Why Albanians Only Drive Mercedes-Benz

[@DanoFSmith-yc9tg]

Honestly, its kinda smart that basically an entire country drives the same car, makes getting parts, and keeping them on the road for longer, much easier. I actually admire it in a weird way.

[@edalbanese6310]

Exactly. My girlfriend just bought a Mercedes and guess what, parts galore if there are any issues!

[@DMartinov]

It’s more environmentally friendly than using all these resources to make batteries for electric cars, then using probably coal to charge them with electricity and then not knowing what to do with all the waste these batteries are gonna become. And replacing those costs almost as much as a new EV so who’ll bother doing that.

[@moneymane1082]

easier to steal too

[@_Philip_.]

Yeah import stolen cars ahahahah and then wonder why there is many spare parts

[@Daswars777]

Now imagine people instead of cars. How easy would life be!

[@Merchelloful]

Albanian here. The love with Mercedes Benz started with the W123; mainly the 240d. It was big, so it could fit plenty, robust, easy to repair, and had an incredibly heavy duty suspension thay worked well with the inexistent roads of Albania in the early to late 90's. You'll have people swear by their 240D's. Now its more of a status symbol, but back then it was just convince.

[@smrkc]

And easy to steal?

[@spiranca]

@@smrkc You seem to know them cars well..

[@Rikki-lh2mw]

@@smrkc Hahahahahahaha 😄😄😄

[@ivanriverooo]

Convenience. Great comment. Loved it!

[@Flat_Earth_Sophia]

So you started stealing them from hard working Europeans?

[@ANDREWFORCUCCIVEVO]

The “E” in E-Class stands for Eastern Europe

[@DrHumorous]

😂😂

[@onucaboza5719]

@@DrHumorous Albania isn't Eastern Europe. Southern Europe, see on the map.

[@Catalina._]

@@onucaboza5719 Well, the S-Class then

[@factorpotencia]

No it's not

[@iainf1]

Rubbish! It is a contraction of the German for fuel-injected

[@kritikusi-666]

Everywhere else: "I do not own a Benz because it costs so much to maintain" haha -I love Albania. Benz for life!

[@SlVehicleLoversCommunity004]

Peoples forgot mercedes is a luxury car brand thats why its maintance cost was high ..theory is if you buy a high colity premium brand it must need a premium maintance ....

[@voodoojin792]

You really think they maintain them as they should?)

[@jensgronning4436]

The difference is those are all 80s to 90s Mercedes back when they were reliable. Now they’re filled with tech and turbos and are a maintenance nightmare after about 5 years.

[@Toyotacorollaaltis-cn9fd]

Its actually really funny because where I live I have a friend who bought a Volkswagon Polo the 2nd cheapest new car in the country and the dealer charges him $2000 for oil every 5000km and uses the wrong oil and aftermarket everything else meanwhile I bought an older E200 Benz themselves charges me $1800 for an A service which is alot more than oil and everything is genuine Mercedes Benz parts

[@Toyotacorollaaltis-cn9fd]

@@jensgronning4436 Actually no maybe the brand new ones but anything 2018 and older is actually quite reliable if serviced right

[@daYugoslav]

I like how the old guy opened the garage door and hit the parked mercedes to see the other mercedes 🤣🤣🤣

[@eriktonev3797]

I was looking for this comment

[@ionut17flv]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@CORRADOVRT]

Hahaha see that, no Fs given 😂

[@_MrRed_]

He opened the garage doors like nothing was there 😂

[@erebostd]

You clearly hear he hit the metal stop at the bottom, like on the other side, where you even can see it. No mercedes was harmed 😉

[@ImEazyE]

respect to Albanians for keeping the legacy of 80s-90s cars! these are the most reliable (and very luxurious for their time). I love Mercedes Benz and German cars in general, even though the most recent ones are not as reliable as the old ones and we are having more and more soulless elecrtric/hybrid cars.

[@artistic_balkan.collection]

In some small cities 99% is Mercedes’ of auto, driven by grandpa and grandma old ladies and man their child are in west old people drive in Albania all Mercedes’ even very very rare models !

[@sinisklemmo567]

What is this preference of Deutsche Welle for electric car haters?

[@persona7-7-7]

Soulless how?

[@ImEazyE]

@@persona7-7-7 maybe because those electric/hybrid cars are only made to comply with new regulations. for example the new AMG C63 will be a 2.0 L hybrid, when the old one was a 6.3L V8. if that's not soulless, what do you call it?

[@ImEazyE]

@@sinisklemmo567 I don't hate electric cars, but I hate the fact that all manufacturers are now forced to build only such cars.

[@ami_nolove]

Hello everyone from Tajikistan! we also have an absolute majority prefer Mercedes-Benz and Opel. they are driven from the Baltic countries to us! when I asked my uncle: why is the whole country in a Mercedes, if it is possible to buy other cars? he replied that the parts were cheap and easy to find. wherever Mercedes breaks down, you just knock on the first house you come across and ask: where does the mechanic live? your car will be repaired quickly and you will never lose your time and money.peace to all from sunny Tajikistan! 🇹🇯❤️🇺🇦

[@joshuacoyle6584]

Opel 💀

[@vipeton.8927]

What about Audi?

[@prla5400]

That's awesome

[@lilazi420]

@@joshuacoyle6584 opel 👍

[@cubular3000]

You guys prefer Opel? Do you know who makes them nowadays?

[@apacha2004]

5:19 that rear bumper and door "collision" was hardest thing to watch

[@stephenb7829]

I saw and felt it too

[@zak__21]

I used to think Nigeria was dominated by Toyota but this video is another level. There's so much enthusiasm and care for the cars

[@doublep1980]

Check out the Top Gear episode, where they went to Albania and noticed the same thing about all the older Mercedes on the roads.

