buy a Mercedes-Benz built like a battleship designed for cruising on the Autobahn in understated style. You had to have discerning taste and willingness to buck the trend to buy a Mercedes-Benz in the US. It's a timeless design and still has the old-money feel. Old money has nothing to prove to anyone and doesn't really care what you have to say about it. This car is certainly a survivor.
3:28 thats awesome a vintage blaupunkt deck! I drive a 1994 f150 4x4 RCSB 5.0 5 speed and I have a vintage alpine deck in mine from the 90's and I love it cuz it goes with the personality of the truck really well.
My first car was a 1971 250. It was a gray market car with the European headlights. I drove it from Monterey, CA to Annapolis, MD. God I miss that thing! Absolutely gorgeous car.
When I was a kid We briefly had a 1970 navy blue 280S with gray interior and a huge sunroof. Lovely car. Great to travel in. That car definitely had a presence that other cars did not have
Such an elegant and classy car that has aged well from an era where it was really special to drive a MB before there were so many on the road. And yeah, nice that it has that smoker's window (aka quarter window) - a feature I really miss. And wow, a wooden glovebox!!! I would not have expected that from a late 1960s car, but totally cool!
I own a 62 coupe deville and 67 250s...they both have their pros and cons...a time when cads were 'the standard' and mercs were 'catching up' then it somehow turned around...anyway...i have yet to pick my favorite and i think i will have to drive them another few thousand miles each to come to a conclusion...lol..great video!
When a teen our neighbors had a W108 280SEL 4.5 - 1972, maybe. It was just impressive - no other word. The older brother could make it do things that left me in between scared sh*tless and thrilled. It was probably 10 years at the time (but timeless styling), and nothing else on the road had that much panache. I mean just think about a 1982 Cadillac DeVille with the wheezing 125 hp HT4100 and flacid suspension. Our Merc at the time was a much newer and built like a tank 300D, but pre-turbo, and it just paled in comparison. Oh, kill BFD - always dumb, but if you're going to do cool stuff like this, it's just filler and waste. (Who needs that much liquid anyway?)
The problem with these is that they're not usually worth restoring. They're not rare enough to be valuable but rare enough that parts are expensive and hard to find. I agree that this car deserves to be restored to its original glory but it's usually more trouble than it's worth.
@@bwofficial1776 Financially, yes...10K worth of work would probably make worth 3K more on the resale market...unless its a car that you have a huge sentimental attachment to it (i.e. it was your dad or grandfather's car, etc.) there would be no way to justify that kind of expenditure.
Definitely agree but right now my main concern is keep it mechanically in shape and stop the rust, my worry is if I put 10k into body work I would be too worried about ruining the paint and it would become a garage queen and these cars absolutely hate to sit
My grandparents had one of the fintail W110s and my grandma said she didnt understand what the fuss was about as it wasn't a good car. C'mon, grandma. Mercedes' has seriously improved since then!
Gi Zack, I think it was a 2023 S class but the S class looks good though it lacks in high-tech features and fule efficiency by modern standards but it's a dandy. Please reply
that blue sticker on the trunk deck is a warning/recommendation to check your tirepressure and regulate it if you are going to drive with the car loaded.
This car has style, it's so great. I love so much, that it does not have these shity cup holders. If I want to drink something, I turn to a restaurant or bar.
I do not think this is a 250S. It is actually a 280S. The give away ia the grill and the steering wheel, unless of course it was installed on a 250S. The badge is in fact not the correct one. The "E" is for fuel injection. This looks like it is a carbonated engine. Also this car was not originally a U.S. model, because the speedometer is in kilometers and not in miles. Also the 250S speedometer stopped at 220 KM/h. The 240 KM/h limit was another indication that this is a 280S.
Someday you'll get the urge to master the comb. Someday you'll dress for these videos as if you were going to face a camera. Someday you'll consider exploring what it's like to look down and see your feet. And when that _someday_ comes, your TH-cam channel will explode with subscribers. Until then I'll enjoy being among the few who enjoy these uploads.
5:22 if your knees aren't touching the front seat and your head isn't hitting the roof than why are you complaining about "cramped seating" in the back of the car. It doesn't make any sense! Sit differently if yu're that uncomfortable!
5:20 In those days, if you wanted more legroom, you ordered the w109, which was the "Lang" wheelbase version of the w108, most of which went to the back seat. Bare in mind, this was also the period when you could have a 600 if you were filthy rich, so the w108 was "just" the upper-middle class car. It's main selling point, especially in the US back then, was its build quality. It was the size of an American "compact" (like a Nova) but built like a tank, which is why so many survived.
Naturally, when MB threw a V8 (you had a choice of three, actually) in the w108s in the early 70s, then Americans lapped these up and MB began its long quest of taking over from Cadillac.
Even so, these were expensive new and when you said "they've got a Mercedes," even if it was the smaller w114, it *meant* something. MB escaped a lot of the Greatest Gen ridicule on foreign cars in the 50s~60s due to their build quality.
If you wanted a flashy car full of gadgets and chrome that drove like a big comfortable yacht, you bought a Cadillac. If you wanted a solid driving experience with solid materials and understated styling, you bought a Mercedes-Benz.
You could buy a Cadillac land yacht covered in chrome and flashy gadgets and impress everyone with how much of a big shot you were. Or, you could buy a Mercedes-Benz built like a battleship designed for cruising on the Autobahn in understated style. You had to have discerning taste and willingness to buck the trend to buy a Mercedes-Benz in the US. It's a timeless design and still has the old-money feel. Old money has nothing to prove to anyone and doesn't really care what you have to say about it. This car is certainly a survivor.
rather the cadillac
7:43 HAHAHA, you really seemed to enjoy this car, maybe a little TOO much!
