OLD TOP GEAR, (1993), MERC' 600 SEC, CAR DOMINOES, ALFA ROMEO 2900B, TOP GEAR RALLY, 1/2.

Take a look at my Instagram account at...
/ paul.atkinson.photography
In part 1 of this 1993 episode Jeremy Clarkson starts off by presenting a test of the Merecedes Benz 600SEC & then Tony Mason speaks to a grandfather who likes to specialise in driving old Jaguars/Daimlers in to cars which are stood upright like dominoes, the underneath filled with straw/hay & then set alight.

[@davidhayes4814]

After 23 years, that merc is worth £4500 now. The cottage is possibly worth 100 times that amount.

[@charlesmak534]

Until the next housing crash, then it will be worth £95000 again.

[@roddydykes7053]

David Hayes what a fucked up time to be alive

[@AlternativeDesign100]

I'd say the cottage "costs 100 times that amount", but is definitely not worth it.

[@zacharyp10]

David Hayes It's depressing

[@bleensteen9331]

A good investment - wouldn't want to live there though. Constantly dishing up ££££ for thatching, hoardes of spiders, drafts, rot, tiny doors, crap plumbing, being photo'd all the time by gawping tourists, not being able to change the stupid place because it's listed, etc etc...

[@maxpenrose9480]

oh man that cow shirt lol

[@jemorrismmorris]

+max penrose I think it's a Bullshirt

[@SgtKanyo]

I'm more terrified of it's owner. Not sure if that's Jezza or Ellen Ripley.

[@pow1983]

You know you want one

[@energymc22]

I remember watching this episode when I was 12 years old, I had recorded it and played it again and again! At the beginning as Clarkson walks into the kitchen his comment about "no room to swing a cat, or indeed a hamster" sprung back into my head word for word, as did the dilithium crystals comment. I guess its true, what you learn as a child really does get embedded into ones brain

[@bilalahmed2123]

The quality of Mercedes Benz just can not be replicated today ! This car is quality !

[@ozelot250]

Yes these cars are well built but I would not call them reliable. There are many things that break or go wrong that seem to cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Prices in the used car market are super cheap but don't forget that parts are very expensive and repairs are frequent and also expensive. Buyer beware.

[@bilalahmed2123]

Depends how you keep the car and where you go for parts and service. In some cars parts get cheaper once a car has reached a mile stone. Also, there are varieties of good aftermarket and oem parts available at a reasonable price.

[@bliglum]

+ozelot250 Many eurocarphiles will hate you saying that, but it's true.. Mercedes are extremely well built, with exceptionally high quality materials. But they are pretty poor for reliability, which is double trouble when one considers the high cost of parts and labor.. Same thing with those other beloved Euro brands, BMW and Audi.. I used to work at a Mercedes dealership, and would hear stories from the mechanics about how they frequently had Benzes come through with repair bills higher than what the entire cars were worth!!!!

[@philip1470]

+TheYorkMan +Maximo Polpo Yes. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He's just rambling on whining about things he probably have no experience with. I doubt he's ever owned a W140. and btw "TheYorkMan break pads arn't expensive you cheap average joe! Last it's 24 not 12 spark plugs...

[@tibchy144]

+philip s (Dishano) i drive a 1993 swb 350 turbodiesel w140, it has been in our family since 1996 and so far it has proved highly reliable but i heard that v12 engines are not as reliable as my diesel

[@grandcalifornia8410]

This particular Mercedes car featured in the video was last seen alive in 2015. May its spirit live on forever

[@h2oaddict28]

Huh?

[@grandcalifornia8410]

@@h2oaddict28 this car was alive up to 2015 used on the road. Most likely crushed or taken off the road now

[@h2oaddict28]

@@grandcalifornia8410 Where did you saw it? I doubt it was crushed.

[@reyrob]

I had a 1998 CL600, the last year they made the C140. Magnificent car and has the best seats I ever experienced in luxury cars. I owned 7 series, A8, Silver Spur, XJ8. None is as comfortable as the C140. I drove all of them for over 1.000 miles non stop and the Merc is the only one that did't leave my butt in pain.... lol

[@Iwan1976able]

1600 kms nonstop?Without tiring body? Woww!!