[@RUfromthe40s]

in africa there are lot´s of mercedes running with 50 years old or more, the w114 to the w124

[@TMartins379]

You are right. Toyota and Lexus dominates Nigeria.

[@unclebenzng]

Mercedes-Benz is for the real money bags- or enthusiasts- in Nigeria

[@peterschulze3631]

In Usbekistan 90% of the cars are Chevrolet

[@chiefdenis]

I'm a massive w124 fan, Albania looks like heaven to me

[@matthew1562]

As a W124 fan , what do you think about E34 ?

[@witekki]

@@matthew1562 im a different w124 fan and owner. Just before i got my w124 i started looking at e34 cause it had a better supply at the time. I really like the e34 but it just aint an old benz. There just is something about w/s124, w201 and c126 for example. Old bmw cars are really cool but an old benz always wins.

[@blitzblix9455]

@@witekki I agree

[@matthew1562]

@@witekki i see i myself am a little bmw fan , bot o boy , those old mercs are something different , especially the C126 , this thing is just magnificent. I was asking bout E34 from curiousity , im planning on buying one myself but some time ago i was thinking about W124 ( the 250D variant to be exact )

[@etka6973]

same haha

[@bledianleka369]

Good documentary. You've done your research. If you came 20 years earlier, Mercedes-Benz cars would easily exceed 80%. Today, people look for cheaper and smaller cars. They are no longer attached to the brand like their parents. Also, Mercede's quality is not the same either. The old models are really the best cars Mercedes ever built, and the new ones have nothing to do with it. They were able to pull on the rough and destroyed Albanian roads in the 90s. No modern car can do that. It's like history and heritage for the Albanians.

[@thomasgrabkowski8283]

Also new Mercedes cars are expensive and Albanian incomes are low meaning few can afford them

[@TheSultan1470]

Because they were primitive cars

[@Joey856721]

@@TheSultan1470 they were not, for their times that was amazing.

[@bananaempijama]

Indeed. Quality in Mercedes and BMW also, declined

[@TheSultan1470]

@@Joey856721 That was 20-30 years ago

[@SupraSav]

I must visit Albania before I die. Not only does the car culture seem like a fun time. the people and culture seem great also.

[@mvnorsel6354]

I visited Albania in 2019 for 2 weeks, great country and people. Really enjoyed it. Greeting from Australia 🇦🇺.

[@ajax5472]

Thank you my friend 👍🤝

[@edgay]

visited for 2 weeks a few weeks back as well, has to be one of my favorite countries i have visited!

[@ajax5472]

@@edgay I’m happy to hear that, you definitely come back and visit.

[@artistic_balkan.collection]

Thanks you , you should taste next time the amazing Albanian wine of local farmers is an hidden paradise of alcohol and taste 🎉

[@thomakis29]

Do you make happy holidays 🚬🚬🚬🚬🚬🚬🚬🚬🚬🚬🚬.

[@agzimgashi853]

One more thing no one mentioned, King Zog 1st got a Mercedes from Germany as a gift for his wedding in the year of 1938. That was probably the first Mercedes in Albania.

[@evelynwalker1998]

The brand is called Mercedes-Benz.

[@bck0001]

I’m in the States but wish I could send my W124 there for restoration. I love the W124 so much and like the fellow from the UK said and same here, finding someone willing to work on them is difficult. I’d enjoy a trip to Albania to meet the W124 club and car watch.

[@rizashahini]

Yes I agree

[@arorakevin]

These are easy cars to maintain. You don't need to go to Albania. I am a mechanic and they are relatively easy and the parts are abundant as Mercedes never stops making parts for their cars. I am sure you can find a good indy shop to maintain it if you don't want to maintain it yourself. There isn't anything unique about w124s like a McLaren F1 or something... just letting you know... the Mercedes Source guy on youtube can probably teach you a lot of things you need to know for maintaining and repairing your w124 or any other Mercedes you might plan to buy in the future as the w123 and w126 are just as good as the w124 but in different ways.

[@mohamedabadila]

I live in Spain, 30 min from where i live there's a place specialized in Benz's i wonder if they repair old ones

[@pidhsome]

If you find the right trusted person you could ship it here, fix it and get it back. There’s plenty of places here i know that could do an awesome job on it.

[@bck0001]

@@pidhsome as I think about that, it’s really tempting. I need to research shipping cost. Or, make a visit to Albania for some inspiration.

[@TheDaki91]

Just got a band new Benz last week , thank u for making me feel extra Albanian lol

[@DWREV]

always good to feel a bit extra

[@dyarom4575]

I just sold my 2012 Mercedes Benz C 300

[@BIGGBOSS..]

In many countries where Mercedes is expensive to maintain,In Albania is easy and cheap to use and maintain Mercedes. Mercedes Benz company needs to give Albania a prize.😃

[@iTheGeo]

Mercedes should give them a prize for not buying new models and instead recycling 30 year old cars? I don't think so...

[@turboterps]

@@iTheGeo 😂😂😂

[@anaskhoiri3653]

Albania is easily Mercedes home base

[@iTheGeo]

@@anaskhoiri3653 *Second-hand Mercedes home base.

[@n0xx295]

@@iTheGeo These folks provide value to the Mercedes brand, because they perpetuate the idea of Mercedes building high quality vehicles, which they no longer do. There was a time when Mercedes meant something more than mere wealth, it meant dependability. Mercedes made cars for people who got to where they are through hard work and the honoring of commitments, and they where a reflection of that, which is why old Mercedes are still beloved by the common folk which are now able to afford them. In fact, if you're about to spend €20 000 on a brand new Peugeot, chances are you'd be better off paying less for a 30 year old Mercedes 190. IMO Mercedes *should* get in touch with these people and find out *why* Mercedes cars are so beloved in not so well-off places of the world, like Albania, Portugal or the North of Africa... Maybe that way they can become as great as they once where.

