Why before 1975?

[Suginami]

I've always wondered why boards like these make the cut-off point for vintage cars at 1975.

Makes no sense for Mercedes-Benz from a chassis perspective.

The W116 chassis just started in 1973, so questions on this chassis will get split between this forum and the regular Tech forum (for gasoline engines). Diesel Engined W116's will get postings in the Diesel forum.

The W107 chassis questions will get broken up, too.

Maybe it would be better to make the Vintage section to be W108 / W109 / and older chassis (1972 and older).

Waddya think?

[bill streep]

Yup. The answer is "cause we've always done it that way". I think you make a good point.

[Robby Ackerman]

I was going to say we made it 1975 and older because my son was born in 1975. 1972 will work just as well ... that's the year my daughter was born. We'll change it forthwith. :)

[zak]

Last year of the 113 was 1972. Certainly the 280se 4.5 should be included. It's last year was 1973, correct ? What to do?

[280SL71]

I believe the MB Classic Center went through the same "cut off" date problem. MB decided Classic means "cars whose large scale production ended at least 20 years ago." Then MB added "All R107's are included as Classics."

MB avoided "cutting off" the 107 chassis by special extension of the classic date.

The "1975" origin might have started in the year 2000 when car shows were becoming more popular by limiting entry to cars that were then 25 years or older.

NY State DMV calls cars 25 years or older "Historic" and gives them special plates...but NY (and some car shows) roll the date along year by year, as a creeping 25 years. The creeps are now up to 1978...

Not sure what all this means, but to me, my 1971 280SL will always be a "Classic" no matter what the definition...

Richard M
P.S. It looks like the later models of the 114/115 and 107 chassis will be excluded from Vintage Talk under the current definition being used here. Can't we include all models of these chassis?
P.P.S. Comment on previous reply: 113's ended with the 1971 model not 1972.

[Suginami]

Originally posted by zak
Last year of the 113 was 1972. Certainly the 280se 4.5 should be included. It's last year was 1973, correct ? What to do?

I know that W108's were sold in 1973, but were sold as model year 1972 cars ( but I could be wrong ).

[Robby Ackerman]

Is it okay if we remain a bit vague about this? I changed the Forum to read early to mid 70's and older.

[zak]

Yes, I stand corrected. The 113 production was halted in March 1971. I have a 1967 250 sl euro 4 sp . The yahoo 113 web site has lots of tech and vehicle data info. I checked it there.
I confess I can't identify each model by number. Can someone post a list of the model types and their number designations.

[Suginami]

Here's a good website, with pictures, too:

http://www.mercedes-veterans.com/cars/types.htm

[Suginami]

Here's another good website:

http://fly.hiwaay.net/~gbf/mbmodels.html

[Dean Yelenik]

Paul, I think it's the other way around - the last of the 108 were made in 72 model year but titled as 73s. I have seen quite a few 108s titled as 1973 models. I think they were the leftovers - 73 was the first year of the 450SE 116 bodies. I once heard the story, which was interesting if not correct, that the German goverment required that the model year of a car be based on the date on which production was completed. So if the cars were not sold to the dealers they would push them out on a storage lot without the windshield wipers. Then when they were sold they would "finish" production by putting the windshield wipers on and assign them the later model year.

[Suginami]

You know Dean, you are right.

Come to think of it, I have a friend in Temecula, Mike Tangas, who has a 1973 108 chassis 280 SE 4.5. I should have thought of it.

[Robby Ackerman]

last Friday my neighbor sold his Dad's '72 280SEL 4.5 to an MBCA member in Richmond, VA. The paint, chrome, interior all look new. He always kept it covered in a garage. A beautiful car!

[Richard Jordan]

I think MB may of included the 107s in the "classic" category because the 107s have what is commonly accepted as the "classic" Mercedes-Benz look. With rounded fenders and heavily grooved tail lights and chrome trim. This look ended in 1985 with the demise of the W123 chassis, except for the 107. I also both a "classic" W123 '83 TD and a W124 TD. The interior of the 124 is definetly not as classy looking as the 123. There isn't any chrome trim in the 124 except for the 4 door handles. It is rather dull looking compared to the 123. Now of course as time passes the perception will change. If you go to the MBUSA site, they do list the W123 as a classic, but show a picture of a 1981 car. MB definition was if a car series (chassis) has been out of production for 20 years then it's considered a classic. So that would mean the W123 doesn't meet this definition until 2005. This is all as confusiing as keeping up with the different chassis numbers. Like you have the W123 being replaced by the W124, but where is the W125?