SLK Factory collection - Bremen?

[pos.k]

MB have ordered the replacement SLK for us after the parktronic saga.
They also gave us the option to add any other bits - so we went with phone pre-wire, rain sensing wipers, tyre pressure loss warning and remote roof operation.

I also have the option to collect it from the factory. There is no charge for the 1st person, but an additional person will cost £350-400.

I am unsure if this is worth doing - my partner is really not bothered about wandering around a car factory , I, on the other hand, think it would be fascinating
The downside is how much fun is it on your own, and then a 700 mile drive home.

I need to let them know on Monday if I want to go to the factory to collect.

Any comments - I saw the last thread when Diesel Benz was considering this.

 

[Diesel Benz]

I made a search for "personal collection" and found quite a few members sharing their experience. I don't think I was as exited as some seemed to be but I would definitely do it any day again.

I had to pay for all the travel and hotel costs myself, I would not hesitate picking up the car from the factory with the UK personal collection program benefits. Your car would be different from the mass for ever, just read the special codes from your data card.

You should check that the factory is open at the time of car collection. Because of the low sales, the factory is closed every now and then. The current info for Bremen seems outdated:
Aktuelles.

Produktionsbedingt können im 1. Quartal 2009 an folgenden Tagen keine Werkbesichtigungen stattfinden:

März/April 2009:
30.03. bis 17.04.09

Mai 2009:
18.05. bis 22.05.09
Für Rückfragen stehen wir Ihnen gerne zur Verfügung.
Telefon: 0421 419 2254.



Sindelfingen would be a more interesting site to pick up the car because of the Mercedes Museum where they arrange visits to the Untertürkheim engine factory too (twice a day, once in German and once in English if I remember right).


If you can spend a few days for the trip and have not done it before, why not try it this time. I did not even consider my wife to join, she would not be that interested about anything related to cars (as long as she can drive a Mercedes), instead my brother joined and enjoyed the trip as much as I did.

 

[pos.k]

Thanks - I was searching for factory collection.

will have another look now.

 

[hawk20]

MB have ordered the replacement SLK for us after the parktronic saga.
They also gave us the option to add any other bits - so we went with phone pre-wire, rain sensing wipers, tyre pressure loss warning and remote roof operation.

I also have the option to collect it from the factory. There is no charge for the 1st person, but an additional person will cost £350-400.

I am unsure if this is worth doing - my partner is really not bothered about wandering around a car factory , I, on the other hand, think it would be fascinating
The downside is how much fun is it on your own, and then a 700 mile drive home.

I need to let them know on Monday if I want to go to the factory to collect.

Any comments - I saw the last thread when Diesel Benz was considering this.

I did a factory collection a couple of years back and took my wife. She is no great fan of factory visits either. But you can add a few days to the trip and make a holiday break out of it. Drive back through the wine route in Germany and then through France via the Champagne district. MB fix all the hotels (you just pay for extra nights, wife etc). Very helpful staff. Our dealer drove us to Heathrow, good flight (business class). MB put us up at an excellent hotel near the factory and provided a really good meal at a nearby restaurant. We really enjoyed it.

And to her surprise my wife found the factory visit pretty fascinating.

 

[MrT]

Yes, definitely worth doing and all the better if you get the chance to go to the Mercedes Benz museum in Stuttgart. It's a nice trip as long as you can take a few days for the journey back - I drove straight from Rastatt to London over around 9 hours and it was very tiresome.

 

[crockers]

I took my wife with me to Stuttgart to collect a w210 in 1998. (is that the right code for the E class?). Dealer drove us to Heathrow - flew business class to Germany - MB had a taxi waiting to take us to the hotel. Dinner & Breakfast paid for and a taxi to take us to factory. Factory tour was great - still remember 2 trivia points - then 25% of all mercedes are silver (times don't change) and the E class has the whole side as one pressed piece (no welds)..only car to do that.

We then turned it into a holiday - ambled back and crossed back on the tunnel - all arranged by MB.

And you get a set of German plates to keep as a souvenir. Bet you can speed through cameras and not get caught....

I wish now I had picked my last car up...if I ever bought new again I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

 

[NewMB]

I went and collected my previous C320 Cdi Estate in Bremen back in 2006. Unfortunately, the wife couln't make it but is certainly was a nice experience.

This is what happened....
Flew Heathrow-Frankfurt-Bremen with Lufthansa Business Class.
Collected at Aiport.
1x Night at Hilton Bremen (4*).
Collected from Hotel and brought to Factory.
Luggage taken (like a butler).
Introduced to my "personal assistant".
Paperwork sorted (proof from UK car paid for, insurance, hotels, train crossing, German export number plates etc).
Time booked for car collection.
Introduced to an Irish gentleman who were show guide in English (lucky enough I was the only one!!).
Video of MB history.
Shown around the huge factory grounds where I got to see the SLK, C class estate and SL being made (C class saloon were at the time made in South Africa). Loads of other cars on the grounds.
Met for car collection.
Introduced to my new car.
Drive off.

Went home via Dusseldorf, Cologne, Holland, Belgium and France. Ticket on train was the equivalent of Business Class on planes so that you can take any train and go in front of everybody else.

Had a great time.

I would highly recommend it.




PS. As a note on "Crockers" comment about speeding..... as soon as I came back to Cologne (our HQ is there), I was flashed by a mobile camera in town.... never received anything. DS.

 

[hawk20]

Let us know your decision pos.k Monday fast approaches.

 

[pos.k]

OK - have decided to go for it. :bannana:
Not sure what the actual plan will be - decide that nearer the time but will need some interesting stop-offs on the way back - maybe Cologne and Bruge?

 

[davidjpowell]

you could look into whether it would be an option to take the Rotterdam - Hull ferry. It's a very pleasant way of saving some miles and does not leave till 9 pm or so so you should have plenty of time to get there

 

[hawk20]

OK - have decided to go for it. :bannana:
Not sure what the actual plan will be - decide that nearer the time but will need some interesting stop-offs on the way back - maybe Cologne and Bruge?

It's a much more pleasant drive through France and MB have some excellent recommended hotels there. In the Champage area (near Rheims I think) we stayed on a champagne making estate, went on the tour to see it made (and sampled). Great food. Ferry from Calais takes only just over an hour and adds to the trip IMO.

 

[Colin_b]

OK - have decided to go for it. :bannana:
Not sure what the actual plan will be - decide that nearer the time but will need some interesting stop-offs on the way back - maybe Cologne and Bruge?

Sorry I missed the deadline! I picked up my SLK from Bremen. All the costs for 1 person are included in the delivery charge, so its a no-cost option. The factory tour is well worth going on, I had an excellent Irish-German guide who seemed to know everything about SLKs and made the tour worthwhile.

I drove back after collecting the car straight to the midlands, a great chance to run it in with the roof down (perfect weather) - you will get instructed in detail how to run the car in properly!

All in all a very enjoyable experience, much more fun than collecting from the dealer

 

[dolphinhouse]

Do you have a collection date?

I've got a C220 CDI Estate on order, and am hoping to collect at the end of October.... just interested to hear how you're getting on....