Mechanic fixed 94-year-old’s Mercedes for free then drove 800 miles to reunite him with the car
- This man’s Mercedes was stolen near his home
- He found another, but it broke down
- A mechanic repaired the new car for free and drove it 800 miles
Published on Nov 03, 2024 at 4:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Oct 30, 2024 at 4:20 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A shared love of cars has always proven to bring people together, and this story of a Mercedes and a mechanic is proof of just that.
A 94-year-old had his 1977 Mercedes-Benz 300D stolen in Australia, so he bought another car to replace it.
However, things didn’t exactly go smoothly, and the new car broke down.
In the end, he had two of the same cars in his garage, plus a new friendship — all thanks to a stolen Mercedes.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
A stolen Mercedes led to a strange chain of events
Wholesome stories can indeed make your day, and it reminds us of the son who gifted his father his dream car on a birthday.
Meet Doug Marchant, a 94-year-old retired mechanic who is an avid car enthusiast and the owner of a 1977 Mercedes-Benz 300D.
Doug’s Mercedes was stolen in Port Lincoln, Australia, but was found three weeks later.
However, his daughter had already found another car of the same make, year, and even the spec.
The only problem was that the second Mercedes was above 800 miles away in Melbourne.
He further decided to drive the ‘new’ car back home himself with his grandchildren — which he tried to do.
Unfortunately, the new car broke down shortly after he began the long road trip, and the family called a mechanic to look at the issues.
Melinda Tairi, the mechanic, managed to get the Mercedes running but had to ultimately tow it to the nearest depot for more repairs.
Beginning of a new friendship
Melinda was impressed with Doug’s knowledge about cars, so she promised to fix the broken Merc for free.
“I just knew he was a car enthusiast, and he was so happy when we got his car going the first time, and then when it broke down again, he was so upset,” Melinda told ABC.
Doug headed back to his home several hundred miles away without his car.
After a few weeks, his new car was ready, and Melinda volunteered to drive it all the way his home to reunite him with his now-repaired Mercedes.
It is certainly one of the most heartwarming gestures we’ve ever seen, like this woman who gifted her dad the same car that he used to own.
In the end, everyone was happy, and Doug and Melinda are now friends, which Doug says wouldn’t have happened if his car had never been stolen.
A shared love of anything is a wonderful sight.
Just like this man who let a kid pose in front of his McLaren so the kid could show off in school.