Gearhead Imports Mercedes-Benz’s Risky Ride
Many who are familiar with Doug DeMuro’s YouTube channel are aware that he has had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a great variety of celebrated sports cars and supercars.
He is among the blessedly lucky car aficionados who own a Porsche Carrera GT and a Ford GT. Nevertheless, he also has a lifelong affinity for peculiar and peculiarly designed automobiles, and there are some offbeat and odd used cars that can only be located outside of the US in Europe.
Out of those, there is the Fiat Multipla, Audi A2, and famously, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.
Presently, the A-Class is a great top-level small automobile, however the initial one was quite divergent. This is why he chose to import one of the most sluggish, oddest, and dangerous Mercedes-Benz vehicles ever concocted.
DeMuro was keen to secure an Audi A2 – a compact, mini-SUV – and also have a Fiat Multipla; both of these quirky European economy cars. Unfortunately he was unable to, as the 25-Year Rule only permitted the importing those automobiles that had been manufactured at least 25 years prior. It was an insurmountable obstacle for him.
He was particularly partial to the initial version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class; the pre-owned vehicle in this clip.
The humble ’97 Mercedes-Benz A140 is anything but ordinary to Doug. Packing a modest 80 hp, this vehicle stands out in its own way – which is likely why Doug likes it so much. The company’s intrepid decision to launch such a car on the market drew shock and awe from around the world; after all, Mercedes-Benz had never produced something like this before!
It was an opulent car, but still a diminutive, economical, amusing-looking item. Doug stated the firm encountered financial losses from each unit sold throughout the course of bringing it to market as a novel automobile. There existed also a 100-hp model, nevertheless this miles-driven 80-hp, 1.4-liter gas 4-cylinder suffices.
Have a gander at Doug’s breakdown video of the peculiarities and characteristics of the previously-owned car. Having manifold distinguishing features, from its dairy wedge-molded outline to its creative hind end and disproportionate configuration, this particular build makes it hazardous, he elucidates.
The well-known ‘Moose Test’ conducted in Europe to evaluate a vehicle’s reaction to a drastic emergency swerve, demonstrated that the car would sway as expected. Subsequently, many cars were recalled. On the highway Doug recognized his car wasn’t especially enjoyable or swift, but rather favored it for what it embodied: possibly the only model of its kind in America and extraordinarily distinctive. He treasures peculiar motor vehicles similar to the sports cars in his depot.
The expense for this car totalled about $2200, though more was spent in bringing it over from Europe and dealing with requisite paperwork. As the times have changed, a vehicle like this has become much more affordable abroad. To get a new A-Class model in the U.S., one would have to spend $34,000 for the Mercedes-Benz A 220 sedan — an automobile vastly different than the one seen in the video.
