Dealer info on Data Card

[280sl1968]

I have a somewhat legible copy of the Data Card for my 280SL and had a question relating to the boxes running horizontally across the middle that are blank in the examples in the Technical Manual.

Given there is what looks to be a dealer's name on mine (Fa. Autohaus van de Loo in Geldern, Germany), I'm assuming that was the original selling dealer's name.

My questions relate to the dates and other numbers also printed.

The stamped date for Uebernahmetag (Date of Delivery) is 18 Jan 1968

The typed date after the dealer's name is 14 Sep 1968 (presumably the date of sale?)

1) Any idea why there is a big difference in the dates - maybe this was a dealer demonstrator given that it is an early car and was sold to a customer after 9 months?

2) An idea what the other numbers are in the other two boxes: '8' and '214 6143'. Maybe the garage phone number?



Thanks

David

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hi David,

I am not 100% certain, however, here is what I think.

The first date shown as übernahmetag (translated Date of transfer or Date of delivery) may mean the day the factory delivered the car to the dealership.

The second date 14 Sept 1968 may very well be the date the dealer sold the car to the first owner.

I think the factory does not release the car unless paid for in advance by the dealer. Your date on the car's nameplate must be close to the first date i.e 18 Jan 1968.

Cheers,

Rolf-Dieter

[Moss Andrews]

Van de Loo was a Mercedes Dealer who was famous for selling Mercedes cars with immediate delivery. At that time it was common to wait several month for a new Mercedes. Mercedes wasn't pleased about his success and bought his business in the seventies. Mr. van de Loo bought cars and car orders all over Germany to sell them to his clients, who paid several thousand Deutsch Mark to get the cars earlier. Often also to buyers from the US who visited Germany and traveled around with a new Mercedes which was shipped to the states afterwards. A very successful business.

I guess your car was ordered in january and delivered nine month later.