Saw this 1968 Mercedes S Class advertised and could not resist going to see it. Especially as there are two things in particular that mark this car out from other S Class Mercedes of the era!
How funny to see you driving my old car Jack! . I imported it from France years ago and owned it for a good few years. I know a lot about that car. Always watch your videos, keep up the great work!
The first car I drove when I got my license, my dad's 67 S-Klasse. :) Also a manual, but on the tree. We called it the living room, it was so big we thought back in the day. Lovely cars.
I was born in 58 + my Dad was a mechanic & at times a driver, he also dealt in old pontoons from 190's to 220se's & in the 70's worked as a driver for Mercedes in Brentford, each day we had 'now' classic Mercs outside our house waiting for him to deliver back to their owners ;) I loved every second being in all those icons & often going with him. I experienced the full range from sl 230- 280,300 Inc roadsters & gull wings through to 600's. I was so blessed & in the 80`s I worked for a Co that supplied parts & accessories for them & I too am not a fan of the w107's. So loved those experiences. Great video share. Thanks 👍
Gosh! This brings back some happy -days memories. My Uncle John used to have some interesting cars and in the early 1970's swapped his 1964 Alfa Guilia 101series for a mid 60's Mercedes 250S with manual box in white. Living in Newmarket at the time , we went for ride past the gallops ,myself in passenger seat , sister, cousin, John's wife to be and pet Great Dane on back seat! Straight opens up ,John drops her down to 3rd and the car roared past with its tail dropped down and the straight six howling away as we overtook a few cars in one go . Happy days. Nice example in vid . Merry Xmas
Used to own a 1969: 250... It was terrible and broke down every single time I drove it. Just bought a non running 1984 450 SEL with the 4.5 V8. Pray for me.
Oh , incidentally , I know of two other 250S cars here in Scotland . 'Mexican Hats' are not the steel wheels as fitted to your car ; they were the first , very expensive , Fuchs alloy wheels offered on the 108/109 cars , also late 111/112 coupes and cabriolets and also on late W113 'Pagoda' SLs , before being continued across the entire 1970s range , up as far as early W126 models .
Nice video Jack, I had one of these out in Thailand a few years back. I'm surprised you didn't mention these were I believe the last of the properly hand built mercs made on the same line as the gull wing SL. That made it even more special for me.
Ironically I picked up one with a blown motor right at start of corona. I still haven't seen the car since my friend in ohio purchased and he has been gracias enough to swap on a 2jz motor for me. I can't wait to get it to make it into a resto mod.
Jack going back into your catalogue and happy to see this. My first car (in high school) was a 1973 280S auto in a blue-ish white with blue leather. Built like a tank? Hell yeah. I beat the living daylights out of that car, street raced it a lot and was known as the guy who drove 'slideways' cuz it was such an easy car to power slide and super predictable and easy to retrieve from the edge. In short, a very forgiving car. Seeing this vid made me want my old 280S back... to cruise around in, not dive the piss out of it. LOL Thanks for the memories.
Don't apologise for this unusual video, Jack. Many people buy a classic car because of the way it looks and care little for its Nurburgring times or its ability to sit flat around a bend. I get huge pleasure from sitting in my classics and the bellow of the huge engine in front or behind me, combined with the smell and feel of the cabin, allows me to forgive the fact it isn't as sharp or reliable as my daily. Please, review more cars like this, your subscribers have expanded enough to include many who would enjoy seeing you make more videos on these type of cars.
I say as someone in the leading edge of Generation Z that it’s always a shame when the idiot tuners get ahold of these and ruin them by putting LS engines in them, lowering them all the way to the ground and stancing the wheels, painting them gaudy colours with big, suspension-bridge spoiler wings, blasting that Atlanta mumble rap through the speakers and drifting them into telephone poles.
Also could be had with column change manual or auto. It's exactly the sort of spec which would appeal in France, even to the CEO for an airline. Subtle and understated, even now french drivers tend to shun auto boxes. The 250 engine was carried through to the first couple of years of W123 production. Certainly in my eyes a thing of beauty.
