China is currently the largest car market in the world. However, in recent years, the car craze has been growing in this populous country. The Mercedes-Benz car collection below is a testament to that.
The Mercedes-Benz car collection is covered in dust in Beijing.
This Mercedes-Benz car collection is currently “settled” in the capital city of Beijing, China. Unfortunately, the owner of the collection seems to be not very concerned about taking care of these beloved cars. As a result, the cars in the Mercedes-Benz collection are all covered in dust, causing much sadness for many people.
According to some sources, this car collection is owned by the owner of a used Mercedes-Benz car repair shop. Before the 2000s, in China, car dealerships and repair shops were separate. In other words, you would buy a car and have it repaired at two different places instead of just one like today.
The aforementioned Mercedes-Benz repair shop was founded in 1989 by the owner’s father, who also owns the car collection. At that time, this shop was the main Mercedes-Benz car repair center. Now this shop only focuses on repairing Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz cars. However, you can bring any car to be repaired, not necessarily Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
Some employees at this shop are responsible for taking care of the owner’s car collection. In addition, these employees also repair cars for other collectors, most of whom are Mercedes-Benz collectors.
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
This collection includes 10 different Mercedes-Benz cars. Among them, the highlight is the bright red Mercedes-Benz 190 SL. This is a more affordable choice compared to the famous Mercedes-Benz 300SL. The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL was produced from 1955-1963 and used a 4-cylinder gasoline engine with a displacement of 1.9 liters, producing a maximum power of 120 horsepower.
Interior of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
Inside the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, the interior is original and in good condition. Unfortunately, this Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is no longer allowed to be driven on the streets of China. Therefore, the owner has to use temporary license plates for the car every time they participate in events.
Mercedes-Benz 280 S
Reverse steering wheel inside
The second standout car in the collection is the Mercedes-Benz 280 S with reverse steering. This is a car model that was produced from 1965-1972. The car in Beijing uses a inline 6-cylinder gasoline engine with a displacement of 2.8 liters, producing a maximum power of 140 horsepower. The car was brought from Hong Kong to China, hence the reverse steering wheel.
Mercedes-Benz 350 SEL
Next to the 280S is the Mercedes-Benz 350 SEL, equipped with a V8 engine, 3.5-liter displacement with a maximum power of 200 horsepower. The Mercedes-Benz 350 SEL is a fairly well-known car model and was produced from 1972-1980.
Original intact interior
Inside the Mercedes-Benz 350 SEL, the interior is like new. The owner of the collection affirms that he only buys cars that are still new and have low mileage. The reason is that restoring long-used cars is very complicated. Finding replacement parts is a whole issue, especially when these cars have never been officially distributed in China. He has tried to find parts on eBay, but often gets ripped off or the prices are too high.
Mercedes-Benz E500
The next highlight in the collection is the old Mercedes-Benz E500. This is one of the most famous high-performance sedans. Developed and produced by a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, this E500 uses a V8 engine with a displacement of 5.0 liters, producing a maximum power of 322 horsepower and maximum torque of 480 Nm. This car model was produced from 1991-1994.
This is 1 of 5 Mercedes-Benz E500 in China
The Mercedes-Benz E500 is the only car in the collection that is locked because the owner cannot find the key. Looking through the window, this car is equipped with a black leather interior and many wooden trim details. According to some sources, this is 1 of only 5 Mercedes-Benz E500 cars in China.
GAZ 21 Volga
Interior with a large steering wheel
Furthermore, this collection also includes a “stray” car, the GAZ 21 Volga from Russia. This milky white car is officially imported into China but mostly for the government. Belonging to the 3rd generation of the GAZ 21 Volga series, this car was produced from 1962-1970 with a 4-cylinder engine, 2.4-liter displacement, producing a maximum power of 76 horsepower.
It is unclear how much the owner of the collection had to spend to own these vintage cars. However, perhaps the owner should pay more attention to regularly cleaning their cars.
