TESTIMONIALS: What do people have to say about Mathieu Cama and O.W.A?

"As far as I am concerned Mat Cama is the best early Mercedes mechanic in the US. That's hyperbolic, but once Mat has worked on your car you will probably feel the same way. Mat has worked on three different Mercedes cars for me over the last about fifteen years, an 83 240D, an 84 300SD and the car I have now, an 84 230CE "grey market" car.

Since I've moved to Charleston, I've yet to find anyone to work on it who sounds good. I've talked to a few but was not convinced that they knew what they were talking about or else they seemed too difficult to work with. Some of these guys need the work and will say anything. On the other hand, I could ask Mat anything about these cars and I did for years; he always had an intelligent answer and made the situation clear, whatever it was. Probably my only option out here is to learn to do the work myself, which I am considering, but of course I won't have 25 years of experience behind my work like I got with Mat. Hopefully he would give me some pointers as he always has. For example, once he taught me how to adjust the valves on my 300 SD. Or perhaps I will just have to bring my car back to Atlanta and leave it with Mat for a couple of weeks when I need something done. Frankly, without Mat I may have to drop out of the old Mercedes business all together.

As you probably know already, the cost of fixing these cars is not going to be cheap in any case, especially for the quality German parts, which for many things are the only ones to get. But at least Mat lets you know what the costs of the parts and the work will be fairly and then it's up to you. After Mat works with you I'm sure he'll become a good friend as he has to me. I can't say enough about Mat's work and style of doing business, but I think I have made my point. In my opinion, you and your car are lucky to have found Mat Cama.

It's a pleasure to have had the opportunity to talk to you about this important subject. Thanks for contacting me and good luck with your Mercedes.

John B. Charleston, SC
'84 230CE "

"Mathieu Cama has been our mechanic for a little over 5 years. I've been very pleased with the quality of his work. I find that his estimates for the cost of the work and time required are generally on target, and any service delays are communicated directly. Several times Mathieu has made his shop and his services available to us on our schedule to fit in a quick service or to finish up a project that was running a little longer than expected - something that was always very much appreciated when one of our two daily drivers was affected.

Mathieu is our mechanic first, and through the years became a friend of ours. While I always make it a point to separate the times when we are Mathieu's friend from the times when we are his customer, others may not always make or see such a distinction. The professionalism, honesty and integrity prevalent in his business extends to his personal life as well.

As you know, owning and maintaining these older cars can be a bit of an exercise. I firmly believe that without Mathieu's knowledge and professional expertise, my fiancÈe and I would be driving back and forth across town in some late model econobox. Instead, we can do it in the safety, comfort, and class of an older Mercedes. Mathieu has mentored us from day 1 on everything from how to maintain our cars to how they should be driven. His opinions and experience are of great value to us, and his enthusiasm for the marque is second to none.--

John E.
1981 240D 4-spd 301+kmi
1980 300TD 4-spd 207+kmi
1980 300SD 277+kmi
1977 280S 4-spd 81+kmi
1976 350SE 4-spd 163+kmi
1972 220 278+kmi "

"I wanted to take this opportunity to write and thank you for the friendly, professional, and outstanding service you have provided my family in purchasing and maintaining our ìfleetî of mercedes W123 automobiles. We have purchased a total of 4 cars from you and each one has exceeded our expectations. I have never seen a person work harder to provide an honest, factual description of a pre-owned vehicle. Your encyclopedic knowledge of these vehicles and your honesty about the condition of the cars has made purchasing a vehicle from you a real pleasure. You always go the extra mile to see that our concerns are answered and the deal gets done in a timely and professional manner. Additionally, your love for these great automobiles and your genuine friendliness and courtesy are very much appreciated.

In closing, there is not another person on the planet that I trust more than you when it comes to purchasing a vintage Mercedes (or any other vintage car for that matter). Also, there is no one around who can do a better job of diagnosing and repairing these cars. Thank you again for all you have done for my family, and I look forward to purchasing many other vehicles from you in the future.

Sincerely,

Patrick R.
‘77 300d
‘78 300d
‘81 300d
‘83 300d Euro

"I own two 1972 Mercedes 280 SEL 4.5 cars. The first, was purchased in California in 1992, the second just acquired in April (2007).I've had a number of shops on both coasts work on both my cars over the last 15 years. I depend on neither car as regular transportation, nor would have the mechanic that services our other cars work on my Mercedes.

To answer your questions directly:"I would appreciate it if you could take a moment to email me your experiences with his business."Mat is extremely knowledgeable about a niche automobile. It is extremely difficult to find a mechanic that is and I can tell you 15 years of horror stories about what happens when someone does not know what they are doing and works on your car.Be prepared though, Mat is currently the chief cook and bottle washer and does not have a receptionist, a data entry specialist or a parts department. This is not like taking your car to the dealership. It is difficult to provide entirely accurate estimates on a car that is 35 years old, as sometimes age causes other problems that are found during a repair. My experience with Mat is that he never makes unnecessary repairs and he always charges fairly.

"In addition to the quality of his work, I am also interested to know whether he was able to give an accurate estimate of the cost of his work, as well as the time the work took to complete."Since Mat does work alone he will take longer than a dealership with multiple mechanics and a support staff. However, I have found Mat to be a diligent worker and returns my car as soon as is humanly possible.

I would say in my experience Mat and Old World are one of the best I have encountered and certainly the best in the Atlanta area for your particular era of car.

Ann P.
'72 280SEL 4.5 "

"Quality of work was 1st rate...no worries as you are in good hands.

As for estimates I ask Mathieu for a rough estimate as well as I realizing he is working on a 20+ year old car. With that in mind he has always tended to what ever items which needed servicing to keep things in proper order.On occasion some jobs come in under, some over. Cost is not my foremost concern with regards to having work done...doing the job once and having it done in a manner that I know will my car will perform when asked to is of utmost importance.

Time is again something I don't hold him too, nor do I typically ask for a time frame, simply a request that when he does call me to retrieve my car that everything is as Mercedes intended it to be.

If you are looking for cheap/quick service center that is willing to make sacrifices to stay on 'budget' I do not think OWA is the shop you are looking for, however if it is attention to detail/thoroughness you seek then I believe you have chosen well.

Jonathan H.
1991 560 SEC Euro ECE
1989 560 SEC AMG
1986 560 SEL 6.0L 32V AMG "

"Mat,Thanks alot for the expertise and help today. I could not have sold the 300SD without you, and I will be sure to refer bussiness whenever I can.

Larry F."

"I've been taking my Benzes to Mat for 2-3 years now, and I cannot say enough good things about him. He truly has a passion for Benzes, especially older ones. He has a tremendous knowledge and an eye for detail. You won't be disappointed!

Check out his website: www.oldworldauto.com. Your car will thank you!!

Jim P.
'84 300SD
'95 S500 "

"Mathieu, I really enjoyed the car show Saturday. It was a nice day and nice to get the 220 out in the public eye again for all to enjoy. I also very much appreciate the time you took to polish her chrome!

Al L.
'61 220SEb"