Jalopnik: w114

1974 Mercedes-Benz 280C

Murilee Martin — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. 1970s Benzes are quite common on the island, but not W114 coupes!

The thing about the W114 and this series is that the old indestructible Mercedes-Benzes have been part of the scenery for so long that they don't really catch my eye on the street. When I see a not-so-old SL, I'll usually shoot it, but a W114 sedan? Maybe next time- it'll still be around in 20 years, so no rush. A coupe, however- that's a different story! I thought the beige car against a beige background looked pretty cool, too.
Even with the Malaise Era 5 MPH crash bumpers, this 35-year-old machine is a real beauty. And with the big 2.8 liter M110 engine it's probably pretty quick as well.

First 400 DOTS Vehicles • DOTS FAQ

1968 Mercedes-Benz 230

Murilee Martin — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. We saw a pretty nice 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL about a month ago, so I figure it's time for another '68 Benz. This time, though, we'll be looking at a solid-citizen sedan instead of a rakish roadster, with this 230 I found parked pretty close to the Evil '77 Camaro.

Even though the 230 was one of the less expensive Mercedes-Benz machines in '68 (being the entry-level 6-cylinder sedan), it was still quite expensive: $4,544. With a brand-new '68 Chevelle SS396- which was about the same size as the 230- going for $2,899 and even the '68 BMW 2002ti listed at $4,165, you had to be thinking long-term when you chose the Mercedes sedan. Long-term as in 40 years, in this case.

This car is used for everyday transportation nowadays, 40 years and who knows how many Astronomical Units of travel later; the interior still looks pretty good.

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Over 1,000 Vintage Mercedes-Benzes Await The Cruel Jaws Of The Crusher In Kentucky

Murilee Martin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST

Schm writes in to inform us of a wrecking yard in Falmouth, Kentucky, that appears to be in weeks away from sending between 800 and 1,000 older Mercedes-Benzes to The Crusher. A new owner is taking over, and she's not interested in keeping these cars, which go back to the 1950s or maybe even earlier. The guys on Benzworld are pretty worked up over this, as you might imagine; make the jump to see some heartrending photos and get the rest of the story.

Update: We just heard from Rebecca, owner of European Connection (the junkyard in the photos), and she states "I took the business over, over a year ago and I am not selling nor am I crushing." So, big sigh of relief for the uncrushed Mercedes-Benzes!
Yet another update: These cars and parts are for sale after all. Call European Connection at 800-395-8636 or email Rebecca.

[Benzworld] Image credit: McAllister Bryant