[@DoctorBenz]

In Georgia and in the former countries of the USSR, there are also a lot of Mercedes on the streets. P.s.Hello Tirana from Tbilisi🍻

[@Atrau-]

Armenians especially have some obsession with Mercedes not gonna lie

[@Efreet17]

But more BMW in Georgia

[@jsz2619]

@@Efreet17 Every persian guy prefers white BMWs (according to Family Guy).

[@PharmacyAve]

In Georgia people prefer BMW in Armenia its Mercedes

[@RandomGuy-rc6vd]

In Kazakhstan it’s all Toyota Camry haha

[@MultiMusicbuff]

I worked with an Albanian here in Ohio,USA.He told me you are absolutely nothing unless you own a Mercedes.lol.I heard something similar from a Polish immigrant about Cadillacs. One time he came to work very angry.I asked him what's wrong.It turned out he met a fellow Albanian who bought a new Mercedes and he was jealous.I remember him saying about the guy "he has a Mercedes but he has no heart".lol

[@ramm150]

The beef runs deep!!

[@sarak6083]

Ahhahahahahahahahahahaa

[@pesteanvstefan5491]

Tipical low iq mentality that keeps you poor.

[@JuniorJuni070]

Gods i love europeans

[@1superlovefire]

Wonder where at in OH ? I think I know someone that fits exactly what you described,lol

[@markscarisbrick1534]

I visited Albania a few months ago, and absolutely loved its culture, the scenery, the generous and kind people and of course the lovely old Mercs'. Greetings from the UK! :)

[@captain_context9991]

Their crime... The word you left out was their crime. Their culture is crime. All of it. Thats why they love Mercedes. Because thats where all the stolen Mercedeses all over Europe end up. In Albania.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Director Face

[@roddymcniven8734]

Would you like them as neighbours? Didn’t think so.

[@markscarisbrick1534]

@@roddymcniven8734 I don't think I would like you as a neighbour

[@roddymcniven8734]

@@markscarisbrick1534 no, you wouldn’t.

[@speedzero7478]

Beautiful old Benz. I almost bought one of these things in my own country, long ago. I'm not Albanian, but these were a different era for Mercedes, or cars in general.

[@wachinstuf]

A bit surreal watching this, randomly popped up in my recommendations but as an Albanian this was fun to watch and extremely accurate haha. When you drove by Lake Ohrid I had a flashback of my childhood in Lin. It’s such a small place I would have never guessed the video would end there. Excellent job!

[@laci5745]

10 months later and now lin is not a small village anymore it is found by scientist as 8500 years old . i was scrolling through comments and saw your reply what a coincidence

[@JetLee1544]

@watchinstuf Lin is beautiful

[@australiantruckspotting8883]

The W124 is a great body shape, it has stood the test of time and still looks great. That’s the thing with most Mercedes sedans, the designs age well.

[@TheKitMurkit]

Great idea to stop producing them, Haha!!

[@cytrynowy_melon6604]

Modern Mercedes designs are bad, and will certainly age much faster than W124

[@RUfromthe40s]

@@cytrynowy_melon6604 and the w124 is the most fragile of all the older mercedes starting in early 60´s (the oldest seen on the road) but i have the coupé i think it´s C124 with the 3.0L 24 valves in-line engine like in the SL´s it´s a great car and when in it´s last year of production with the 250D engine it was considered the best car in the world made by an independent study ,because of the room, safety , power and not much plastic with a calculated life of 20 years without any major problem but i know cars that are already more than 30 years old this refering to the w124 and are riding perfect .Two years ago i even bought from an old man a 200D for 500€ ,only for fun

[@artistic_balkan.collection]

My opinion it’s that old version models are “stronger “ than modern models 2012-today ! I have got my fathers Gvagon 1997 produced and use it for hunting in bad mountain road and it was very tough for bad terrain and new Gvagon or C class models of 2014-2023 are not soo strong in design and road safety , as well I use to exchange in 2007 with my frisk W140 (Albanian call it slloun-sllon) it’s a big reliable auto and very comfort ! Once in Albania diesel prices was 0.30€ - 0.50€ and these cars were a panzer the slloun was as well one strong model and music inside was bombastic ! Love this two models build in amazing quality !

[@lehelzelenka207]

Went for a vacation in Albania and realised, you don't see small displacement cars like 1.0-1.2 L because those wouldn't last one year. Pretty much the whole country is mountainous and you need a high torque high HP car. Never knew about their Mercedes cult so it was quite a surprise for us!

[@Tonyx.yt.]

No, that's bullshit. You dont see because balkan peoples are obsessed with old premium cars and back then only small cars had little engines.

[@lido211]

Mercedes the best or nothing

[@aaaabababa]

@@lido211 they do a lot of nothing it seems...

[@lido211]

@@aaaabababa I don’t get it

[@Sebastian-yl7nq]

The 1.4l Toyota Yaris I have holds up pretty well ... as in, it's 10 years old well And I live in the Alps

[@michaelbooth1994]

What a cool piece of journalism! Through exploring such a quirky topic you get to see the beauty of a country and it’s people. Albania is on my list to visit now for sure.

[@VukLazarevic]

Been there in 2015 for the rematch against Serbia for the Euros. A very interesting country. Has a lot of potential regarding tourism. And, yeah, they adore Mercedes Benz haha

[@indiansmokar]

perfect like count

[@VukLazarevic]

@@indiansmokar almost 😃

[@CarswithNash]

I daily drive a W124 Coupe here in Canada. I really enjoyed seeing so many Mercedes in one video plus learning a little bit about Albania, thanks for sharing!🇨🇦😎

[@cactusslat4ever727]

albanians love for mercedes started when the first mercs arrived here, as they were the only cars that could survive the albanians roads😅

[@PROPERNATOR]

5:14 there is no way he just smacked those metal doors in the parked Mercedes 😭

[@toasthuawei1352]

lol right. -3hp

[@Skafiskafnjak51]

he was probably thinking "this is new model, this guy has money to repair it lol"

[@HannyDart]

thats albania for you, right there 🤣

[@BillCipher1337]

i had to rewatch it twice

[@Toyotacorollaaltis-cn9fd]

So what that did nothing to it and thats a fact

[@claudiu9737]

I used to be a big fan of French cars, i used to own just french cars. I said "ok, it's time to try something else" so i bought a Mercedes E-Klasse W211....i am in love with this car, it's absolutely amazing. It has style, comfort, quality, i love to drive it every day.

