It's been three months since I last drove a W126.

Here are things I miss from my 560SEL regardless of whatever car I might be driving:

1. Style
2. Solidness, especially at freeway speeds
3. Simplicity under the hood
4. Ease of driving
5. Interior space and trunk space
6. RWD spring thru fall

Things I don't miss:

1. Fuel economy
2. Maintenance cost
3. Winter driving w/ RWD

Among head-turning W126's mine was definitely a beaut for a car that spent all its life in the Northeast (read: salt damage) for the body had absolutely no rust.  I do miss the classic MB styling, though my element gets quite a lot of attention too - quite often, upon returning to my parked E,  I have to clean the windows  as they will have handprints and nose/forehead grease of people who try to take a closer look of the interior, lol.   The sight of W126's still make me wistful but I do feel that some of the burden has lifted, and it will be especially true in winter when snow and ice set in.

jdc, thanks for kind words.  That particular 560SEL was a kind of car that made one lose one's head.  It wasn't exactly concours material but there was something about her that made the owners pamper her.

I'd love to own another classic MB whether it's a W126, W116, W123, W124 or R107 but it all has to do with garage space (and to a lesser extent insurance and nagging I get from the family).  We have a two-car garage and they are both occupied.  We have a parking area on our driveway but the tree sap, debris, and other elements will beat the car down in no time.  We have two large Norwegian Maples that drops stuff all over the place three times a year - blossoms in May, 'helicopter' seed pods all through the summer, and big yellow leaves in October.

The Honda Element was designed in American Honda design office and therefore, it is marketed pretty much exclusively in North America (US and Canada) but it was sold in Japan from 2004 to 2006 in limited numbers.

Regarding W126 - those cars had hardly any blind spots and deceptively small turning radius (relative to the size of the car).  While they are ultimate open road cruisers, it was surprisingly nimble in congested city traffic too - I've driven in it during NYC rush hour and it was a breeze changing lanes and negotiating traffic because of the two points provided above.  It also helps that a classic MB in good shape does prevent cabbies and tailgaters from coming too close.

DAMN!!!!     You makin' me want one even more, chile!

 We should ALL have 10-car garages dammit!  

   It should come with our P3 membership!

PS: Sorry about the rough language
 

 Do you have a pic of it?