[@raycroal]

ive got a 98 cl600 too and those seats are superb

[@FryChicken]

It's true. When you drive a top of the line mercedes, every journey feels half as long as in an ordinary car.

[@stephenbianchi7141]

If your serious about owning a V12 Merc, save up 20k and buy three so you have parts.

[@xXAlmdudlerXx]

+Stephen Bianchi For 20 k? The have to be quite crappy then :D

[@roddydykes7053]

xXAlmdudlerXx my friend got a half-decent JDM S600 for $3000

[@yellowhammer3]

there is nothing like the starting sound of V12 Mercedes

[@yellowhammer3]

I wouldn't call the sounds of a blowjob particularly appealing

[@yellowhammer3]

A mercedes v12 does not sound like blowjob either, but whatever suits you

[@WorldGoods]

Are you gay?

[@Anal0Avenger]

Yes there is. The sound that numbs your brains when you have needed to fix something in it.

[@freundschaft870]

@@yellowhammer3 I have one, and it sure does.

[@bunnybismuth]

"No room to swing... a hamster" Shades of Jeremy's future endeavors, perhaps?

[@GryphLane]

Hamster does that by himself!

[@GrrMeister]

@Sendit Sunday *Recon probably ate them for Sunday Lunch (Roasted) along with a glass or two of Rosé & Freddie Starr as company.*

[@greathey1234]

The cottage may be worth half a million today, the mercedes may be less than a new laptop.

[@ssj4david]

Property> Cars. Especially overengineered German cars

[@Freakovsky]

greathey1234 True, last year I bought a toshiba laptop for about $760, two weeks ago I bought a 1995 S600 V12 for $600 body & interior in excellent condition, only needed a new engine wiring harness which was very expensive but still, a bargain for such a car. Amazing to think that the same outcome is waiting for the current S65 AMG Coupe. That's why you should never buy a new Mercedes unless you're a millionaire and cost and depreciation is no objection.

[@keyboarddancers7751]

Freakovsky You're dead right. Buying a new top of the range Mercedes merely demonstrates that you have lots of money. Sounds like you made a fantastic purchase. Clearly if you know what you're doing, it's possible to drive in epic secondhand luxury for new Honda money.

[@tibchy144]

+Freakovsky my boss bought a cl 65 amg for nearly 300k eur, 3 years and 150k kms later his factory went bankrupt and he had to sell the car for 80k eur, the car was like new

[@lewis72]

+greathey1234 However, if you had bought all the Capris and/or 2-door Mk1 & Mk2 sporty Escorts that £95k would have bought you in '93, you'd have made a massive profit by now !

[@stemider]

Still beautiful and amazing car.

[@MrAdoh2010]

I bought a 2003 CL500 clean and running with 110k miles for $3200. That's all you need to know about these cars depreciation.

[@aabidamn]

+MrAdoh2010 How's the service and maintenance so far?

[@slowazbmwkilla3073]

This car was nice but now its nothing serious , but I don't mind having one. I had a s500 lorinser which was nice too . I don't want to bash on Mercedes because there a lot of fanboy on ,but I don't understand why they depreciate so much. It's not just Mercedes BMW, Audi and jag are some of the worst in resale value . It's doesn't take much to know why. please no trolls.

[@Bosch_Guy]

I'd buy the house instead

[@frankmagana1408]

Was the car reliable

[@GusBounas]

+MrAdoh2010 Let me tell you that a £93,000 house today will cost you close to £1,000,000!!!

[@tubster01]

TWO AIRBAGS?!?!?! :O

[@themardybum08]

Madness extravagance.

[@gorillachilla]

Tobe Puckey lol

[@roddydykes7053]

Tobe Puckey what would the passenger need one for??