Father of a friend had one of these (ivory white 250 automatic) in period. We felt princely when ever we were driven. In 1986, he traded it in for a 123 - 280E all together a tighter and much more modern car.
Totally with you on the issues of auto boxes. Great video and lovely car from the year of my birth. At the time I never realised Mercedes were so ahead of their time and it's only in more recent years I have come to appreciate how special these cars really were.
Minor point of correction from a Benz pedant (reference @ 1:10): All the standard-wheelbase were W108, but not all the long-wheelbase versions were W109. They were only 109 if they were the 300 SEL 6-cylinder 3 litre, the 3.5 and the 300 SEL 6.3. All others, even the 280 SE 3.5 and 280 SEL 3.5, were W108.
Apart from North America where they eventually got the 4.5L engine to compensate for smog equipment , and of course the coupes and cabriolets were W111 / W112
You are so right about the 50s and 60s...my father took me to Europe when I was 14 years of age (1958) and we dressed for travel. No shorts and flip flops, rather a suite and tie and as the British actor Lawrence Harvey would say...we were "piss elegant." We came out of The Jockey Club restaurant after a wonderful dinner, and parked under a street lamp was a BMW 507. My father had a Facel Vega HK500, Larry had a Bentley, my suit and tie were from Brooks Brothers in NYC, I was only 14 but I smoked State Express 555 cigarettes. My dad's girlfriend was 18 and I lusted after her all that summer. Though this Mercedes was born 10 years later, it would have been right at home on our journey.
W108 and w109 both available in long wheelbase and standard , the w109 has air suspension, the 108 on standard springs ! The v8 is the gentleman’s regal favourite
I could own something like that Merc, its a nice car, a real cruiser, and a plus that its a manual!! Sometimes you want to glide and not hustle, this is the prefect car for that!! Enjoyed the video!!
Lovely straightforward unfussy motor. Yes, it;'s a barge, but as a former Westminster owner I find barges OK. Personally I'd prefer an automatic - feeling and hearing a 60's autobox doing a leisurely march up through the gears is a pleasure.
That was my very first car! I was in college in 1986 and bought a white 18 year old 250S, also with a manual gearbox. It badly needed a paint job, but the drivetrain was still as strong as ever. No problems cruising at high speed. Those were the days when cars had character and Benzes were indestructible. For a while I thought I had lost all interest in cars, but then I realized that it's just the garbage they churn out today that doesn't interest me.
Having lived in the 60s, albeit my childhood, I think you've gone a bit overboard wrt how "great" the 60s were. Lots of resource waste and environment pollution, racism and class-ism was prevalent. But that said, I do like the car! I purchased a '72 300 SEL back in the early 80's for my new bride. She drove it for 3-4 years before the automatic went out and we sold it to a mechanic friend. We both loved it.
Lovely car. I would have to disagree with your comments about the gearbox. I've driven several older big Mercs and owned a W116 450SE and W123 280E. Both were autos which suited the cars very well. They don't, and don't need to, pretend to be "sporty" in any way. Also this was a time when Merc understood that quality should be measured by design and standard of materials and not performance and the number of toys. It was, indeed, a very different era. The 6.3 was a monster. You bought the engine and got the rest of the car to keep it in. Those crazy Germans!
nice car , w108 still nicest styled mercedes saloon , had a 280s on the road from about 2001-summer2006 , had it in a lock up garage while sorn & uninsured , sadly stolen a few years ago
Great colour on that Merc as you say Jack and you can really see the old school build quality. It seems to sit very low at the back end even when stationary. Not sure if that’s wear and tear or whether it’s just asking for the big V8 in the front to counter balance it!
They have a self-levelling Boge strut on the rear, centre-pivot axle, which might be a bit tired. My Australian spec'd 250S Auto has a spring in its place as our roads would have destroyed the strut. Mine's a 1966 and I've had it 22-years.
My brother has a large number of these w108s, inc 250 and 280s 6 cyl cars, also a few w109 3.5 V8s sedans, 250 pagoda Sl, 220s coupe etc. BTW, the Red Pig ran a 6.8 version of the 6.3 V8. In its day the 6.3 sedan was the fastest production sedan in the world.
