It was back in about 1972 that I bought a 1959 - 190 which was a great little car, with horrible Nitto tyres that could not keep the car in a straight line except when going around corners. Fitting Olympic GT Radials (anyone remember them-great tyre) fixed all handling problems, believe it or not !
It was economical on a trip (27 miler per gallon), but the engine was spoilt by a noisy timing chain. I had this replaced by a well known Merc. specialist still in business today, but when I got it back, black fuel smoke and 19 mpg became the norm - obviously, the valve timing had to be out. It was not the same again, and sold it shortly afterwards.
I then had a brief flirtation with a 220SE Finny (more on that some other time), then a 1965 or '66 plain 250 (absolute rust bucket - sold it a Debiens Auctions for $1400.00) that handled brilliantly, and then I had a seven year affair with a 1966 - 300SEL. Brilliant family car, self levelling, huge boot needed when Dad and family used to go Motor Bike riding and racing, but that was about it Mercedes wise for a while until, at an auction several years later, I stumbled across a 6.3. More of that some other time (again).
In the meantime, I owned several Rovers - in fact, a Rover 90 was my first car at the age of 20 (dreadful car-my fault, not the car's) and I owned several 3 litre Coupes (still do !) and also some 3500S's. It was during ownership of those, that I first came across my 'Gleaming Beauty' - August 1995.
Now, bear in mind that I already had a 6.3 - not mobile, but I thought that they were THE ULTIMATE Mercedes and, at one stage looking through the Herald, I had seen a 6.9 advertised for $38k, - that was some two years earlier. That amount of money 'closed the books' for me and, besides, in my view it could not hold a candle to my 6.3, could it ? Nah, there was nothing that appealed to me - just a modern car, no charisma, my nose couldn't have been higher up when drawing comparisons between 6.3 and 6.9 until.....
I spotted this dark metallic blue in a side street - as part of Amos Classics at Burwood. Just looking at the car attracted the salesman who immediately offered to sell the car for $2k. less than the sticker price "if I bought the car today". Took it for a run, nothing special but it was okay (if you know what I mean) and it was purely by accident that I spotted the 6.9 badge on the boot lid. That rang the bells between my ears (I know, that's all you'll find there) - $15k. less $2k. equates to $38K. two years earlier - I WAS MORE THAN INTERESTED all of a sudden. There's lots more to tell, but in the end I bought the car, not because it was a 116 (I wouldn't have known that there was such a model or terminology), not because of its looks or style, but simply because I felt that it was dirt cheap at the price we settled (after an inspection) and it was, after all, a 6.9. I picked it up some four weeks later and by the time I reached West Ryde (from Burwood) the question I asked myself there and then - why would you bother owning any other car ! It just drove so beautifully.
Appreciation of the 116 range, and its other allied features, only gradually built up over the years of ownership and I am still a happy and satisfied chappie today. That's part of my story. Regards Styria