On that autumn day in 2012, in a small public park, not a parking lot, I came across this interesting duo: a Cadillac Sedan DeVille stretched limousine and a W126 Mercedes-Benz S280 SEL.
The enormous limousine was extended by at least six meters or so, for an estimated 10 meters in length. This sort of car is often used for weddings and other miserable occasions. It was in a fine shape, with darkened windows, shiny wheels, and a…
… horse decoration on the grille. I have seen those badges on cars owned by horse-riding folks in Europe, but never before on a stretched wedding car. The 8th generation Sedan DeVille was made from 2000 to 2005. Power came from a big 4.6 liter V8, good for 300hp. There are quite a lot of long Cadillac limousines in China, mostly imported via the gray market from the US.
The W126 S280 is a rare Mercedes-Benz in China, the 300 and 500 models are far more common. SEL was the top long-wheelbase trim level. It was a bit dusty and lost its star but it seemed in a fine general condition. The blue 京A license plate is very old, indicating this Benz was an early privately-owned car. It also has an attachment point for a flag pole, just behind the indicator on the front fender, and that indicates this S280 SEL started life as a government or diplomatic car.
The sporty alloys are much newer than the car itself, but it ain’t a bad combination. The W126 S-Class was made from 1979 until 1991, the S280 SEL was powered by a 156 hp 2.8 liter six-in line.
It is possible that both cars belong to the same wedding company. One may wish they cared a little more for the old Mercedes, and that they found themselves a proper parking place.