Mercedes-Benz W126 420 SEL
A few months after I moved to my neighborhood, this Mercedes showed up here. It's seen good days, bad days, and any other kind of day that might fall between those.
Since I've been taking photos, I've been shooting cars. I won't lie and say I know a ton about automobiles, but I enjoy them. There's something about the freedom they contain without having any of their own that fascinates me—and having been born in the Vehicle City, they've always been a part of my life.
With all of that said, I know nothing about most foreign cars, Mercedes included. If the model information had been scraped away by a vandal, I would have had no idea that this was a Mercedes-Benz W126 420 SEL. I could have told you that I couldn't afford it, though.
Almost every member of my family above my generation, at one time, worked for or with General Motors. At the points in life that I've owned a car, none were from a company other than General Motors. To be honest, I show no allegiance to them as a company over any other; it's just what I've known my entire life.
With that being said, this is a damn pretty car. Even considering it's older than I am, it has a modern-yet-classic style that's hard to replicate—even without tires or rims.
I have two things that I like about this car. One, there's a large suitcase in the backseat. I'd like to imagine someone packed for a trip and decided they didn't want to go anymore, leaving the trunk behind.
Second, there are literal trees growing through the small space where the rear bumper attaches. I shot a photograph of it, but it's hard to show just how crazy that is from the picture. I do not remember those being there when I first shot this car a few years ago—but I could be wrong.
I'll finish this post with a request. If you know where this car is or find it—please leave it alone. It isn't yours, after all.