[@kassperplus]

even a 2016 corolla doesn't have most of the great features of this car

[@Tr33Tr331]

this car was definitely ahead of its time with the features! wow

[@roddydykes7053]

KP-48 how many corollas do you reckon you can buy for 90K£ 1993 money in current value? Probably 15 or more

[@hugq14]

spudnic88 it is a V-12

[@ramvekaria1256]

He's talking about the Corolla

[@kentaylor5842]

Corolla holds its value way better and cheaper to replace parts and way more reliable, would rather have a Corolla.

[@atos.nympha3451]

stereo remote control in a car in 1993? why should i be shocked, 2018 and this car still drives better than so many cars on the road now .

[@Dr.Hoffman]

Old Top Gear uploaded 13 years ago.. so REALLY old Top Gear. Thanks :)

[@darrenwilson8042]

ha ha ha - you'd need £95k to buy one room now

[@Ahasveros8]

Norman a Realy hero! And artist! Go Norman, save the world!

[@delesgames]

thanks for the upload !

[@marcelloribeiro2750]

OMG! That cow shirt is ridiculos!

[@LexusboyLS]

Thought the cow shirt was fabulous, must be worth thousands at auction now...

[@williamjohnson7707]

As is your spelling

[@keabot]

A time When mercs ruled the world

[@neilwalsh4058]

The W140/C140 series was in my opinion the best ever S-Class. Drives far better than a 126 series, ultra smooth, ultra quiet and simply glides over poor quality roads. I had 4 W126's and 2 W/C140's. Never got a V12, both mine were V8 5 litre, and both incredibe value for money.

[@joshpickles9022]

it's amazing how far things have come. my diesel does 0-60 in 6.5s

[@joshpickles9022]

+Azureecosse No no! It's great because it will do that and still return 35mpg. If I drive sensibly it's closer to 50mpg. Agree that car was well ahead of its time though.

[@joshpickles9022]

+Azureecosse By the way my car is also a Mercedes and weighs over 2 tonnes. Great cars.

[@hugq14]

David Topchiev what year, the Honda??

[@weedmastersr]

But it's not a diesel, so it gets crap gas mileage.

[@TerribleB33]

Your diesel has a turbo. Pull out the turbo and put it against the V12 atmospheric petrol engine again... Oh, and put some weight on your car too while you are at it.

[@AlexxanderOnYoutube]

gotta love clarkson's eyebrow game

[@blakesteele7800]

Great example of a appreciating asset vs a depreciating asset.

[@RatelHBadger]

Did I hear that right Jezza. I get TWO whole airbags. To live as Kings

[@pantera6343]

That 2 airbag comment made me laugh so much 🤣

[@emka9537]

23 years and this merc is better than any new merc

[@keruamg]

Although it is an engineering marvel of its time - this car has looks only its designer could love.

[@darkbassi5911]

keruamg a nice vibe set of wheels and it’ll look great.

[@tonypasby8287]

Yep, that thing needs some 22 inch wheels,

[@joshbriggsDayZBeast]

Poor Jaguar :(

[@davidhayes4814]

Hi Charles walliburton: Thanks for the info...that is quite astonishing. Even amongst cars, sophisticated German cars don't do always do well as valuable classics. Relatively unsophisticated cars like the big Healeys are, I guess, much cheaper to work on and gets bits for.

[@Mr99balu]

I like his shirt! :)

[@TheMessiah79]

I just saw a 94 Merc 600 sec for sale on ebay classified for £3500. Quite a bit cheaper than £93700...

[@ULTdisaster]

Whats the point of your comment?

[@TheMessiah79]

Martin Nikolov Whats the point of yours?

[@tsukishiro70]

Well done that Daimler. Knocking down thirteen flaming cars and still driveable at the end is some good going.

[@simonharding1572]

wow 2 airbags

[@gedaman]

Seeing the Mercedes-Benz 600 SEC reminds me of the 1998 Hype Williams film Belly. DMX drove a beautiful green late ‘90s S-Class coupe.

[@KevBoy3D]

I had an old 93 merc as a replacement car for a week, it had the mechanism to bring you your seatbelt too, pretty funny!

