Author Topic: Young at heart with a new SLK350...  (Read 11062 times)

mdsalemi

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Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« on: April 16, 2012, 19:55:40 »
So, my aunt and father are in Germany at this moment.  Yes, it is my aunt who first had my Pagoda.  Yes, she is profiled in a sense, in my Pagoda Style book page.  This morning, they picked up her new SLK350 on European delivery.  Tonight they are in Baden-Baden, tomorrow they'll go to the Mercedes Museum back in Stuttgart.  They toured Sindelfingen today.  They'll tour around brother and sister, until 1-May when the drop the car in Zurich, and fly home.  They are having the time of their lives, these two widowers...my father twice a widow.

Oh, my father will be 90 in June.  His little sister is of the age where one does not ask, but you can do some math.  My aunt was a bit afraid to take the wheel of her new car in Sindelfingen, so Dad drove.  I guess he'll be doing a lot of the driving.

Talk about young at heart...how many octogenarians buy 2-seat roadsters on European delivery???  Godspeed, Jean and Caster--drive safe and have a great time!
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid
2024 Ford Mustang Mach Ex PEV

Jonny B

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Re: Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2012, 23:59:43 »
Absolutely wonderful! I did the Euro delivery in 2005 on an Eclass wagon. It was, and still is, the best new car buying experience I have ever had. Good. no GREAT, on them.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2012, 00:04:18 by Jonny B »
Jonny B
1967 250 SL Auto, DB 568
1970 280 SL Auto, DB 904
1966 Morris Mini Minor

JamesL

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Re: Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2012, 06:41:58 »
Yuo're only as old as you feel. Thanks Michael, that's brightened my day.
James L
Oct69 RHD 280 in DB906 with cognac leather

mdsalemi

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Re: Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2012, 17:14:19 »
...and these two octogenarians had a story--and MB was quick to pick up on it.  They were photographed and interviewed...and someone will probably write something about it on some internal blog or something.
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid
2024 Ford Mustang Mach Ex PEV

mdsalemi

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Re: Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2012, 14:36:04 »
OK, my father and aunt are STILL in Germany (maybe Austria?  Switzerland? Italy?)  Last I heard they were on the way to Bolzano.  I tell you, these kids today...they don't call, they don't write--last I heard from them was on Sunday when they were in Innsbruck.

The MB Media folks are quick to pick up on unique stories--and a woman of this age, buying a new SLK and getting it on European delivery with her even-older brother is a story.  They shadowed them in the museum, took some video and interviewed them as preliminary fodder for a blog update in a diary format.  When they return, they have an assignment to provide a story to Daimler about their trip.  Here is the rough video as posted by Daimler:

http://youtu.be/ZmB2F5bJORg

For those of you who have the Pagoda Style book, the woman in the video is my Aunt Jean--she is named in the dedication, and also on my page 142.  The man in the video is my father, Caster.  He is also mentioned on page 142 in the book.  My father will turn 90 on June 14.  As you can see, he's in pretty good shape.  If I make it to that age, that's what I'll look like... :)
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid
2024 Ford Mustang Mach Ex PEV

Larry & Norma

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Re: Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2012, 14:56:10 »
Absolutely brilliant :) :)
Larry Hall (Gnuface)
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2005 C230
1970 280SL

TR

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Re: Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2012, 11:56:41 »
Thank you Michael for posting the video link.  This seems an excellent adventure!

mdsalemi

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Re: Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2012, 12:38:43 »
Their story has been posted.

Here is a link to the Daimler blog, where a new member of the MBCA Long Island-New York section shares her dream…

http://blog.daimler.de/2012/08/01/gastbeitrag-my-new-slk-350-its-a-dream-come-true/

Oh, she's my aunt; my SL was hers and my late uncles; and her new SLK is her third. She started with a 1964 230SL; then the 1969 280SL, and after a lapse of some decades, moved to the new SLK.

It isn't everyday that the young at heart live their dream…Jean Sokol has.
Michael Salemi
Davidson, North Carolina (Charlotte Area) USA
1969 280SL (USA-Spec)
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid "Area 51"
2023 Ford Escape Hybrid
2024 Ford Mustang Mach Ex PEV

gerster

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Re: Young at heart with a new SLK350...
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2012, 19:16:57 »
Fantastic.