June 27, 2021
A couple of observations about this 1974 Mercedes-Benz 280: it’s unusual, even in these parts, to see an M-B with this much surface rust; and it’s even more unusual to see one wearing a full set of these strange chrome wheel covers. The dealer tag on the back seems to indicate it was purchased at Van Winkle Motors in Dallas. According to an internet forum about old car dealers in Dallas, Van Winkle was a Pontiac dealership which started carrying the Mercedes line in the 1970s. If this car sat down there neglected for a while, it may explain the paint job. On a related note, a set of the same style wheel covers can be seen, as this is written, on a newer Fiat 500 which is for sale just a block or so away from the Tonawanda parking lot where we spotted the Benz earlier this spring. Coincidence? Hmm… or is it possible that they’re the same ones? The rusty-looking 280 has been gone for a while now, but perhaps the wheel covers live on. Unless someone here knows the answer, it will remain one of life’s great mysteries!
Jim Corbran, RRofWNY
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