Quote:
Originally Posted by Alastair
Just wondering why the Euro headlamps are desirable to U.S. owners, Just asking, as Im based in the U.K myself and wondered what all the 'fuss' was with 'Euro-headlamps' as I see it crop up again and again.....
Is it the earlier 'round lamps behind single-glass' or the later more 'square lamps behind single glass' that are desirable. I have both types of Euro lamps, but quite like to look of the U.S. headlamps....
A local guy to me, Mark Kosovich, who probably knows more about the W123 than anyone currently at M.B.UK reckons that optically, the earlier Round lights are far superior to the later type. Both apparently were made by Hella...
Just curious....  |
Alastair,
As was touched on in this thread, for about 55 years or so, US laws required "sealed beam" headlights. When they were first mandated ca. 1939 they were superior to most of the existing 6 volt separate bulb lights. As time went by they became less and less effective as compared to most European auto headlights, but the law remained. I expect that it remained because one of the largest companies in the world, General Electric, lobbied congress to keep it that way.
I remember how amazed I was in early 1969 when I first arrived in Germany and rode in a Mercedes cab through the country one night. The headlights were unbelievable because I was comparing them to US sealed beam headlights.
In the late eighties or thereabouts, Ford began doing their own lobbying to get the ridiculous sealed beam laws repealed.
IMHO, the US lights on the 123's are weak at best as compared to a good set of Euro replacements whether round or square. The early 124 US lights were REALLY bad and they were not sealed beams, but somehow met US law. I guess the US law required that they have no more than three candle power each! Putting Euros on a 124 in place of the US lights makes a much begger difference than does replacing 123 US sealed beams with Euros.
My $0.02,