[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

A farmer with a pot belly gives the game away.

Well, my uncle is a farmer and he has a huge belly. And he is not even rich enough to buy a car, let alone a Benz.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Thanks for sharing this video. Really motivating for me on a personal front.


You have no idea! While many would say farmers are not doing so well, those who own the land are actually quite wealthy. Quoting myself from my dealership thread:

Come Bangalore, many of the so called "Poor farmers" back then have now turned into wealthy landlords/builders and zip around the city in RR's/GLS/Porsche's, chewing supari with open windows. I was awestruck to see a man in his 70's wearing a lungi and bathroom slippers step out of brand new GLS . In another instance saw a Q5 with driver ferrying domestic help and the owner(now a builder) was driving a Cayenne right behind the Q5. Heard both these guys were Poor farmers with acres of land in Whitefield back then!

[sumathindra]

I think we are seeing it only from one perspective.

1. Why don't we see it as a "88 year old and his love for cars"
2. He could have been educated so what if he is a farmer

Even if the entire thing is fake, it may at least inspire someone to follow their dreams. Just my 2 cents.

[Porschefire]

Interesting argument regarding the authenticity of the video, here's my 2 cents as a keyboard warrior -

- not all farmers are poor
- not all farmers are lean/skeletal in their appearance
- not all farmers are uneducated
- everyone in the world, including the 'poor' farmers aspire to live a better life and some actually succeed
- some people cannot digest the fact that an uneducated, 'poor' and lowly individual can actually buy the luxuries that many of the city dwellers cannot afford

This setup might be fake, the people involved could be actors and could just be a marketing exercise by the showroom but I've no doubts in believing that this could and does happen.

[jetsetgo08]

IMHO, the title of the video is a little misleading and sounds analogous to one of those rags to riches stories.

Saying that, I would admire the passion of the person who bought the vehicle that he wanted to buy 80 years ago, irrespective of whether he is rich or poor.

[Engine_Roars]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Because when it is stage managed, actors do the roles, not farmers. And the story scripted by a good "story" writer.

They should have paid a bit more attention to the casting though.

A farmer with a pot belly gives the game away.

You don't expect an 88 years guy to do the field work, do you? Looking at his age, pot belly is as natural as it gets.

Thumbs to the guy and his family to stand by his side.

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Because when it is stage managed, actors do the roles, not farmers. And the story scripted by a good "story" writer.

They should have paid a bit more attention to the casting though.

A farmer with a pot belly gives the game away.

OT:

I think we as a generation have become cynical and very seldom see some positives. If this is a true story, then very good. If not, then we can chose to take it as a heartwarming tale and maybe an aspirational one as well. There is nothing that we lose.

Not related but I remember a similar decision in another thread, where a person gave some money to somebody who seemed to need it. When some a passerby questioned him, his response was "I chose to believe him. The money has to go where it has to"

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post4215275

So, let's chose to believe

[GTO]

Sure looks legit to my eyes. Congratulations to this man on his success and his health! He's pretty sprightly for his age.

The dealership has another cute video posted on the same channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWVQdnCRgwA

[1100D]

Gosh! Mercedes-Benz had the heart to sweep off a B-class to a man like this?

[v12]

Come on guys -staged or not staged, whether he has a belly or a 6-pack - this guy has fulfilled his dream at 88. I am sure if a Team-BHPian had posted a thread of him/her buying his dream car at the age of 88 - we would have been going gaga over it (even if it would have been a Maruti). Everyone has a dream - some big some small. A farmer also has a dream, he is a human being. While most farmers may dream about owning a lot of bullock carts to plough their fields, some would dream of owning tractors, this person dreamt of a Mercedes. What's wrong with it? There is immense happiness and a sense of achievement when your dream is fulfilled - age is irrelevant.

So let's give this guy his due respect - and let's invite him to Team-BHP.

[V.Narayan]

Hats off to this gentleman and his joie de vivre for life and his passions. A fine example for me to follow if I live another 30 revolutions around the sun.

As for some rather cynical, demeaning and prejudiced comments here I have only one observation -- too many of us today have become our projected facebook persona, our carefully crafted social media image, our quarter and one-eighth lies and factual stretches hidden behind the electronic screen or worse behind a handle. The little falsehoods we live are the ones we assume others do too.

[gunsho]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Hats off to this gentleman and his joie de vivre for life and his passions. A fine example for me to follow if I live another 30 revolutions around the sun.

Yes. its a very big achievement for him and we should enjoy the spirit he had in him.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The little falsehoods we live are the ones we assume others do too.

Very well said. As they say, world is a mirror. This is not new. A small town in Aurangabad had 150 Benz cars bought on same day by its young entrepreneurs. We should be happy to see their coordination / growth and not worry benz applying their marketing skills.

If this is seen as staged, then what do we think about the school that show our kids photo in all news paper because our kid scored 100 marks? One should be proud of our kids or blame school for marketing. The way marriages / birthday parties are planned today

[sameer sultan]

As my Brother in Law works at Transcar I called him up to congratulate on this lovely video and also check on the genuineness of this story since there has been lot of speculation in this thread.

My questions and his replies

Q Is this video an ad by Transcar?
A No. The gentleman was a walk-in customer who had a long standing dream of owning a Mercedes Benz. The marketing team at Transcar saw this as a good story and made the video.

Q Did Transcar offer him any discount?
A Yes. ₹4L on the invoice value.

Q Did he opt for car loan?
A No. He paid full payment as he has been saving up for past 30 years to buy a Mercedes Benz.

I think this puts to rest all doubts on the genuineness of the ad.

Let's just feel happy for this simple farmer as not many live for 88 years leave alone achieving their dreams at that age!

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

As my Brother in Law works at Transcar I called him up to congratulate on this lovely video and also check on the genuineness of this story since there has been lot of speculation in this thread.

I have one more question!

Has this gentleman owned a car before? Not that it makes too much of a difference to anything, but would like to know.

[sunishsamuel]

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

Q Did he opt for car loan?
A No. He paid full payment as he has been saving up for past 30 years to buy a Mercedes Benz.

I think this puts to rest all doubts on the genuineness of the ad.

Let's just feel happy for this simple farmer as not many live for 88 years leave alone achieving their dreams at that age!

Thanks for sharing this info. That rests the speculations and really nice of the dealership to share this.

My congratulations to the owner of the new mercedes. Love the fact that he went ahead and booked his dream car - He wanted a mercedes - that also shows the power of the brand. This video gives me hope.

I have been dreaming of a mercedes from my childhood - especially after seeing the W123 during the 80s. I do have a small savings account and i hope some day it will swell with so much money that i can buy a mercedes. Hopefully no one will make fun of me then