The Power of a Fine Automobile - Ode to My Mercedes 600
There are some things about the world we live in that, however unfair they may be, are constant truisms. At the top of this list is the power of the “fine automobile.” If you want a quick way up the ladder of success, get the right car. I know it may sound superficial, but people are superficial when it comes to first impressions.
I have first hand experience with this phenomenon. A few years back, my husband and I found a great price on Ebay for the most beautiful car I had ever seen…a black Mercedes 600SEL. I fell instantly in love. It was a dignitaries’ car. It was a prime ministers’ car. It was the car that you see in the movies when the President is being escorted through a foreign country flocked on every side by big black SUVs with tinted windows, and Secret Service men lining the streets and whispering into their 2-way radios.
When we went to pick up the car, I slid behind the wheel and felt instantly at peace. The salesman sidled up to the door next to me and whispered…”This car is you.” I knew in my conscious mind that he says that to everyone, but this time it was sooo true. I have never been much for driving or for cars in general. It’s never been a big thing with me, and I would never have judged a person based on the car that they drove. But I learned a huge lesson from that car…people do judge you by the car you drive.
After that purchase, it seemed like everywhere we went in that Mercedes, people would roll out the red carpet! It was almost comical. Gas station attendants, policemen, even the guy working the drive-thru window at Burger King would fall all over themselves being extra helpful. When our attorney saw what we were driving, all of a sudden he took our calls on the first attempt rather than the 3rd or 4th like he always had before.
You can call it stupid, plastic, shallow…but these are the flaws of our society that we must deal with…and exploit if we are smart. The great thing about it is you don’t have to spend $150,000.00 on this piece of clout. The beauty of the fine automobile is that they are built to last. A 10-year-old Mercedes or BMW could very well give you fewer problems than a 2-year-old Ford. And they hold their value amazingly well. Since we moved out of the country, we had to sell my beloved 600 about a year and a half after we bought her. To our happy surprise, we sold her for just about $1,000.00 less than what we bought her for!
By the way…I don’t usually like it when anyone refers to a vehicle of any kind as “her”, but this car had so much class I can’t think of it any other way. She was a lady in every sense…with a V12 under the hood and a suspension that made you feel like you were riding a magic carpet!
The author, JoAnn Roselli, is a successful living consultant, screenwriter, webmaster, entrepreneur, real estate investor and author of “How to Get High-Quality Plastic Surgery…CHEAP!” She resides in the Dominican Republic with her husband and their 12-year-old son.
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