Image via Mercedes-Benz
For Boomers and even Gen X, the new Mercedes-Benz Museum exhibition called “Youngtimer” is at best hilarious and at worst triggering. After all, seeing a bunch of cars you remember coming out “not that long ago” being remembered fondly in a museum can be a little disorienting.
Meet the shop making “brand new” R34 Nissan Skyline GT-Rs.
After all, among the models on display in the retro-themed space is a 1990s Mercedes-Benz SLK (170 series), SL 500 (129 series), E 500 Limited (124 series), and an SLR McLaren Roadster (199 series).
Perhaps you’re living the meme of someone picturing a 15-year-old vehicle that’s actually 30 years old. It’s a funny thing people tend to do as they age, acting like time has stopped passing.
For the younger generations, especially Millennials and even Gen Z, these cars are classics. Some of them probably remember these Mercedes from the early parts of their life, attaching incredible nostalgia to them.
It’s no wonder the kids are so interested in collecting rides of this vintage. Plus, they’re far cheaper than something like a Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing.
Keep in mind, in the 1980s, cars from the 60s and 50s were about the same age as these from the 2000s and 90s. Did you consider 50s and 60s cars as classics in the 80s? Be honest, because if you did, then why wouldn’t you consider these rides as classics today?
The answer likely is that getting old is something we as a society have decided to collectively deny and ignore instead of embracing. It’s really not a healthy approach considering we all age, become wrinkly, and eventually die.
It’s also funny how these broader social issues tend to play out in the car hobby, proving yet again that our pastime is inextricably woven in to the fabric of society.
The Youngtimer exhibition will be featured at the Mercedes-Benz Museum located in Stuttgart, Germany through November 2025.
Images via Mercedes-Benz