[@shaheeralikhan9561]

Cough cough reliability

[@lr918]

SBC System leaved the chat

[@Wok_Agenda]

I'll stay with hydronumatic , thank you

[@thestig9484]

Indonesia also has the biggest w124 club

[@claudiu9737]

@@lr918 There's no manufacturer without problems, if i put here what kind of problems and how many i had with other manufactures....for me, my W211 is very good and the most reliable car from many many cars which i used to own. Yes, it's not perfect but still from far is the best one and i love it.

[@rolfagten857]

Good Taste, then the Albanians have good taste. A Mercedes - Benz is a robust and beautiful looking product that makes the word car worthwhile!

[@panoseleftheriou6078]

in greece they said the mb w123 (mostly the diesel estate) as the "albanian",especially in the mid 90s-00s

[@FrankKnights]

I’m surprised you can write in English being from Greece shouldn’t you be writing in German 😂😂

[@tarkanbashllari1627]

12:30 Recently there's also a growth of 2005-12 A-Classes (W169) on our streets. They are considered to be kind of "the golden middle" in the current economy: cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, good gas mileage, decent space for people and stuff (they're almost as spacious as a modern crossover), but with 0 compromise to Albania's eternal Mercedes fanboyism and still as reliable as we know the 3-point star to be. My dad used to drive two A180 diesels delivering bread (one a 6-speed manual and the other an auto) then he bought the 6-speed manual himself and it's now our daily driver.

[@Jehowy666]

But A169 has dreadful issues with rust and is expensive to run/fix. Basically any competitor of A169 from that time is much better.

[@xx-----------xx873]

@@Jehowy666 I don't think rust is an issue there and when there is enough of they they're cheap as shit to run/fix. If you buy the CVT they don't break either.

[@Robbert_nl]

Such a cool little documentary. Great footage and interesting pieces. As a traveling automotive content creator I can only applaud this channel. Keep it up and stay awesome!

[@DWREV]

Thanks for watching Rob! Lots more content every Wednesday and Saturday

[@mesati]

@@DWREV This is a terrible portrayal of Albania as too often is shown as poor, rugged, disorganized and lawless. The producers go to remote areas and older / poor streets of cities which are minimal compared to the rest of the city. 80% of the city is clean and newly renovated built. They specifically go and record the few bad poor parts and create a false portrayal of Albania. This obsession to portray Albania as poor must stop. Viewers watching this, I can inform you with full confidence that Albania is nothing like being portrayed here but quite opposite of this. Most of the major cities and the capital have been renovated and growing with continuous luxury development. Albania is middle income country with high boom in development and is far from poor. This portrayal can be made anywhere in the US or Western Europe if you go video the ghettos and bad areas or remote country towns .. even the wealthiest country can be displayed as poor. DW news is fake . Stop making false negative documentaries about Albania! The Albanian government should launch a defamation case against the media outlet ! 🛑

[@arberia8951]

@@mesati lol Sensational Art very sensational in the comments. Take it easy. Everything is fine lol; just enjoy the documentary.

[@mesati]

@@arberia8951 You enjoy watching that ? Lol I only skipped through it. There’s nothing right shown in that documentary. I don’t live in Albania .. my family moved abroad in the 90s when I was little. What bothers me is how people like you and that government there do not care about your image abroad. All the documentaries and news about Albania is 100% is portrayed as poor , rugged , criminal etc. It is nothing like being shown here .. there’s so much luxury development there last 20 years and beautiful youth. They always video the worst streets , old people crumbling roads , shots of garbage bins and garbage land fills. The government should keep an eye on these journalists from doing this type of defamation journalism. In Italy, France , Greece Spain and many other tourism countries .. the tourism government agencies block journalists from taping this kinds of things. Albania just welcomes it and people like you seem ok with it🤦🏻‍♂️

[@mesati]

@@arberia8951 You maybe young and blind in life but I am citizen in a western country but of Albanian origin and believe me people do not know much about Albania here. The only rare time they watch and hear is documentaries like these and it convinced them to never want to go there as a tourist. It also gives them a bad image of the people .. that Albanian people are “uncivilized and lower class of humans”. If you’re Albanian and not offended by that.. don’t even call yourself Albanian. ✌️

[@dnux86]

I have been in Albania this year and is a very nice country! Love from Romania!!

[@zagrepcanin82]

Yup thats true. Albanians love Benz. Best wishes from Croatia to our Albanian friends

[@ajax5472]

🇦🇱🇽🇰🤝🇭🇷

[@artistic_balkan.collection]

Croatia brothers always great persons 👋🏻🙏🏻

[@dewoitine]

Pozdrav iz Kosova!

[@zagrepcanin82]

@@dewoitine nadajmo se da opet srbi nece napraviti sranje na Kosovu....valjda je i njima dojadilo stalno gubit ratove. Samo neka se oni drze rusa...al u europu i civilizirani svijet nece uci nikada!

