The ad for today’s Mercedes 380SE says it was owned by a proverbial little old lady. Let’s see if its price is enough to get anyone’s granny panties all in a bunch.

Here’s a simple query for you all: how do you “test the water?” If you’re like me you typically dip a toe in the drink, as it’s one of the smallest and most easily retracted body parts at your avail.

Why is it then that when people who are thinking about selling a car “test the waters” the go whole hog and set a price that’s outside of the boundaries of common sense? That’s not testing the waters, that’s a bucket challenge of bad will.

Yesterday’s was undeniably retro-avant-garde but the $4,000 price set by its owner to, yes, “test the water” came up short. Or maybe it was deep? It’s hard to tell. What we can tell is that 66-percent of you felt was definitely too far in the deep end, and the little Si fell in a Crack Pipe loss.

There’s been a lot of talk of late about the spate of great cars that are now 25 years old, and hence eligible for import into the U.S. with a significant reduction in associated hassle. And who doesn’t like a significant reduction in associated hassle?

The thing of it is, there are plenty of even older cars out there that are ripe for the picking. As evidence of that, I present to you this that was once imported into Canada, but which now could easily make the trek across the border to the south.

Now, it is my assertion that the best kind of grey market cars are those that have some sort of analog officially offered in your country of choice. The W126 model Mercedes was sold in the U.S. and hence parts availability for many critical components on this Euro-spec edition should prove readily available. Hell, you could probably even get brake pads for it from the Pep Boys.

That doesn’t make this private import any less interesting in my book. You still get the tighter European bumpers, the flush and wiper festooned Euro lights, and the far more continental short (115-inch) wheelbase. Plus, when was the last time you saw a W126 sedan over here in Silberdistel Metallic?

That’s a cool color, and the interior also comes color keyed to that outside hue. Another noteworthy feature inside is the upholstery. All the W126 models that Mercedes brought over here came with either leather seating surfaces, or the miraculously long-wearing leatherette known as MBTex. This one has cloth upholstery just like a contemporary Ford LTD or Chevy Caprice. Unlike those cars, this big Benz finishes its interior with real wood and German-efficient ergonomics.

, or go if the ad disappears.

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