Jaraxle,
My first comment was more with a smile, so don't take it too seriously.
I think the problem with the newer Mercedes is that their engineering eventually became infected with the same cost bug (right before the time of the DC merger, and much more thereafter) that has dominated most automakers these days, especially as Mercedes has moved "down market" to compete at lower price points. That was not the case 25-30 years ago with Mercedes.
The reason I mentioned the R129 (and the reason I own one, and not a R230 or later, which I could also own), is that it was the last big Mercedes roadster where the engineers were given total design freedom without today's cost constraints. The vehicle was close to a decade in development. At the time it was introduced, it was the first completely automatic top system with integrated roll bar system. The whole shebang works with just one rocker button. The system is an enormously complex electromechanical and hydraulic setup that would cost a fortune to fix. But the thing is, unless the system is abused and neglected (no fluid changes), it hardly EVER breaks. The same is true about most of the rest of the car. This is a case where the vehicle is well over-engineered, but to a high level of durability and performance, not to a cost point.
Many of the older Mercedes shared this design philosophy. They are not necessarily harder to fix or more trouble prone. Granted the parts sometimes cost more, but that is why the cars from that period and before were so durable and reliable. The focus of the engineering was different.
I think that Mercedes to some extent is trading on its past reputation, particularly with some of the cheaper new models. It might also explain why they felt compelled to push its Maybach line during the DC era.
I find it interesting that DB is now killing Maybach, which is either a signal that it intends to improve the quality of the core product . . . or more likely that it is abandoning the pretense of the old quality gestalt altogether. I guess that makes the older ones all the more desirable, even if they don't have the latest touch screens and exotic creature comforts.