[@arberia8951]

Lennart, Moritz, and Manu...thank you very much for the great job that you have done. Looking forward for the second episode. :) I was born in Albania, now i live in Toronto, Canada and I drive one B250 lol

[@SpeedhuntersAl]

You have missed the best and the most valuable collections in Albania, it's 2022 this is not what represents the real passion and values of old cars and especially Mercedeses

[@realtalk6195]

This covers the history, and the historical obsession with Mercedes. Maybe they could do a Part 2 where they visit the modern Mercedes model enthusiasts

[@SpeedhuntersAl]

@@realtalk6195 it's totall bullshit, we can't be represented by some drunk guys and the worst models you can find in the town, for us this video is a shame

[@datboi6671]

@@SpeedhuntersAl I mean it is true most Albanians have a Mercedes

[@mat4263]

@@SpeedhuntersAl It's harder to steal the new Mercedes so that is why there are less?

[@PaulBateman69]

@@SpeedhuntersAl so what colour is your Bugatti AMG spec

[@gotham61]

Cool video. One minor correction. @ 5.26 The 600 shown in the video is the standard wheelbase model, not the longer "Pullman" version.

[@estlerd]

Love the video. I used to own a W124. Bought new in 1989. Built like a tank. Drove it for years. Drive a W164 now for the past 12 years. Very few problems. Love Mercedes!

[@DWREV]

Very cool!

[@ypesh]

We have been to Albania recently back in June 2022 and this is 100% true!! so many Mercedes Benz everywhere! We were all pleasantly surprised! Also it's one of the most beautiful places i've been too, stunning country! Albania is Beautiful ❤️! The people are so nice and friendly and helpful. Great food too!

[@shotgun88deadlift]

Dig a little deeper, high% of those cars are stolen and taken there. Not so pleasant.

[@The.steppenWolf]

@@shotgun88deadlift Blah Blah Blah Blah.

[@daddy1571]

@@shotgun88deadlift Why do you steal cars and bring them to Albania?

[@albanian9565]

@@shotgun88deadlift It's kinda very hard or impossible to travel from a European country to Albania with a stolen car since Albania is not even in Schengen zone. But I understand Serbian and Greek Propaganda keeps going.

[@peterhandke3936]

@@albanian9565 and what would Schengen have to do with smuggling cars anywhere? Yes, many cars in all of ex communist countries are stolen. Much higher percentage then in the West. Whether you like it or not, it is statistics, not propaganda.

[@patrickmaloy5262]

Until recently I've owned a number of Mercedes-Benz, and I liked them because I'm a mechanic and find them easy to work on. I noticed that spare parts for the older models are now coming from Eastern Europe (I live in the U.S.).

[@omostim2385]

That black W126 looked so clean. I had one in that same color for years and miss it. Looks like it had US spec bumpers too. I’ve had a w123, C124, W126, R129, W210, and W220. It’s kinda in my blood😅. Nice to see all those old Benzes on the road.

[@CaptainDarren82]

This video instantaneously made me add Albania to my bucket list. I'm a HUGE Mercedes fan, and would love to rent out some different models from different eras and see what they're all like!! I personally own a '06 w203 C55 AMG (141,250 Miles) and an '04 w203 C32 AMG (193,200 Miles). This is so fascinating.

[@massifelix]

The video is not very accurate. Yes, Albanians loved Mercedes and on Albania roads there were mostly Mercedes Benz but...In 2002, not in 2022. Have been several times in Albania, first time in 2015, trust me, I have seen the percentage of Mercedes Benz decreasing by year. Now in Albania you can spot tons of cars of every brand, you can spot French cars, Korean cars, Japanese cars...and tons of german cars including Volkswagen, Audi, and Bmw. The only real thing is that albanians love and prefere german cars, but in Albania you can spot every brand, Mercedes is no more the most spread brand. It is not correct to describe Albania as a Mercedes country. It was a Mercedes country, now is like every other country, you can spot every brand.

[@rustyjeep2469]

@@massifelix Yeah but the DMV guy literally said they are 30% of the cars. on the road... that's a lot.

[@joebloggs9719]

This is a really great video. i love exploring these weird car related cultural trends.

[@akisuansing]

One day i will own a 190E.. im obsessed as the albanians :)

[@stojo33]

you better do it sooner than later...prices of nice examples are going up already

[@ammedia9870]

190E Divad

[@akisuansing]

@@stojo33 my gad.....

[@richiesworld1]

You've already probably missed your opportunity. Sorry guy.

[@DejoR79]

190 is worst Merc of older ones. New A class

[@agron_639]

In Albania we say: If you own a Benz you made it in your life. I also own a C63 and I'm proud of it 😎🤝

[@Aceuchiha.]

Yeah here in Swizzy all these leased German cars.🤣

[@namesurname8652]

When did we say this bro! I'm 36 never heard it 🤣 what a joke some people are

[@takumifujiwara3066]

Damnn thats sooo cool congrats hope i can make it soon! Ill finish school in 1 month after that ill start university so i still have along way

[@2JZDestroyer]

i own an r129 coming from an x308 its not much of a leep; just much much more reliable.

[@PsS77_]

How many tons of hashis you sell per year?

[@kokekrisuri]

1st recorded Daimler Benz in Albania was a wedding present from the German Fuhrer (A.D) in 1938 to King Zog…. In the early 90s our roads were crap. My dad owned a 131 superminafiori FIAT, and it spent more time at the mechanics then it did in the road. So, he saved double hard and got a 1982 Benz 240 D AKA, THE TANK. ✌️

[@anthonyorafferty5632]

I went to Albania recently & enjoyed to see so many Mercedes. I'm a fan of most Mercedes & drive 2004 SL R230. Also interdentally Albania & it's people were a surprise to me 'very nice friendly & open'. Inexpensive country too.

[@Flat_Earth_Sophia]

Albanians are not friendly or open at all. And everything is expensive!

[@daeshbagcentral5298]

Id love to visit.I love all east european countries

[@enzoalec92]

Reading through the comments, I'm terribly disappointed to not see a single mention of Top Gear's Albania special! Also, special "weight reduction" measures instantly came to my mind; only those who watched the special will get it. c:

[@3ormorecharactersmaybe5]

Came too far to find this. Finally, someone who gets it.

