A hapless mechanic is facing a ã500,000 bill after pranging a customer's prized classic Mercedes sports car on an unofficial test drive.
The rare 1954 300SL sports car - with its distinctive gull wing doors - had been left at the garage in Pleidelsheim, Germany, for a routine service,
But mechanic Gilsroy Mansen, 26, couldn't resist taking it for a spin and lost control of the 220 bhp vehicle on a bend, say police.
Witnesses say the collector's car - capable of 161 mph - rolled over several times when Mansen skidded trying to overtake another car at high speed.
To everyone's astonishment, not least the driver's, he walked away without a scratch, which is a testament to how well these old cars were built.
The driver was more worried about what he was going to say to the owner than he was about himself, said one police crash investigator.
But sadly the car is in a very sorry state, pretty much destroyed.
Any ordinary vehicle would be a write off but because this is so rare this mechanic can expect a very large repair bill, they added.
Source
What a shame. This is now a Mercedes Bent!
