I can't save you from that:
In Germany we have a car journal named AUTO Bild Klassik, one of the automotive branches of the worst boulevard journal BILD which we have in Germany. I used to find AUTO BILD Klassik pretty ok, though.
Now they face their 15th birthday and 150th edition and celebrate it by naming the 15 most crazy, funniest, cheapest, worst, most beautiful, most advanced, coming, most important, most overrated and most uncomplicated oldies.
The worst of the worst, and so the worst of all 150, was the 6.9. Bullet point reasons:
The exaggerated: It was the best car of the world but now is disenchanted.
Its over-complex technique raises the question of the relationship between effort and result.
Nowadays every crazy sales rep station wagon outruns him.
Already back in its days a coil sprung 450 SEL didn't do much worse.
Killer is the price level for parts, if at all available: water pump remanufactured 1600 €, shocks remanufactured 6000 €.
Verdict: The best or nothing? In this case: better nothing.
The better cars of the worst group were Marcos Mantis, Stutz IV Porte, Railton F 29 Claremont, Volvo 262 C, Morris Ital, Princess 2200, Suzuki Vitara X-90, AWS Shopper and Facel Vega HK 500.
>:( :-[ :'( >:( :-[ :'( >:( :-[ :'(
WTF are you talking about?
It's absurd to apply 2022 car performance to 1970's models.
Methinks the bottom line they are jealous that they dont own a 6.9. They should include every Audi ever built as the worst cars. Great new tech that breaks and is so expensive to fix that people throw them away after 4 years.
Quote from: rumb on 20 January 2022, 05:46 PM
It's absurd to apply 2022 car performance to 1970's models.
Methinks the bottom line they are jealous that they dont own a 6.9. They should include every Audi ever built as the worst cars. Great new tech that breaks and is so expensive to fix that people throw them away after 4 years.
Haha my dad had a POS Peugeot station wagon way back in the early 80's and then got an Audi 100 brand new. Was pretty nice and reliable actually, but man that Peugeot was horrid so anything was an improvement over that...
I do feel that some of these publications use these "worst/best" for shock reasons. If they put in a Reliant Robin... well people would expect that.
It was like when Top Gear said that the SC430 was the worst car ever made?... Anyone who drives that car would tell you that it is actually pretty spectacular for what it is. Great engine, very refined and superb reliability... ok, sure questionable looks and maybe some iffy handling - but the WORST? Give me a break.
To be fair to them, the point on parts is spot on. Daimler are asking outrageous amounts for anything 6.9 specific. And the other point on a standard 450SE not being far off the 6.9 - I partially agree. Sure, a 6.9 has is like a couch and has more grunt from the get-go, but it really isn't that much better when you consider value for money.
I have to agree with some of the bullet points. Especially with regard to what Lucas mentioned about parts prices. While a 6.9 will out perform a 350 o r 450 on HP and torque output, the 6.9 falls short on handling and driving characteristics when compared to a 350 or 450. I'd say it's overrated for what it is as a whole, but the 300sel 6.3 was overrated, too. (and still is) I guess it's how they were able to sell as many as they did. I also suspect that bleeds into current day pricing and buying in 2022. I still think you get better bang for your buck owning a 350 or 450 when it comes to overall driveablility and upkeep. I'm sure there are many who will disagree, and that's fine. I respect everyone's view and opinion.
And why are they comparing a Facel Vega HK500 to a 6.9? The Facel Vega was a product of the early 1950's that was made from 1954 through 1962.
It is not a comparison but an incoherent listing of the 15 worst cars in the opinion of that man.
According to his view the HK 500 suffers from a bad suspension with its limits starting slightly above walking speed. He suspects that Albert Camus, a famous french writer and Nobel laureate who is known to have died in an accident with Facel Vega in 1960 was a victim of this suspension.
From a rhetorical point of view the man is not bad. He will write the anniversary article for the 50th anniversary of the W116 in this journal. As a 6.9 owner I am not particularly looking forward to that :-[
btw: no 3 in his list is the Benz Patent-Motorwagen for its tendency to rust upon the first raindrop and the inability of its sleeve-valve engine to cope with elevated temperatures. His verdict: An early victim of the climate change that he has started to provoke.
Two Benzes in a list of the 15 worst cars :)
Have a nice day everybody. Bernd
Suggest he takes a look at a used Citroen SM.........it's got the lot.! :o