About myself
I´m a 30 yrs old Swedish guy who are hooked on old Benzes. The 108 and 109 models with the M116 and M117 engines in particular. These cars have all the charisma, practicality and performance you could ask of a great classic. I have tried to preserve these one of a kind autobahn cruisers to generations to come.
About the cars
It is always hard to leave out cars when choosing the ones to keep, but I´ve tried to focus on the most neglected and forgotten models.
My first contact with the M116 engine was when I bought a 280 SEL 3,5 some ten years ago. This car is still in my possession and are undergoing a total restoration at the moment. This 108 has a prior history as a company vehicle for a mechanical workshop here in Stockholm. In the mid 80´s a restaurant owner got his hands on this beauty. He choose to "personalise" the car with a heated seat cover, spoiler on the trunk and the French flag painted across it´s sheet metal. Almost forgot the American looking Cragar alloys and the "do-it-your-self" skyport. Yauuuuck!!! The original colour are 350 dark blue with blue interior. Not many options.
I was planning to buy a W109 next. Unfortunately another sad looking 108 turned up. This 280 SEL 3,5 had been in the hands of the royal family 'til 83´. When the dealer in Stockholm sold the car the second time it stayed in the same household for two generations. Here is where the car was driven most of it´s km´s on the odometer. When I bought this black beauty back in 95´ it had been sitting for years in a moisty garage. It had rust and mould all over. This 280 has even less options then my first one. Hauptscheinwerfer reinigungsanlage is the only interesting one.
When I was in Douglasville, Georgia in february of 98´ I found the 300 SEL I had been looking for.