Topic: Sightings

[Type17]

What's with the crazy fender mirrors?

Deleted from many cars by the mid-70's, for safety reasons (potential removal of pedestrians kidneys!), many UK/European motorists couldn't get used to door mirrors (well set-up wing/fender mirrors don't have a blind-spot), so they were still available as an aftermarket accessory for some years, and many 70's/80's wings/fenders were drilled in their honour...

Hilarious that, although the 116 had some of the best door mirrors available for the the era (adjustable from inside, spring-loaded body and no quarter-light windows to block the view), and this one even has the optional extra-cost passenger door mirror fitted, it still has wing-mirrors fitted.

[gavin116]

I presume that those extra mirrors could also have been to aid the driver when towing. If you look at the pictures of the rear, it has a tow-bar fitted (as did Mrs White). Perhaps the original owner was a serious caravaner or speedboat enthusiast; I dread to think what it must have cost in fuel bills...

What's with the crazy fender mirrors?

Deleted from many cars by the mid-70's, for safety reasons (potential removal of pedestrians kidneys!), many UK/European motorists couldn't get used to door mirrors (well set-up wing/fender mirrors don't have a blind-spot), so they were still available as an aftermarket accessory for some years, and many 70's/80's wings/fenders were drilled in their honour...

Hilarious that the 116 had some of the best door mirrors available for the the era (adjustable from inside, spring-loaded body and no quarter-light windows to block the view), and this one even has the optional extra-cost passenger door mirror fitted, but still has wing-mirrors fitted.

[Type17]

I presume that those extra mirrors could also have been to aid the driver when towing. If you look at the pictures of the rear, it has a tow-bar fitted (as did Mrs White). Perhaps the original owner was a serious caravaner or speedboat enthusiast; I dread to think what it must have cost in fuel bills...

Fair point, but even so, those wing mirrors are so ugly, especially when they are fitted to a car with such modern, good-looking (IMO) original door mirrors. 


Now I know why those towing mirrors were invented that clip onto the existing door mirrors.

[Will]

I'm actually quite encouraged by the pricing of that silver auction car - it's very similar to mine, except I have blue mb tex (and brown rust...). Seems like it went for a lot more than most of the eBay U.K. fare

[gavin116]

Just on the outskirts of Athens, spotted this green 116. Had to be real quick as we were driving by, so picture quality not great. A short while later I saw a black finnie: heaps of chrome on the sides, so probably a 300. Wasn't quite so quick on the draw with the camera for that one though.

[daantjie]

I maybe see 1 per year here now and usually it's an old dog 300sd beat to hell. Yesterday out of the blue I saw a great looking astral silver 108/9 but I was totally not expecting it so did not get a good bead on the trunk lid as it went by. Think it was a 300 of sorts...rare sighting on Vancouver roads indeed.

[ZCarFan]

Forgive me for resurrecting this thread after a 2-year sleep but it seems the right place for what I saw today.

My wife and I are driving on I-81 approaching Salem VA.  I mention to her that in 2009, I was driving my walnut brown 1980 300SD and pulled it into the rest area we were about to pass.  I had bought the car and prepped it for the 1500 mile round trip over just two weeks and it was an interesting day covering 700 miles in a mostly untested car.

Just a few seconds after telling the story, a W116 which appeared to be Milan brown  passed by on the other side of the interstate.  What an odd but enjoyable coincidence.  To recall a 10 year old story about a brown W116 and to see one pass by on the very same spot hundreds of miles from home is unexpected.

Wonder if the car I saw belongs to anyone on the forum?  Anyone heading south on I-81 out of Salem today?

[daantjie]

Nice one!
I see less and less on the roads here.  It is usually the VERY long in the tooth SD limping along   Summer now so maybe I can see the "lesser spotted" 6.9 out here, other than mine of course.  I know of 1 or 2 maybe in the whole greater Vancouver area, other than the ones who went to the big scrapyard in the sky