Early 1980’s

1981 Audi 200 5E: Because Dad wanted to have some fun, too

On: November 4, 2019

In: Audi, Car Stories, Early 1980's

It’s the year 1980, and you have some money to order a new family sedan. It needs to be spacious enough to take a family of four on holiday. It ought to be a safe car. It should really have a modern design and the latest electric gadgets. Last not least – you would like to have some fun at the steering wheel as well. What are the options? Well, the options were still quite different from what was available only 10 years later: There was no Mercedes 500 E, there was no BMW M5, the sports sedan as such wasn’t really invented yet. FromRead More →

Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W140) vs. Jaguar XJ (X300) – a clash of cultures in the 1990’s luxury class!

On: September 27, 2020

Imagine it was the year 1997, and you were going to spend significant money on your new luxury sedan. Unlike today (where luxury sedans across all brands appear increasingly identical) you were confronted with significant alternatives: Do you prefer technology or classiness? Space or grace? Back then, you actually had real choices. The best example for this clash of cultures is probably the choice between the W140 Mercedes S-Class and the Jaguar XJ of the X300 / X308 series. Let’s have a look! The philosophies behind these two cars are about as different as luxury sedans got back in the 1990’s Specifically, let’s compare a

1990 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II: This is as crazy as Mercedes got in the 1990’s, and they have become really expensive meanwhile…

On: July 26, 2020

With its giant rear wing, the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II was about as crazy as Mercedes design got back in 1990. The car was produced in a small homologation series of 502 units (of which 500 were actually shipped to the market). The four valve four cylinder engine delivers 235 hp at a stunning 7,200 rpm, accelerating the car up to 250 km/h. One of the most interesting aspects about this car is the evolvement of its market value since 1990 – it wasn’t always as precious as today! Up to about 2010, these cars were traded at no more than 50,000 Euro,

1992 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL: Rocky and his more distinguished family members

On: June 21, 2020

There is little doubt that the Mercedes SL R129 is on its way to become a true classic. When it came out in 1989, it clearly pushed technological boundaries, it was born with a classic design and, last not least, it simply is a Mercedes SL. Legendary designer Bruno Sacco, head of Mercedes-Benz design from 1975 until 1999 (over 20 years, can you imagine this in today’s short-lived times?), referred to the R129 as “the most perfect car in my career”. The most perfect car of my career! Bruno Sacco, former head of Mercedes-Benz design, about the R129 However, as is often the case, not

1989 BMW 750i (E32): Buying back a piece of childhood memories

On: June 7, 2020

Guest contribution by our reader Henning Huth Back in 1988, I was 12 years old and my dad decided to swap our much beloved Mercedes S-class against a BMW 750iL. The BMW was more modern, technologically more sophisticated and more powerful. And I was upset, because I really loved the old S-class. However, the shock was about to turn into admiration for this wonderful car soon after… My name is Henning Huth and I recently added this silver BMW 750i to my small collection of cars from the 1980’s and 1990’s. It does bring back a lot of childhood memories and I enjoy driving it

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