[@k956upg]

Then a mirror gets broken by a passing car & despite the car being worth only 6 k a few years later the mirror still costs £600

[@fatonkosova6212]

How can I like the first half and dislike the second half of this video.

[@leopold7562]

Ah, so that was the cottage that inspired Clarkson's Mercedes refit in a later TG!

[@osamaFXX]

Its strange because this CL costs in 1993 almost 94 grands. A brand new S-Coupe in 2015 is 96 grand! in twenty years the price of a brand new Mercedes luxury coupe almost the same! While the C-class from 1993 was 17 grand and a brand new one is a whooping 28 grand! Spooky.

[@blood117]

How about in dollars?

[@buca9696]

osamaFXX Remember, money then were worth more than money now. Inflation.

[@osamaFXX]

tavi921 Yes but why inflation only effected the C-class? the bigger model price stays almost the same

[@buca9696]

osamaFXX Because that model is bought by most people. It doesn't depreciate that much because there is a higher demand for it as it's most sought after.

[@osamaFXX]

No I don't think this is the case here. Demand and depreciation is not related together in this form. Because RR from that era cost about 150 grand (low demand due to higher price) and now in 2015 it cost more than 300 grand.

[@lewis72]

Poor Daimler.

[@barabaspolo]

thank you daddy for uploading

[@TiptronicSS]

I love how Jeremy loves Star Trek "runs on Dilithium crystals" 😅😂

[@rajgill7576]

My first car was a 90s merc all those buttons and that sunshade takes me back hahaha

[@mtgcapital1135]

Jeremy's shirt.....Jesus...

[@TheJoesmoe1987]

That house has probably gone up in value by 100% and the Merc lost 100%🙀

[@simonharding1572]

appears to be off the road now last MOT May 2014 has only been doing about 1000 miles per year in the last few MOTs

[@wdowa94]

THERE IS TWO AIRBAGS!!!! WOW Told nobody in 2020

[@wilspin01]

Two airbags .......... whooohooo

[@TheDirtyTurkey44]

Gotta love the ingenious algorithm that recommended this to me

[@sicklight]

I was like this car, That's my favorite Mercedes ever!

[@ProfessorPesca]

Hold on, it has TWO airbags and ABS??!! Insane luxury!

[@lucascady4992]

Topped out a 93" Z28 at 156mph in 5th gear at 4000rpm ! It had 6 gears!

[@paulmurphy8993]

Jeremy Clarkson looks like the British Herman Munster.

[@danny355]

It's weird hearing Jeremy talking like Quentin Wilson

[@csabacsere4171]

+klarusboy lol

[@stephenbianchi7141]

+klarusboy bullshirt... that's the joke

[@Frost67915]

1993: "Miserable 5 liters engine..." How times changed

[@martin518441]

I'm pretty sure jeremy was being sarcastic . even for 93 , it wasn't like america in the 70s

[@h2oaddict28]

It's a joke, 5L was massive for an european car. I think the average is around 1.4L.

[@Landshark928]

Really an institute this CL600 even today.

[@DJWerkz]

That looks like it was filmed in Buckinghamshire around Olney, Gayhurst and Newton Blossomville

[@tapatiogomez7865]

@ 2:40 the car sounded like it didn't want too start hahaha

[@junglingo]

2 airbags!!

[@JOHNINCOLUMBUS]

OMG Jeremy, your 80's hair style, I had one something like that too....hehehe.

[@antanasnovickis]

looks good

[@cartman668222]

how many merc buyers back then wish they had bought the house?

[@tonypasby8287]

Back in 93, anyone who bought a £93k car, would probably already have a house worth 5 times that cottage.

[@chrisogrady28]

“It has TWO AIRBAGS!”

[@parsiiran6757]

Where was Audi 😂 that is why I always say that it is a shame to place Audi next to Benz.

[@AMIN206r15]

today If you can find a 600sec like this one with less than 1000km probably worth more than $100000.