Like others I thought you'd bought it jack. Nice car, good video, interesting place. Thanks for doin the video and you have a good one too. The Merc would be ideal for you with a mascot in the back 🐩!!!!. Take care. Ben 😷🚌🚍🦌☃️🎅🇬🇧🇮🇹🇩🇪🐎🐎🐎
i worked for merc for 3yrs and the overpriced shiteboxes thare selling today is an absolute descrace 😠 but these old mercs r full of charecter and charm and built to last 😆 i had a 1985 280sl great car lovely to drive not fast but a good relaxing cruiser 😎 try one out you might like it 👍
I personally love the old mercedes, namely those built in the 80's and some 90's and a few from the 70's. That car however doesn't look like it's sitting right. The back is so far down and the front so far raised up, looks like dropped suspension or something. Definitely doesn't look right! Great video though! Keep 'em coming!
I left England 3 weeks before my 11th birthday in 1971, the 60's were fantastic Carnaby Street, The Beatles, Top of the Pops with Jimmy Savile, the E Type Jaguar, the mini skirt, the MG, colour tv, the hippies. and more. England had won the World Cup in 1966 and were going to win it again in Mexico 1970 but Brazil won it. That day in July 1970 when Carlos Alberto held the Jules Rimett that day the 60's ended. The 70's promise of a better future, better living and better products were just dust in the wind. Of the small amount of companies that kept their 60';s prestige was Mercedes Benz with the W116 and 123, Jaguars response was just awful
I totally agree about the gearbox, I don't care what the car is supposed to be about an auto box makes the car nothing more than an appliance. Anytime I've driven one I'm left feeling like I don't care about driving anymore. With a manual that's an interesting car, if it was auto I couldn't care less.
@@tutsywutsy hmm 🧐 he says 1968 in the video 2:46 but D reg is 1966 - just an error I expect. My Matchbox version from my collection is 1966 too. So that ties in. instagram.com/sharpbluecollectibles/
Number 27 I am not saying you're not good at what you do, because you are, Right I will have to put this spade down now before I get my self in a right hole, LOL, 👍👍👍😀
Current buying advice... Modern Merc with a manual and a flat plain paint - drops the value by thousands. Classic Merc without automatic and without metallic - increase the value by thousands! Please have some nostalgia for a Ford Zodiac. The big square ones that were manufactured when you were born. Most have rusted to nothing - but those that remain would light the fire of the early sixties man.
Damn.. just looked it up the Mexican Hats are the alloys, don’t know why I got it mixed up. Apologies. I will however continue to really dislike 107s I’m afraid.. horrid things to drive.
@@Number27 that’s ok, I guess your not a big Mercedes fan but, if you lived with a W123, W113 or a W126 (particularly the 560SEC) you might find the incredible engineering gets under your skin. Not in the same way Ferrari, Alfa or Porsche does, but in a special way all of their own. Or here’s a top tip www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1297737
Buy a good one, I did years ago and they are lovely. Not exciting like your 308, but reliable unlike your Ferrari, which I too love. It’s nice to just waft around in. The only car I have owned which I doubt I will let go.
What! A nice transport for X-mas trees, I'd say. have a merry christmas and a happy new year. May your Influenzo get better and better. And if not you can always sell it and buy a fat old Merc. I'd get myself a Cadillac or something if I wanted a proper Land Yacht but hey.
I have a 280 SE W108 in the very same colour (Horizont Blau or Horizon Blue DB 304). Fabulous car, even with the dreadful auto. I also have an R107 - you're so very wrong about those!
I’m unusual in that I loathe Mercedes... never sure as to why - never owned one... I think it dates back to when I test drove a Mercedes SLK R170 2.3 litre k in silver - I really wanted to buy that car - loved the look and the roof - and it drove like a bathtub compared to my then NA6 MX-5... loathed all Benzs ever since...
Merc has not made anything well engineered since the date starts with a 20. Their customer service is so bad you should go to a east German Domina instead!
Why would you buy a classic Mercedes? Easy - it’s one of few classic cars that’s reliable enough to use and go to events. Unlike most (all?) English classics that’s just rubbish. And yes, I have experience...
