Why Mercedes-Benz's Newest Division Is Going All-In on Classic Cars
- Thread starter nyccsi
- Start date
Aussiecsi
Well-Known Member
I liked the analogy " there is no battery watch in the world that is a luxury watch" .
Not sure if this is a good thing
no interest in classic car business like bmw brings you nothing, no parts, no service
too much interest like mercedes provides you with everything at ridiculous prices
you end up much in the same place
no interest in classic car business like bmw brings you nothing, no parts, no service
too much interest like mercedes provides you with everything at ridiculous prices
you end up much in the same place
But at least you have options. I'm finding my 79 G-Wagon is easier to get parts for than BMWs with a thousand times the production numbers.
It Isn't....
Cause instead of keeping classics on the road, it becomes a business now.
In the meanwhile the spare part prices for Mercedes classic (I own one) explode.... reproductions in the future are only done, if they're is a business case and so on.
So, no, in my mind, it isn't a good thing.
Breiti
Last edited:
richtig !
you german think alike me basque
i know you, same as me, you tell your kids that when someone gives you something for FREE, you tell them that really it ISN´T !!!
ha, ha, ha !!!
Exactly.
1965 Nardi steering wheel for a Mercedes 300SL: $5,000
The same one for a BMW: $1,500
It has always paid to be aware of cross platform use of parts... IMO....
The Bosch MAF sensor for the M62 in my E38 was ~$450 back 17 years ago (for the branded BMW part). Land Rover put that motor in their Range Rovers and that same Bosch part (but with a LR box) was ~$180 as I recall. Guess which one i bought.
When I pulled the part off the car to install the new one - they were IDENTICAL. So... It pays to shop around.
That being said - I believe it is a good thing that Mercedes is making more of a business out of supporting their older cars. Keeps the market alive for the less expensive options IMO. Kind of like the work I had done recently on the E23. Don had a heck of a time getting some very generic parts for that car. Why? Because there is no general commercial (ie - consumer) market for parts for that car - they just are NOT around in the numbers to drive a pure commercial reason for BMW to provide parts.
Now - if they had the same mindset as Mercedes, they might keep more parts available for their older (and very limited use) cars. If it comes down to having to pay $100 for a unique radiator hose or $400 for an ABS sensor (compared to $20 or $120 for those parts when they were generally available), that is a good thing IMO. You can choose to not purchase that part - but if you want to keep that car on the road, having those parts available would allow you to do that. 'Regular' cars don't demand that kind of effort (or expense) to keep on the road - but we devote more resources to our classic cars (in general) compared to someone who just has an old used car that they drive as their transportation. Once those generic use cars take too much effort to maintain (either cost & parts availability or reliability) - then they get put aside and the next Toyota is purchased (so to speak).
That's the way I see it anyway. I've had Mercedes off and on for 35 years. It has always been known that their support for their older cars is higher than most other marques. And I appreciate that.
The Bosch MAF sensor for the M62 in my E38 was ~$450 back 17 years ago (for the branded BMW part). Land Rover put that motor in their Range Rovers and that same Bosch part (but with a LR box) was ~$180 as I recall. Guess which one i bought.
When I pulled the part off the car to install the new one - they were IDENTICAL. So... It pays to shop around.
That being said - I believe it is a good thing that Mercedes is making more of a business out of supporting their older cars. Keeps the market alive for the less expensive options IMO. Kind of like the work I had done recently on the E23. Don had a heck of a time getting some very generic parts for that car. Why? Because there is no general commercial (ie - consumer) market for parts for that car - they just are NOT around in the numbers to drive a pure commercial reason for BMW to provide parts.
Now - if they had the same mindset as Mercedes, they might keep more parts available for their older (and very limited use) cars. If it comes down to having to pay $100 for a unique radiator hose or $400 for an ABS sensor (compared to $20 or $120 for those parts when they were generally available), that is a good thing IMO. You can choose to not purchase that part - but if you want to keep that car on the road, having those parts available would allow you to do that. 'Regular' cars don't demand that kind of effort (or expense) to keep on the road - but we devote more resources to our classic cars (in general) compared to someone who just has an old used car that they drive as their transportation. Once those generic use cars take too much effort to maintain (either cost & parts availability or reliability) - then they get put aside and the next Toyota is purchased (so to speak).