[@bjhe333]

a skinny you Clarkston. whoa

[@GodricThe]

haha Two airbags

[@roddydykes7053]

GodricThe what would we need more than 1 for??

[@iCoolaxe]

@@roddydykes7053 Well, it's probably good to have one for the passenger as well, side airbags won't hurt either.

[@-db-7901]

My favorite iteration of Clarkson's hair. It's like a Hasselhoff mullet.....

[@BerkayKokcu]

Young Clarkson... God :D

[@jasonhare8540]

That shirt . What in the name of James May is going on there 🤣

[@miked9000]

2 airbags! cut to 2019, and a budget carolla has 7 airbags.

[@MrBruintjebeer]

Wow 2 airbags.

[@ozelot250]

If only Mercedes could have designed the ease of maintenance, durability, reliable, and low cost of ownership of a Honda or Toyota. That would have been a hela of a car, oh wait isn't that what Lexus did?

[@jchisholm1968]

Goddness until you see this you can't really appreciate how bad Jeremy Clarkson has deteriorated.

[@DodgerBlueRobert]

John Chisholm cigarettes and alcohol

[@claudiu9737]

"Is very expensive to repair and maintain", things like that will be told by people which they have 200k in the bank and they buy an 100k car. Rich people with big wealth will never be bothered by a 10-15k repair bill!

[@user-uz2bk1hs4c]

Im been wondering how small a v12 could be. Like if there was A 2.0L fuel saving version

[@Thb202]

93,000 in 1993 was equivalent to 180k now

[@geoffk777]

In 2020 Pounds, £95,000 in 1993 is more than doubled to about £200,000. That makes the cottage a real bargain, and the car outrageously expensive. Although, in fairness, it's built much better than a new Merc.

[@josuniunea1654]

CL always the most rich gangster car ever!!

[@roddydykes7053]

jos uniunea what about the SL?

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

0:06 its rare to see rally cars overtaking each other...😁👍

[@basicwrench4510]

I have a 93 600sl. It's still beautiful and I've learned how to somewhat be an educated "guess what's wrong" artist. Mercedes should be ashamed for the stunt they pulled in the early 90's 90-95. Don't get me wrong.. I love my car..

[@GrrMeister]

1:45 *£93,007 in 1993 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as £187,894.25 in 2019 - WOW what a Bargain indeed for a car that today is worth Peanuts - or a few Carrots maybe, or a beautiful 2 bedroom Cottage in very desirable and much sought after location and now worth £395,000 +?*

[@landmonkey22]

THERE ARE TWOOO AIRBAGS :D

[@mutestingray]

I really want to see that Zimmer.

[@jediali221]

K536YVV untaxed/MOTd since 2015

[@mancavehobbies6213]

The last time the merc was mot'd was in 2015 ...its now a washing machine

[@visionist7]

Are there any modern cars with a power operated interior mirror? Even the W140 ditched it after 1996 I think

[@Ross6041]

seems kind of lazy having that. over engineering.

[@visionist7]

@@Ross6041 back then it was part of the self dimming system. The mirror would tilt down when a headlight shone on it. Now mirrors have a self tinting backing.

[@VictorySpecification]

nice mullet

[@theodor12]

Look at jeremy's shirt!

[@MrMelodynelson]

never saw a S series with 3 doors....I had the 300CE, but never saw/knew that exist...and why should that exist? In a car of these it is so necessary 3 doors like to have 3 legs..

[@DarthCoco]

Jeremy: biscuit? Jeremy now: Na, I've moved on

[@stiveicestive3135]

linda camisa de España

[@carldarley9179]

James May called. He wants his shirt back.

[@kieranpenrose]

95K for that house!!!!! Whatttttt!!!!! That's insane!!!!!

[@sandeepbiswal2018]

A time when 0-60 in 6.5 sec's was considered fast.. 04:25

[@bghoody5665]

It's been a while since I've heard Pat Benatar.

[@iI_Principe]

Jeremy wearing classy clothes, as always.

[@FAT8893]

That cottage would cost more than half a million now.