I used to own a 230E from 1982. It didn't have any extras, just a basic saloon with a 5 speed manual gearbox (much better than the auto). It didn't even have el

I used to own a 230E from 1982. It didn't have any extras, just a basic saloon with a 5 speed manual gearbox (much better than the auto). It didn't even have electric windows. It was solid, comfortable, looked nice in non-metallic dull green, didn't go wrong. With 190,000 miles on the clock it was really only just getting going. It had an analogue econometer inside the rev counter dial, a useful feature that helped you drive economically. There's something very nice about these old Mercs and their solid high quality engineering. In many ways the car industry has gone backwards by introducing so much complexity. Of course, I regret selling it.