That's the way I see it anyway. I've had Mercedes off and on for 35 years. It has always been known that their support for their older cars is higher than most other marques. And I appreciate that.
A 65 300sl is a million dollar car. What BMW are you comparing it with?
Pre-war BMWs?
BTW, my children may say that all my four BMWs are pre-war...
I guess I'm just not getting it then. If parts are not available for classic cars, how is it a bad thing to have expensive parts as an alternative? Because BMW Mobile Tradition won't have classic parts it makes it cheaper if they're made by someone else?
Oldbmwcoupes
Well-Known Member
I wouldn’t think it too hard to make parts for cars that really wave the classic flag. Cars like the e9, 2002, e24, e28. Parts that wear or degrade or regularly break should be readily available. I’m thinking specifically of rubber trim, master and slave cylinders, brake boosters, glass, plastic lights etc. I cant imagine that these specific groups couldn’t come up with a relatively short and important list of items that should be in stock for each chassis. Perhaps we should crest and send a list, hahaha.
Bmw‘s marketing it quick to use images of cars that are poorly supported with parts supply. It’s a bit of a snub to this, and other groups, when they pull out their historic ties in the marketing department.
Bmw‘s marketing it quick to use images of cars that are poorly supported with parts supply. It’s a bit of a snub to this, and other groups, when they pull out their historic ties in the marketing department.
jmackro
Well-Known Member
Mercedes has operated a "Classic Center" here in southern California for some time. It is located in Long Beach, adjacent to the airport. I was surprised that this center (or centers, if there are others) wasn't mentioned as part of the new Mercedes Benz Heritage division in the the Motor Trend article.
tdgray
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately no… don’t think it will do anything for parts availability.
My 05 SLK55 is sometimes a real pain in the butt to get parts for. Not gonna change that.
My 05 SLK55 is sometimes a real pain in the butt to get parts for. Not gonna change that.
jmackro
Well-Known Member
Probably right. It seems that Mercedes Benz Heritage is about parts for 300SL's and pre-war cars; not 21st Century stuff.
Aussiecsi
Well-Known Member
People will not buy/restore cars if parts are unavailable ,simple as that. Porsche and Mercedes support their classics and I believe the availability of virtually every component gives confidence to owners which perhaps helps hold up their value ( if that's your thing) .If not for "cottage" industries such as Walloths ,we would all be relying on donor cars .So, let Mercedes charge what the market will pay .Anyone who has been to their Stuttgart museum will know that the collection only enhances the marque which makes good business sense.....something that is lost on BMW imo.
You are right, having original expensive parts is good because it creates a ceiling for prices, where aftermarket suppliers can still be profitable selling below that price. It provides good parts that others can copy in terms of form and fit. It is like having brand vs. generic drugs at the pharmacy...
A gross example, the gold standard in the US for laxatives is branded FLEET. I used a generic two months ago and I can confirm it is not worth a shit. It is great to have the branded variant for next time.
I wasn't comparing cars, although I could compare it to a BMW 507, which is also a TWO million dollar car.
I'm comparing parts.
x_atlas0
Well-Known Member
Years ago, I had my E34 540 serviced at a large BMW dealer in Atlanta for a simple oil change. They completely botched it, overfilled the car, blew the rear main seal, etc. They blamed the issue on 'none of our techs know these old cars'. (This was in ~2007, so it wasn't even on classic plates yet) The issue of technical knowledge decay is very real.
The way I see it, the more techs/shops trained in servicing, repairing, and restoring our cars, the better the costs and availability will be. Otherwise, the knowledge will dwindle over time to the point of being completely boutique, like old Italian cars. The cars will be priced out of any sort of accessibility, so folks like myself and others of not rich means will have no chance to experience or even see these kinds of cars outside a museum.
The way I see it, the more techs/shops trained in servicing, repairing, and restoring our cars, the better the costs and availability will be. Otherwise, the knowledge will dwindle over time to the point of being completely boutique, like old Italian cars. The cars will be priced out of any sort of accessibility, so folks like myself and others of not rich means will have no chance to experience or even see these kinds of cars outside a museum.
I like the analogy as well, but there’s no classic watch that runs on an internal combustion engine either.