[@colbyzur4642]

Yeah, I was about to say maybe check those mercs vin numbers

[@Sht855]

They save the weight by scratching off the vin. Its something that must be done. Lol

[@ja5777]

Outstanding reporting and great W124 period correct music too

[@riverbankfisher]

Holy Mackerel that Mercedes Pullman Limo is worth an absolute fortune even in non-running condition. Saw one going for 145 thousand pounds sterling a couple of years back, and it was literally in tatters when sold

[@gotham61]

It's a 600 SWB, not a Pullman

[@hobsdigree2]

Albanians just seem like they'd be fun to party with. I know it's just my experience, but every Albanian I've met has been friendly and has had a great senses of humor. All around fun people. I know there are probably exceptions and they'reprobably not all like that, but that's been my experience.

[@losiabaz]

As an albanian i can say that you are right mate 🇦🇱✌🏼

[@viggofooty]

Of course there are exceptions, like in every country.But yes,a big majority of Albanians are joyful ,funny and with a great sense of humour.

[@d.d1473]

I have heard that around 20 years ago 80% of the cars in Albania were Merecedes

[@konstantinos5749]

All stolen from Greece or Italy!

[@mikrobi79]

I can confirm that, maybe even more than 80%...

[@truth6242]

I LOVE my black 2003 E500 .. I have owned it for 20 yrs. I still get people staring at it and stopping to comment on how beautiful it is.

[@johnnybepp2907]

Why do u play slavic gyppsy music in albanien documentary

[@OffGridInvestor]

Gypsies have a lot of mercedes too

[@MikeG-dc2sz]

I would like to see Albania in EU,It's very nice country with very nice People greetings from Poland

[@myhandle8]

witam from Albania to Poland!🤝

[@Sht855]

EU is a failure and any country thats smart should never join or should bailout now.

[@Vito263]

I'm Albanian and the reason nr1 why we buy MERCEDES Benz is because they are high quality built.

[@salamov963]

In Azerbaijan its the same. we might have ladas more but Mercedes is the most popular at the same time

[@fufu1405]

Mercedes is not the high quality brand it used to be. Old ones, yes, but not the new models. The only high quality car manufacturers left are Japanese ones.

[@Vito263]

@@fufu1405 With time passing MERCEDES Benz decide to build some cars with more optional costo for people ho can't afford to buy the expensive ones like g class,s class and cls.The thing they did with cheap ones is cutting the interior costo and a bit build quality.Ef they decided to lower the build quality even more this would ashamed the besnic costumers. And before bying a Mercedes Benz or land rover make sure it's not built in Turkey,because the quality is lower than the Soviet union cars😭.

[@kingzhermes1771]

And also there is nothing else to buy lol

[@xkky6126]

@@fufu1405 only Japanese engines. Everything else is a joke if it comes to quality.

[@thaddeauscaldwell7101]

Greetings from America. This is an Awesome video , on such a timeless classic . I've owned many Mercedes and now own three . Two R129's and a R107 . I am looking to buy another W124 . The W124's , are great cars and very reliable. Best wishes to you , for keeping the Mercedes legacy alive .

[@718YellowSubmarine]

wow, people seem nice in Albania! You tempted my interest... People who care about old cars are good people by definition!

[@ajax5472]

I think you would like it should visit .

[@drz-workshop6062]

I think another reason was that in the 90's in Albania there has been a lot of gasoline mixing with other fluids, ranging from water to other petroleum-derived products, in order to make Gasoline cheaper or to increase the profits of providers. Merceds-Benz motors were said to "digest" better those mixes compared to other cars. I don't know if this was just popular belief or if the old Mercedes motors did de facto overcome the gasoline-mix challenge better. Source is my grandfather that worked in the Petroleum Industry in Kucova.

[@artistic_balkan.collection]

Albania and Romunia are the only nations that have had petrol reserves (produced in the region) This is reason why Hitler wants to take Romania in WW1/2 to have it like base for refurnished and petrol for the tanks , but Albania discovers the petrol reserves and takes production after world wars in 1960 , 70’ and was called “Albanian petrol” or Alpetrol state company , so Albania has not an desire or need to put water to it , as well ALBANIAN diesel from lands such as patos-marinza in Fier region are very heavy in density and Mercedes helps to digest but the fact is that Albania is the only land in west Balkans that has his own petroleum reserves (but this fact doesn’t mean they have a very very developed industry of petroleum refinery ) ! So the fact is that for Albanian average petroleum industry Mercedes’ can “digest” the petrol made in Albania

[@borderlands6606]

In developing countries fuel is often the same price, because that's the maximum the economy can bear. Instead of the cost changing, the mix of other fluids increases. Of course that has consequences for piston rings, fuel pumps, etc.

[@pedrosoares2506]

Man you look like Jamiroquai in Seven Days in Sunny June videoclip, with all respect!

[@SS-ug1qy]

I love learning about other cultures it’s fascinating

[@nm2000]

I remember how my father once told me a story about his grand uncle a guy called Hajdar, who lived in Croatia, but was ethnic Albania. This guy had lots of money because he and his brother owned a fruit shop chain in neighboring Yugoslavia, called Fructus; they probably owned some hundreds of millions and were also involved in some shady businesses during the balkan wars. Now, when my father visited some of his relatives in Albania, Hajdar came to visit them unexpectedly and therefore they wanted to drive to town in order to go dining, however, when this guy sat into the old Opel Korsa of theses relatives and they had driven some kilometers the axes broke - they had probably hit a pot hole or there had been material fatigue due to the harsh conditions. Anyway from then on they only drove Mercedes because Hajdar literally scold them afterwards the whole night for having owned such a bad quality car and having "forced" him to walk two kilometers along the road back to the hometown of these relatives and that this hadn't happen when they had owned a Mercedes. By the way he was around 150 kg heavy. Different times in the 1990s in Albania, this story happened, if I remember right, after the Lottery crisis/Albanian unrest of 1997 (some also call it Albanian civil war 1997, even though it was unrest because of a failed pyramid scheme). Literally everyone was poor, except of some few people and Hajdar and his brother were two of them. Just wanted to tell this story, because it somewhat illustrates why the people of Albania love Mercedes Benz cars so much, these are simply vehicles that can stand the test of time and survive everything.

