That signature '02 interior aroma

[conkitchen]

I think it's mainly dirt and dust from the years combined with aged cardboard and plastic. 

[iinca]

whatever it is it's been in ALL of the 02's I've owned. It's unmistakable....and intoxicating!

 

Like my first 02..I was really young and over the moon about the car (and the smell)

[VintageBM]

Mine just kind of smells a little musty with a hint of gasoline and oxidizing steel. Is that the scent everyone is talking about? 

[conkitchen]

4 minutes ago, iinca said:

whatever it is it's been in ALL of the 02's I've owned. It's unmistakable....and intoxicating!

 

Like my first 02..I was really young and over the moon about the car (and the smell)

Someone should make a candle out of it. 

[JerryC]

I call it "That old German car smell". My '56 VW bug had it, Mrs. French's '65 230SL had it, and all 3 of my '02's have had it. Quite unmistakable, but not a really unpleasant scent.

 

PS; Don't tell my wife it's from the horse hair. That would gross her out. I say it's the door cards. My '71 had no horse hair in it, at least not in the seats (anymore).

[S-L]

Whatever it is, I want MOAR!

Edited September 18, 2018 by slaviklungu

[M3M3]

1 hour ago, fastricky said:

Thing is, I also recall that aroma in the early '80s when I started to drive a few of these cars too.

i remember the smell in the then NEW 1973 2002 i learned how to drive in.  my sister, who also learned how to drive in that car, got into my 1975 a few years ago and immediately recognized the smell.  that was 40 years later, and mine had all the horse hair seats and the carpet replaced years ago.

[Rich]

I thought it was the gas fumes, but you are right, it is a great aroma, :-) 

[conkitchen]

Given that many have replaced the horse hair and carpets among others things, perhaps it's the dashboard and headliner. Likely many of those are original. 

 

what should we call the candle scent? 

 

Vintage interior or That old car smell. 

[Lisa.02P]

Love that smell.... it’s intoxicating... [emoji7]

[fastricky]

16 minutes ago, conkitchen said:

Given that many have replaced the horse hair and carpets among others things, perhaps it's the dashboard and headliner. Likely many of those are original. 

 

what should we call the candle scent? 

 

Vintage interior or That old car smell. 

 Eau de '02

[John76]

13 minutes ago, conkitchen said:

what should we call the candle scent? 

German Black Forest Horse Pucky.

[Road trip]

I remember the smell from when they were new. Remenisent of nutmeg and straw.

let me help out here. The horse hair pads are 

actually Coco fiber.

and yes they smell like coco fiber

[g_force]

First, I'm glad that the smell doesn't go away with removal of horsehair from the car, so if I ever recover the rear seat (everything else is new), I won't lose the smell.

 

Second, can someone make a cologne of this scent?  Then again, maybe it's a bad idea as it might only attract greasy old men, with dirty fingernails and questionable practicality.

 

Perhaps, just a candle. . .  or a christmas tree shaped mirror hanger, so I can have the smell in my newer cars, too.

Edited September 18, 2018 by g_force

[Conserv]

Anyone tuning in to this forum for the first time, and reading this thread, has gotta be thinkin’ “What is wrong with these people?”... ?

 

I long assumed the odor was rotting horsehair pads. Maybe not! And, having had some ‘50’s Mercedes, I thought their interior odor was distinguishable from BMW’s, you know, higher-quality rotting stuff... ?

 

Regards,

 

Steve