Gary mused: "i fear mercedes is finished. unless i had some kind of warranty and got a discount pice, the very early 90s is the last i'd even consider"
Mercedes has certainly lost it's appeal for people, like most of us on this list are, who buy a car with the thought that it may be the last car they will ever need to buy because it's dependable, well made, and easily taken care of by its owner. There will always be people with big piles of money who will buy a Mercedes to be seen in. They (or their "people") will take them to the stealership for maintenance. If something is less than dependable, they will just get a newer, more expensive model.
Bob Rentfro '77 300D 142K Litchfield Park, AZ