[@shahinyoussef08]

There was a time when it was like that, everything changed now, a new Mercedes can’t and won’t stand the test of time anymore, and that’s why Toyota (and Honda) will forever be superior

[@kingaza7734]

Long story for WHAT exactly?

[@rekamud6635]

@@kingaza7734 his criminal uncle who worked with terrorists like mercedes so he is politically correct!!!!1

[@SalamiCellar]

@@shahinyoussef08 Toyota and honda are falling short as of late Bucko, Mazdas winning the reliability wars now

[@aldoushuxley4078]

I think Toyota Hilux Toyota Camry and old RWD Toyotas are stronger & more reliable than mercedes And they can take the heat in middle east

[@kaunas888]

The old Mercedes were simple, robust, well made and reliable; the new ones are the exact opposite being complex, fragile, expensive to repair and do not last long.

[@MrGrey_888]

Love Albania..from Malaysia 🇲🇾

[@bigQraz]

Only love for my Albanians from 🇭🇷

[@binaariani3744]

Love to “za dom spremni”

[@AbhishekGuptas]

Wow. Such an interesting story and so beautifully presented. I envy these countries who are Germany’s neighbors. In India we are obsessed with Toyota Innova and Toyota Fortuner. You’ll see hoards of these cars on every road.

[@DWREV]

Thanks for watching! similar content coming, thanks for the tips about India‘s Toyota obsession

[@artistic_balkan.collection]

India is producing and making publicity of new Mercedes’ don’t worry 😂

[@donniethornberry7325]

I’m 22 years old with 2 Mercedes, a 2014 s550 and a 2015 c300 both 4matics, great cars that make you feel special and if you don’t ignore when they say something needs to be fixed they’re reliable cars with few problems, with a smooth feeling over all

[@andrewconnolly7169]

Really nice to see a documentary about Albania without crime being discussed. Love their car scene

[@ALLw3rk]

I felt it when that old man opened the garage door tapped the bumper on that R-class

[@gentirreza]

That's not the traditional music to represent Albania the one you have put on the background with gipsy and arabic elements.

[@albnoel]

@@jeromedevotta3406 please “jerome” tell me why i am not white

[@joebrito2066]

I would love to own that red S124 Wagon. Albanian car guys appreciate the perfection of Bruno Saco designs.

[@user-bx9zd9vz9g]

Respect to Albania 🇦🇱 from Serbia 🇷🇸🦅, we Serbs are obsessed with Audi 😅.

[@skyblue5509]

In Russia people obsessed with BMW

[@kastriotaliu3849]

Albanians from Albania love the Mercedes,while us from Kosovo,love the Volkswagen,especially the VW Golf mk2. And I remember when I was a kid,we visited some friends in Albania,and I almost got into a fight protecting Volkswagen! Maaan how stupid I was for protecting a car brand,like it was mine lmao omg!

[@gezim70]

🤣🤣🤣

[@IAmLeutrimTopalli]

Ah the infamous red mk2 golf. My family in kosovo had one too

[@ahmednjidda6182]

I love Albanians. Greetings from Nigeria 🇳🇬

[@ajax5472]

👍🇦🇱🇽🇰 🇳🇬 🤝

[@dennisfandrich6586]

Poorest country in europe is better than Nigeria that has crude oil and gas reserves. Gold reserves

@@dennisfandrich6586 Botski stirring up shhh!t. Why are you not drafted and sent to Ukraine?

[@georgeskanderbeg3242]

@@dennisfandrich6586 Albania is not the poorest

[@timowayne6993]

@@georgeskanderbeg3242 Switzerland and Norway are the poorest countries in Europe. The EU doesn't even want them.

[@tobi2841]

I really enjoyed the vibe of Albania, just got on my must visit list

[@francescobarbera999]

Che Paese meraviglioso , anche la mia Passat del 99 ( 480000 km ) da 3 anni vive felice per queste strade , per i signori italiani erano troppi ... PER FORTUNA C'È GENTE CHE ANCORA SA APPREZZARE LE AUTO MIGLIORI DEL MONDO 💪💪💪💪🙏 CHE NON TORNERRANNO PIÙ. 🥺🥺🥺🥺😥❤

[@IndoJordy]

Lovely people with good taste ❤️

[@DWREV]

We agree!

[@vasiovasio]

Only High Quality and so Durable Vehicles like the Mercedes can do it with these roads here on the Balkans! Regards from Bulgaria!

[@Schlipperschlopper]

The old one not the modern crap!

[@rcfaudioitalia6110]

Junk diesel too

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@Schlipperschlopper exactly! And also older cars from other brands are also solid too

[@bnast6849]

Why western media still fuels this nonsense?! There are some people that like Mercedes cars and that's it. I'm from Serbia and I go to Albania every summer for the past 5 years, it's beautyfull country changing for the better every year, I love it!

[@andrewgus8763]

Statistically it is cleaner to drive these until their final days than to buy a new electric or hybrid. Bigger pollution issues from the battery and their production than an old Merc. I admire them for keeping great products on the road!

[@litmeister]

The truth about why Albanians prefer Mercedes is actually not that hard to find, even in Germany, in Mercedes's logs. Mercedes, like 35 years ago were struggling with competition. So they decided to make the best car possible. So they made the W124 and the W201, which for me are the best cars ever produced by any car company. Here in Albania we say that those cars just need fuel and that's it

[@wopmf4345FxFDxdGaa20]

Already 123 was considered very good.

