Guyz, guyz, look at my badge and grill

[ForestAthlete]

Snapped this Dutch registered E300 S212 with a sticky out bonnet badge and unusual grill. Why don't UK cars have sticky out bonnet badges like in the olden days? :-(

 

[philt32]

Lovely looking car! Looks like an s class

I’m guessing it’s to do with Alf an safety!!


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[MancMike]

They do, just not so much in recent years. Mine is totally standard.

In the UK, we can't have the elegance grille and bonnet star anymore apparently. Although you can on the continent, as you've found out.

I think they're trying to steer that back to an image of luxury, rather than being placed on pretty much every model above a B Class.

 

[190]

Why don't UK cars have sticky out bonnet badges like in the olden days? :-(

Because the majority of UK buyers opt for the sport grill and flat bonnet emblem. So much so that MB stopped importing the old gun sight on some models.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

MB seems to have different demographic in their 'sights' these days.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Nothing to do with safety, it's what UK buyers want.

10 years ago we used to call it the 'BSG' (big star grill) the adverts in the back of Mercedes enthusiast magazine was full of adverts for these aftermarket grills and the forums full of people changing them.

Now we only have the S with a proper badge

 

[markjay]

I do like it as well.

Sadly my 2013 C-Class was only available with the 'sporty' grille in the UK

I am contemplating replacing the grille and fitting a bonnet star.

 

[philt32]

Are the bonnet sights still fitted in the rest of Europe?


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[KillerHERTZ]

Yes they are.

 

[philt32]

I’ve always liked them tbh and would consider having one fitted but I’m guessing the base is smaller than a bonnet badge as I recall, could be wrong though


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[grober]

Its a penny pinching policy of MB UK to deny their customers the choice offered to the rest of their customers in Europe and the rest of the world. The big grille badge is fine and may be the favoured option but why deny the more "traditional look" buyer their choice also? Wouldn't be without that gunsight on the bonnet.

 

[219]

Unquestionably , sales are lost since many people don't want the cheap option grille and prefer the heritage grille .

 

[rf065]

Not one of my MB's have ever had the gunsight, but I've had courtesy cars with them fitted. Each to their own I suppose but I cannot see what the fuss is about?

Russ

 

[219]

Apart from my SL , which is different , I've never had a car without a proper radiator mascot , and they do make a car more special than ordinary cars without them .

 

[MercedesDriver]

OP, that looks great, but out of curiosity why Dutch car, unless you are Dutch?
I had both, the upright star with sport grille
View media item 7093Thought it was too much stars so changed upright to flat bonnet badge
View media item 7617And now am thinking of changing back to upright star and swaping the sport grille for standard avantguarde one. I miss the gunsight.

 

[Darrell]

On my W202 & W124 we had a gunsight.

It’s rude not to.

I’ve just had a nose on German EBay at W209 CLK’s and the ones I saw all had a big star in the grill and a bonnet badge.

 

[Dippo]

There are people who don't like the gunsight.

I'm one.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Mercedes in the past 10 years been targeting a younger demography in the UK, to shake off its Old man image, some of this is to make the cars more youthful and Sporty, by removing the upright star.

And it has worked, A-Class has been a massive seller.

 

[markjay]

It's not simply about which one looks better... it's sbout consumer choice.

This is the grille I would have chosen for my 2013 C-Class if given the option:

but alas, by 2013 this grille was no longer available in the UK.

So I have this style of grille instead:

 

[philt32]

Mercedes in the past 10 years been targeting a younger demography in the UK, to shake off its Old man image, some of this is to make the cars more youthful and Sporty, by removing the upright star.

And it has worked, A-Class has been a massive seller.

Could that be reflective of building a car to suit a cost/price bracket?

Not sure if it’s connected but when I was young I yearned for a merc but had to work my way up to one like I had to for a detached house, (terraced/semi detached/detached) a new fridge freezer as opposed to a second hand one etc etc, today it seems couples move straight into a new detached house with big screen TVs and the rest of the mod cons and a merc[emoji33] or do I just sound like my dad now[emoji23]


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