3:28 thats awesome a vintage blaupunkt deck! I drive a 1994 f150 4x4 RCSB 5.0 5 speed and I have a vintage alpine deck in mine from the 90's and I love it cuz it goes with the personality of the truck really well.
My first car was a 1971 250. It was a gray market car with the European headlights. I drove it from Monterey, CA to Annapolis, MD. God I miss that thing! Absolutely gorgeous car.
When I was a kid We briefly had a 1970 navy blue 280S with gray interior and a huge sunroof. Lovely car. Great to travel in. That car definitely had a presence that other cars did not have
Such an elegant and classy car that has aged well from an era where it was really special to drive a MB before there were so many on the road. And yeah, nice that it has that smoker's window (aka quarter window) - a feature I really miss. And wow, a wooden glovebox!!! I would not have expected that from a late 1960s car, but totally cool!
7:54 Pradel, you mad, mad genius!
I own a 62 coupe deville and 67 250s...they both have their pros and cons...a time when cads were 'the standard' and mercs were 'catching up' then it somehow turned around...anyway...i have yet to pick my favorite and i think i will have to drive them another few thousand miles each to come to a conclusion...lol..great video!
When a teen our neighbors had a W108 280SEL 4.5 - 1972, maybe. It was just impressive - no other word. The older brother could make it do things that left me in between scared sh*tless and thrilled. It was probably 10 years at the time (but timeless styling), and nothing else on the road had that much panache. I mean just think about a 1982 Cadillac DeVille with the wheezing 125 hp HT4100 and flacid suspension. Our Merc at the time was a much newer and built like a tank 300D, but pre-turbo, and it just paled in comparison. Oh, kill BFD - always dumb, but if you're going to do cool stuff like this, it's just filler and waste. (Who needs that much liquid anyway?)
DAMMNNN that cop car dog dish look going on with the front wheels is giving me emotions!
Thats kinda what I was going for and I'm so glad someone noticed
Classic Mercs are outstanding. I laugh every time you go into one of your stories and they are spot on love it
At 4:11 you said it fails the big bottle test... but could you have had the bottle laying on that tray? It would have been a perfect fit.
It looks so amazing under the hood and the interior...if it got $10K or $20K of body work and paint it would become next-level exquisite!
The problem with these is that they're not usually worth restoring. They're not rare enough to be valuable but rare enough that parts are expensive and hard to find. I agree that this car deserves to be restored to its original glory but it's usually more trouble than it's worth.
@@bwofficial1776 Financially, yes...10K worth of work would probably make worth 3K more on the resale market...unless its a car that you have a huge sentimental attachment to it (i.e. it was your dad or grandfather's car, etc.) there would be no way to justify that kind of expenditure.
Definitely agree but right now my main concern is keep it mechanically in shape and stop the rust, my worry is if I put 10k into body work I would be too worried about ruining the paint and it would become a garage queen and these cars absolutely hate to sit
I have a 1968 mercades 300sel I love the car
A W108 is my dream car without a doubt, great video!
Nice touch with vivaldi's four seasons
from the w108 to w126 are my favorite gens of mb s class! The elegance and comfort are just unmatched
My grandparents had one of the fintail W110s and my grandma said she didnt understand what the fuss was about as it wasn't a good car.
C'mon, grandma. Mercedes' has seriously improved since then!
You scoff at 130hp, but my 1976 240D makes 64hp 🤣
Love the interior
Thanks for showing us the backseats
This car is so classy
A friend of mine used to have one like that, but his was red with a white top.
Wow, from the era of Civil Defense triangle markers on the AM radio dial. (640 and 1240 kHz AM)
W123 when?
I love it. What’s the retail of one of these?
Awesome review
Watching at 2am
So beautiful
Gi Zack, I think it was a 2023 S class but the S class looks good though it lacks in high-tech features and fule efficiency by modern standards but it's a dandy. Please reply
Vivaldi. Nice.
I feel like the shifter/center console is a little too simple for mercedes. Otherwise, this car is a masterpiece
that blue sticker on the trunk deck is a warning/recommendation to check your tirepressure and regulate it if you are going to drive with the car loaded.
Welcome to the club of dictators comadante Pradel.
That's the minister or some general car. Now W109 is a different story altogether
They aren't an s or E back then, it's just the merc. S meant saloon didn't it?
Nothing about Blaupunk? Hehe
i like mercedes.
This car has style, it's so great. I love so much, that it does not have these shity cup holders. If I want to drink something, I turn to a restaurant or bar.
Cause the w108 similar to Newport Rhode Island lol
I do not think this is a 250S. It is actually a 280S. The give away ia the grill and the steering wheel, unless of course it was installed on a 250S. The badge is in fact not the correct one. The "E" is for fuel injection. This looks like it is a carbonated engine. Also this car was not originally a U.S. model, because the speedometer is in kilometers and not in miles. Also the 250S speedometer stopped at 220 KM/h. The 240 KM/h limit was another indication that this is a 280S.
Someday you'll get the urge to master the comb. Someday you'll dress for these videos as if you were going to face a camera. Someday you'll consider exploring what it's like to look down and see your feet. And when that _someday_ comes, your TH-cam channel will explode with subscribers. Until then I'll enjoy being among the few who enjoy these uploads.
Doug DeMuro does just fine with two t-shirts and messy hair. One day the TH-cam algorithm will find Zach and he'll make it big.
@20alphabet weirdo
First time I've come across a comment that's both humorous and dickheaded at the same time.
5:22 if your knees aren't touching the front seat and your head isn't hitting the roof than why are you complaining about "cramped seating" in the back of the car. It doesn't make any sense! Sit differently if yu're that uncomfortable!