If airplanes are built to last 30 to 20 years, why not cars?

[parkia00]

111. Absoultely agree on that point about the W126

All the Mercedes cars of that period basically fitted under that category where cars were made my engineers rather than accountants. What was deemed necessary was engineers to the best level that can be and what was not need was excluded. Minimize the bling, maximize the bang. Designed to last. Easy to work on. Cheap to maintain. Parts still after all these year easy to come by. Particularly for those cars with the M103 I6 engines. Reasonable fuel consumption plus the car isn't a slouch too. Just did a price check for an injector. Original Bosch only $38 each. But with any car that age, the Achilles heel is rust. If you find a good example with no rust like a California, Nevada, Arizona or New Mexico car with straight body, with proper maintenance you can easily run it for 20 more years. And these cars are cheap to buy now with many below $2000. It's real sad to see them end up in junkyards for minor problems because the previous owner felt that the cost for a repair was not worth the blue book value of the car.