[@litmeister]

@@wopmf4345FxFDxdGaa20 true

[@gigachadgaming6071]

The first Mercedes in Albania would probably date from the 20s, but at the very least the 1st verifiable one I could find dates to 1938, as a gift from Hitler to Zog I of Albania for his wedding.

[@DWREV]

True!

[@theangrykekistani9418]

@@DWREV yep

[@petertimmermans540]

In Western Europe and especially in the Netherlands, most older cars have disappeared from the streets for 10-20 years. And while it's still just driving around in other countries, I do love it, it's just wonderful to see that.

[@MrLineHaul]

Hi everyone from Canada 🇨🇦 Finally!!! The video I have been waiting for, for almost 30 years. I am an Albanian, and have lived twice in Germany, in 1993 to 1994 and 2005 to 2006, the second time around in Stuttgart , Germany where around the area there are only Mercedes factories pretty much, and other car manufacturers as well, but the area around Boeblingen is all Mercedes Benz area. Still… Per capita Albania 🇦🇱 has more Mercedes Benz than actually Germany 🇩🇪 itself. Isn’t that strange or what?? Personally I have owned three of them in Canada. 1993 baby Benz 190E, 2.3 gas and automatic ( should have kept it forever), 2005 ML 350 gas engine and automatic and a 2006 R350 , gas engine and automatic also. The 190E was the very best one for longevity, I sold it with 550,000 kms and still running perfectly. Mercedes-Benz quality went to the dumpster from mid 1990s up to around 2015 or so. Recently I think they have improved quite a bit, but still I would not buy one. I think it is a personal preference anyway. I would buy these days only pre 1995 cars, as a collector item maybe, only if you can find them in descent shape.

[@besimsala20]

Përshëndetje nga Gjermania. 190 2.5 16 evo kushton në gjermani 200000 dollar tani.

[@jonlouis2582]

How wonderful! This looks like an excellent place to visit.

[@alxx1378]

As a Greek I can say they do love Benz.

[@Robert.btn01]

I want to visit Albania soon. Greets from Romania ❤

[@marijnclaesen]

Did a roadtrip of entire albania with friends. Very beautiful country. And i have seen some places in the world. Very very much potential in the future for tourism

[@sergioazevedogimenes]

Unfortunately I'm brazilian, and actually lives in Brazil. I owned a C180 2012, nowadays I daily use a GLA 200 2016. Within 2 or 3 years in going to move to a GLB 200 maybe 2021. In poor countries like Brazil, Benz has higher prices dues crazy taxes, but it realy compensates due their realibility, quality, comfort and security at wheel... and well, of course also by their 'status', in poorer countries Benz is a status symbol not a regular brand like in US or many EU countries.

[@alexandre445]

MB é marca premium no BR, USA, UK.... não é uma marca comum como você diz. E a geração até anos 90, o custo operacional é muito baixo. Eu tenho 4 MB dos anos 90. 3 w202 e 1 w140.

[@bodyloverz30]

Don't they build Benz's in Brazil?

[@Blast-Forward]

You're certainly not a poor person if you can afford G-something class Mercedes. Guess how many people in Germany can't afford such a car.

[@Ghost_Enclave]

@@Blast-Forward lmao right, man said it's a normal car in the US and Europe. Why do people from the American continent live in such a bubble?

[@williamwalksTO]

GLA’s are pretty good! My sister just bought one and it is reliable so far! God bless!

[@eagleeagle681]

The best or nothing Mercedes Benz, Top notch car in Albania and around the world. Well made build from German engineering, quality, safety and elegance all the above.

[@carholic-sz3qv]

Best of my @zzzzz lol……

[@floatygoatto5180]

but why not BMW or Audi or Volkswagen ?

[@average_enjoyer]

@@floatygoatto5180 Volkswagen golf is more popular in Kosovo

[@Spiritualwarfare587]

@@floatygoatto5180 bmw is trash car no quality at all. Those cars are good only for the eye

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Love my new to me 80 240d 4 speed. What an upgrade from the vws I've driven all my life 😂 These older mercs really show what German engineering is all about.

[@theinsider6462]

I just got a Mercedes ML 350 last week. I’m feeling Albanian now 😅

[@CONT1818]

I live in eastern Europe, Romania, i was in vacation in Albania, i swear there is no country on the planet with so beautifull girls like albania.

[@MoroccanAnwar]

Beautiful country love from Morocco. new Mercedes are rubbish compared to the old classics.

[@Wargasm54]

Man, the W-124 is an excellent car. I’ve had newer and more expensive Benz models since. But the 124 just felt rock solid. That and my old AMG E55 were my favorite. Great cars.

[@ec8179]

Anche in America Hanno fatto vedere che i modelli Mercedes Benz diesel 1978-1985 con un filtro diverso riescono a funzionare con olio scarto delle cucine

[@berkkarsi]

I honestly think that Mercedes-Benz should open repair shops in Albania for their older cars. They would make so much money.

[@engjellbenz270cdi9]

It wouldn't work, they'd be no competition for the local mechanics where parts are 300% cheaper 🤣

[@drsus0]

ever since I got back form visiting Albania all I tell people is the Mercedes thing. I have so may pictures of how everyone from the rich dude to the farmer hauling hay use them . if you go to the farm lands it gets funnier than ever. they use them like tractors. seeing a 90s e-series distributing hay around a field is something else.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Haha hey if it's got a diesel ,why not ? That's farming with a touch of class. Good stuff !

[@artistic_balkan.collection]

Very true ! My friend use it 240 model for fishing 😊

[@amiwho3464]

@@artistic_balkan.collection haha lol how dpes that work?