A loyal Mercedes-Benz Claremont customer is very proud of his 1989 300SE with 500 000 kilometres on the clock, writes DP, Teddy Govender.

Maintained by Mercedes Benz Claremont over the years, this car is still going strong.

Purchased many years ago by a much younger Mr Randall, the car has been maintained with great care since the day it took to the road. It has a full service history and has been serviced by Mercedes-Benz Claremont.

Produced from 1988-1991 the W126, was marketed as the Mercedes Benz 300SE – a top performer in the Mercedes-Benz range.

Chatting to Mr Randall, who is now 80, you get the sense that over time the vehicle became an extension of him.

Asked why he believed the vehicle is still in such a good condition, he says that he has always understood, that in order for him to keep the car in tip top condition he had to adopt a preventative approach making sure that the vehicle was serviced on time and only at an approved repair centre with only genuine Mercedes parts.

Smiling from ear to ear, Mr Randall quickly points out that how your vehicle performs on the road depends on what you do with it when it is off the road.

Asked what attracted him to the car all those years ago, he says, “I've always admired the W126 series Mercedes as well as most Mercedes-Benz series from the 1950s.

"It is the engineering that I am drawn toward. I could spend hours looking over all the little details on the car – closing the doors just so I can enjoy the firm noise they make when closing, looking under the hood at the double firewall, or sitting inside on the firm yet 'springy' seats. I like how you can tell the car was designed to Mercedes-Benz engineering principles of its time."
 
With a file close by with the full service and repair history, he points out “you see only genuine Mercedes parts and service.”

Asked if he will ever part with his car he chuckles and replies “Not a chance - this is one for the archives.”

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