Had a Mercedes moment today.....

[Des]

Was driving up the highway today in my bright orange W123,
noticed that I had torn past "another" bright orange W123,

(don't see many orange Mercedes here)

So I kept looking in my rear view mirror, and he was creeping up on me,
eventually he caught up, and i moved over into the inside lane and we drove side by side for like 10k's

he was an old chap, we had the thumbs up going!!

....yeah well I guess you had to be there,

would have been a picture perfect moment for anyone in front of us

[116Benz]

He was prob. thinking the same thing too.."another one!"

[crayford]

....don't you feel a goose because you never know at what stage you should be looking at the guy ! Now, if it was a female (attractive, of course), I would have been looking at her for the whole of the 10 k's. Well, that's me-haven't changed in the last two decades-seems like two weeks.  Regards, Styria

Good chance there may have only been one 123 left had you been leering at a lady for 10kms. Best keep eyes on the road, young styria  .

I totally understand the side-by-side driving - I used to stalk 114s and 115s any chance I got. In fact, I frequently used to end up many, many suburbs from my original destination, just so I'd know where the other car lived...kooky  . And, possibly, just slightly obsessed.

[crayford]

Oh no, most definitely not! It's just pure coincidence that I know pretty much all of them in the Southern Highlands. And could identify many from the Eastern suburbs of Sydney...ok, so maybe I have a problem  . It's much harder with 116s, though, as there are many more of them. But I do what I can  .

Actually, I was quite upset earlier this week when I spotted a powder blue 280SE on the main street of Moss Vale, with the owner standing next to it, and after three rounds of the block, he still didn't notice Kermit. It was an older man, who obviously took very good care of his 116, and so it was really his obligation to notice my very rare 116 conversion. Short of putting a megaphone on top of the car and announcing my presence, I couldn't have drawn any more attention to myself.

Mr Crayford and I always think it odd that nobody looks at the car. I mean, if we saw a Crayford on the road, we would stalk it, sorry,  follow it for as long as possible. Obviously, only if we hadn't crashed from the sheer excitement of seeing one. I'm always on the look-out for unusual cars, yet there are all these odd-bods out there cruising around without the slightest idea of what may be coming up on a road near them. What are they doing? Just driving? The mind boggles...

[oscar]

Enough silence, bugger 'em

Des, I'd call that a great w123 moment.  Good to see.

Many newer benz owner gives a quick glance and stares straight ahead.  Definitely not enthusiasts or appreciative of their predecessors.  

My last good MB moment was a w126 v w116 moment in Wagga one day where a w126 not unlike Michel's turned and pulled in along side towing a trailer.  He dropped back then levelled up at the next set of lights. A nod and a wave, when the lights turned green he zoomed forward leaving me behind.  And yes, it was a 560sel.  I think he felt confident after confirming I wasn't in a 6.9

[crayford]

Mr Crayford had a Mercedes moment of a different kind today...

He was driving a W124 300CE-24 valve (with sequential box  and Sportsline trimmings  ), thinking that perhaps we might move into something more reliable, such as a 300E-24 valve (with four doors and without extra bits). This is a result of my being pig-headed (rightly so, you will all agree), and insisting that I hang onto my 116s as they have personality, which Mr Crayford is a bit sick of at the moment. However, he rang me after his little drive, with the report that W124s are thoroughly boring - too quiet, too predictable, too new, too "samey". And he was driving what I would imagine was a more exciting one than the norm. He said he totally understood where I was coming from when I said I liked the elder statesmen (not the Holden  ) of the Mercedes stable, and that he just couldn't go to something that modern after having 116s again.

So that's what I call a Mercedes moment. Or, more importantly, a 116 moment...

[Andrew280SEL]

Or, more importantly, a 116 moment...

And great moments they are!

I rarely come across other w116 drivers as I'm going along, usually just drivers of newer/older models. Neither seem friendly though....usually just a nose point in the other direction...

Any 116 owners I actually have met in person (not many, granted) are usually good people who have a touch of enthusiasm. There's certainly something special about these cars.