W210 - upside down panel?

[allias]

Any ideas how this was done? I really love this idea.

 

[trapperjohn]

They did a good job. Not only is the panel upside down. The steering wheel is in the wrong place too!!

 

[renault12ts]

Yes, I know exactly how it was done, enjoy this thread:

Black & White Series from Germany - Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum

 

[d w124]

That`s nothing,have a look at this 124 one

All the switches were put on the glovebox,crazy huh

Yes John,they removed the wheel of this one to

 

[AMG63Black]

As Daimler invented the motor vehicle in Germany and Germany drives on the right hand side of the road, I would say the steering wheel is in the correct location

 

[Rob77]

As Daimler invented the motor vehicle in Germany and Germany drives on the right hand side of the road, I would say the steering wheel is in the correct location

Karl Benz generally is acknowledged as the inventor of the modern automobile*

*Ralph Stein (1967). The Automobile Book. Paul Hamlyn Ltd

Anyway, we had horse drawn carriages long before the car

Apparently, in days of old logic dictated that when people passed each other on the road they should be in the best possible position to use their sword to protect themselves. As most people are right handed they therefore keep to their left. This practice was formalised in a Papal Edict by Pope Benefice around 1300AD who told all his pilgrims to keep to the left ...

See http://www.amphicars.com/acleft.htm

 

[Shude]

Can't help but think that COMAND could do with being towards the top of the dash rather than the bottom on the 208 and 210. Don't think I'll be taking a hacksaw to my car's interior panels though, unlike the last two

 

[AMG63Black]

So then when driving in about 25% of the countries, keeping on the left is correct whereas when driving in the majority of other countries, driving on the right is correct.

A bit more research shows: Australian historian M. G. Lay traced the first regulation of one-side-or-the-other to the Chinese bureaucracy of 1100 B.C. The Book of Rites stated: "The right side of the road is for men, the left side for women and the center for carriages." This Western Zhou dynasty rule applied only to the dynasty's wide official roads and was "more concerned with protocol than avoiding head-on collisions."

 

[Rob77]

So then when driving in about 25% of the countries, keeping on the left is correct whereas when driving in the majority of other countries, driving on the right is correct"

Well, according to my link: in 1773 an increase in horse traffic forced the UK Government to introduce the General Highways Act of 1773 which contained a keep left recommendation. This became a law as part of the Highways Bill in 1835.

Reasons to travel on the right are less clear but the generally accepted version of history is as follows: The French, being Catholics, followed Pope Boneface's edict but in the build up to the French Revolution in 1790 the French Aristocracy drove their carriages at great speed on the left hand side of the road, forcing the peasantry over to the right side for their own safety. Come the Revolution, instincts of self preservation resulted in the remains of the Aristocracy joining the peasants on the right hand side of the road. The first official record of this was a keep right rule introduced in Paris in 1794

OK, that explains the UK and France but what about the rest of the world ?

Britain's imperial expansion (all of the pink bits on old maps) spread the keep left rule far and wide. This included India, Australasia and much of Africa (Although many African countries changed to the right later when they became independent).

France also had quite an empire after the revolutionary wars and the keep right rule spread through much of modern day Europe and to colonies such as Egypt. The connection with the USA is thought to be General Lafayette who recommended a keep right rule as part of the help that he gave the Americans in the build up to the war of Independence. The first reference to keep right in USA law is in a rule covering the Lancaster to Philadelphia turnpike in 1792.

But what about Japan ? well in the 1850's Gunboat diplomacy forced the Japanese to open their ports to the British and Sir Rutherford Alcock, who was Queen Victoria's man in the Japanese court persuaded them to adopt the keep left rule.

 

[AMG63Black]

Left side for girls, Right side for boys, carriages in the centre was used by China 1100 BC.

Personally I think it is simply a case of the revolt against the British Empire and all things bad....

Anyways back to the topic...nav screen on top is nice and as the controls for the radio are in the steering wheel having the nav on top is much more user friendly.

 

[Shude]

Can't help but think that COMAND could do with being towards the top of the dash rather than the bottom on the 208 and 210. Don't think I'll be taking a hacksaw to my car's interior panels though, unlike the last two

Quickly mocked up:

 

[Justin1600]

I like that conversion, very impressive. Also loving the carbon fibre