I am thinking of buying an obscure model of a (cheap) foreign car, taking off their logo, and then slapping a Mercedes logo on the car.
I think it would be both funny to see people wonder about this new Mercedes they have never seen before, plus drive some status symbol friends of mine nuts when they see it.
But is there anything illegal about doing it? I mean, I am not trying to sell it as a Mercedes, it would be just my private joke.
I don’t see how it could be. It’s your car. Go nuts.
Isn’t there some issue with malignment of corporate identity?
I would check the manufacture of the obscure, cheap car to see if it is OK. :toungeincheek:
IANAL. I suppose you would have to do it for the purpose of deception in order to get into real trouble. However, remember that Mercedes has a legal department whose members they pay whether or not they are doing anything and one of the junior members might as well be hounding you as doing nothing.
… one of the bees in the bonnet of which is references to “Mercedes” rather than “Mercedes-Benz” (though this is probably a losing battle).
Actually, the company itself, long known as Daimler Benz, is now DaimlerChrysler.
A friend of mine took the “Honda Civic” off his car and replaced it with a very real-looking “Frolet Poot” logo.
Although, I guess this is the reverse of your situation.
Mercedes-Benz is not going to bother with it, and wouldn’t have much of a case if they chose to. As long as you’re not representing the car as a Mercedes, then they have little to complain about.
I also wouldn’t sweat it. At worst, they’d send a cease-and-decist order. Whether that’s legally enforceable is another matter.
Rolls-Royce sued a guy once for putting their grille on his car. Of course, they did it because they were getting questions/complaints about his Merlin-powered car doing 200mph on the Autobahn… 
Well, until there is massive tort reform anyone can sue you for almost anything, sadly. However, I am unaware of anyone ever being sued for such a thing as mentioned in the OP, except in the case of fraud (trying to sell a kit car as a Ferrari, for example, or a fake Shelby Cobra).
So sue me.
Some owners of Smart cars here put various Merc badges and emblems on their cars. Mine came with a big 3 point star on the back and a small badge on the front. I’ve also seen AMG badges and once “Kompressed” made from a “Kompressor” badge. These cases are probably not a problem since MCC Smart is owned by DaimlerChrysler.