COOL CLASSIC CAR SPOTTERS POST!!! Vol 2

[P5BNij]

Up for grabs at Stanford Hall Mini show this morning... '67 Stewart & Arden Minisprint...

[Dapster]

Strela said:

Dapster said:

That is lovely! Interestingly it's a post '81 facelift RHD 200D, a model never imported into the UK.

Are you the same poster who identified the Asian spec W123 in the photo I took outside my office in Sri Lanka a while back? If so, how do you know this stuff?

Back in the early1980's my father was thinking about, and eventually bought a W123, and as a car mad 10 year old, I pored over every brochure and price list of every 1980's Merc available that was lying about the house - it has sort of become my specialised subject. Co-incidentally, I also happen to be Sri Lankan, so I recognised the registration layout of the car outside your office!

I've admired your orange R107 on these pages by the way.

[Elderly]

Hoods up weather :-(

[Yertis]

Lance Catamaran said:

Gompo said:

Lance Catamaran said:

In LIdl carpark, complete with an enormous shaggy dog in the back

Very cool, great to see just out and about.

I genuinely find stuff like this in daily use far more interesting than something such a pristine MGB or Minor

Those things are far more interesting to see than to drive, let me assure you.

[TR4man]

Yertis said:

Lance Catamaran said:

Gompo said:

Lance Catamaran said:

In LIdl carpark, complete with an enormous shaggy dog in the back

Very cool, great to see just out and about.

I genuinely find stuff like this in daily use far more interesting than something such a pristine MGB or Minor

Those things are far more interesting to see than to drive, let me assure you.

I'm not feeling the love I'm afraid.

[anonymous-user]

All for sale - the Jag has recently moved for the first in years..

[2172cc]

js68 said:

All for sale - the Jag has recently moved for the first in years..

That's spooky, I'm sitting in my van just across the road from that garage now as we speak.

[psi310398]

Taken outside the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese:







Primrose Hill



St John's Wood High Street









Peter

[dbdb]

Dapster said:

0a said:

Speed 3 said:

Immaculate Olive Green loveliness

Oh I love that!

That is lovely! Interestingly it's a post '81 facelift RHD 200D, a model never imported into the UK.

I have a slight feeling they may have been offered into early 1982 - they are still listed then, but that may have been because there was a considerable waiting list on the W123 and Mercedes may not have wanted people to be taking delivery of a car from a dealer that was no longer being sold, rather than the 200D being available to buy if you see what I mean.

Personally importing Mercedes (and lots of other cars) from Germany was fairly common back then. The UK market had vastly inflated new car prices in those days - often well over 25% more than people were paying in many other EC countries. The manufacturers tried to make it as difficult as they could for a British person to buy a right hand drive UK spec car new in Germany, with incredible waiting lists and supply problems and the domestic dealers refusing to service them.
The EC stepped in, compelling the manufacturers to allow UK citizens to buy a UK spec car at the other EC country's car's Basic price (Germany/Netherlands/Belgium etc.) - and the UK would then add on UK car tax and VAT. The manufacturer was compelled to supply any such car with the correct UK literature and warranty and allow the cars to be serviced in UK dealers. This caused the manufactures to drop UK new car prices to levels seen in Continental Europe, which ended personal importing. I remember my dad did this and saved several thousand pounds on an identical car bought in Germany. I remember he used the broker 'Pritchard's Eurosave'. It could also be this Mercedes 200D was supplied like this.

[RESSE]

IMG_1359 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/145340810@N07/]

IMG_1355 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/145340810@N07/]

[Cledus Snow]

146 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

260 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

594 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

948 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

996 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

595 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

278 by jack chevelle, on Flickr



And the best looking E type I've ever seen.

269 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

272 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

984 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

271 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

273 by jack chevelle, on Flickr

[TR4man]

Some more from Sunday's breakfast meet.

[TR4man]

[Dapster]

Cledus Snow said:

271 by jack chevelle,

Good looking E Type for sure, but that late model Mark 1 MR2 T Bar piqued my interest. I had one 20 years ago and it was a fabulous drive. He's made a bit of a meal of the alloy refurb though - it should be 2 tone!

[Dapster]

dbdb said:

Dapster said:

0a said:

Speed 3 said:

Immaculate Olive Green loveliness

Oh I love that!

That is lovely! Interestingly it's a post '81 facelift RHD 200D, a model never imported into the UK.

I have a slight feeling they may have been offered into early 1982 - they are still listed then, but that may have been because there was a considerable waiting list on the W123 and Mercedes may not have wanted people to be taking delivery of a car from a dealer that was no longer being sold, rather than the 200D being available to buy if you see what I mean.

Personally importing Mercedes (and lots of other cars) from Germany was fairly common back then. The UK market had vastly inflated new car prices in those days - often well over 25% more than people were paying in many other EC countries. The manufacturers tried to make it as difficult as they could for a British person to buy a right hand drive UK spec car new in Germany, with incredible waiting lists and supply problems and the domestic dealers refusing to service them.
The EC stepped in, compelling the manufacturers to allow UK citizens to buy a UK spec car at the other EC country's car's Basic price (Germany/Netherlands/Belgium etc.) - and the UK would then add on UK car tax and VAT. The manufacturer was compelled to supply any such car with the correct UK literature and warranty and allow the cars to be serviced in UK dealers. This caused the manufactures to drop UK new car prices to levels seen in Continental Europe, which ended personal importing. I remember my dad did this and saved several thousand pounds on an identical car bought in Germany. I remember he used the broker 'Pritchard's Eurosave'. It could also be this Mercedes 200D was supplied like this.

The 200D was produced for the entire W123 production life, however I believe, it was never available from UK dealers. You are right, you could order one from a German or French dealer for example, or through Tax Free and Diplomatic Sales from the dedicated dealer on Piccadilly - this one could well have been either. It could also have been an import from a RHD market such as Cyprus or Malta.

Here's a brochure cover from '85.

[PomBstard]

Couple of recent spots...

911T



Another cool green Merc, 420SEC



348 GTS...

[Dapster]

PomBstard said:

Another cool green Merc, 420SEC

Very nice - though pre-facelift so it's a 380SEC.

[PomBstard]

Dapster said:

PomBstard said:

Another cool green Merc, 420SEC

Very nice - though pre-facelift so it's a 380SEC.

Of course, my Merc beard is mere bum fluff

However, no mistaking this one...

[dbdb]

[quote=Dapster]


The 200D was produced for the entire W123 production life, however I believe, it was never available from UK dealers. You are right, you could order one from a German or French dealer for example, or through Tax Free and Diplomatic Sales from the dedicated dealer on Piccadilly - this one could well have been either. It could also have been an import from a RHD market such as Cyprus or Malta.

Here's a brochure cover from '85.



The 200D was available in the UK earlier in the car's production, but it was withdrawn from the UK market in IIRC 1982, when they reduced the range to the 240D and 300D. I remember the 200D being for sale and I have an old brochure and price list with them in from 1979 or 1980, but I can't get to them at the moment.

UK price list and brochure from 1976:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1976-MERCEDES-BENZ-200D-...





Edited to add - I love the name of the dealer on your brochure!

Edited by dbdb on Tuesday 19th September 13:24

[Dapster]

dbdb said:

I love the name of the dealer on your brochure!

Yes, it's up there with Dick Lovett, Kuntz Chrysler and Harrison Ford!

If you are a Merc geek like me, and I suspect you may be, then be humbled by this nutter who has scanned in every Mercedes brochure in every language for the last 40 years!! http://oudemercedesbrochures.nl/Engels_index.html