There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual

P. J. O’Rourke, satirist of politics and prophet of modern absurdities, once proclaimed with sly humor: “There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible.” At first hearing, these words sound like mere jest, but beneath the laughter lies a sharp reflection on desire, materialism, and status. O’Rourke exposes how luxury and power—embodied in a shining machine—often ignite passions more than genuine virtue or character. The automobile, in his wit, becomes less a vehicle than a symbol of wealth and allure.

The origin of this saying lies in O’Rourke’s lifelong craft of wielding humor as critique. Writing in the late twentieth century, he delighted in mocking consumerism and the vanities of modern life. The Mercedes-Benz 380SL, a gleaming status symbol of its era, was not merely a car but a cultural icon—an object that conferred prestige, wealth, and attraction upon its owner. In equating it with arousal, O’Rourke reveals how deeply human desire has been entangled with possessions, and how often mechanical devices of luxury stir the heart more quickly than qualities of the soul.

History itself confirms the power of symbols to stir desire. In the Gilded Age, men flaunted diamond rings, gilded carriages, and mansions not only for their own enjoyment but to attract admiration and love. Women, bound within a society that often measured security through a husband’s wealth, learned to see such symbols as signs of promise or survival. O’Rourke’s wit pierces this old truth: the glittering machine is as much a weapon of seduction as beauty itself.

Consider also the tale of Jay Gatsby, though born of fiction, who adorned himself with mansions and motorcars to win Daisy’s heart. His wealth became the beacon of his desirability, proving that possessions can inflame longing where words and deeds fail. O’Rourke, in his quip, echoes this ancient pattern with modern tongue: a luxury car may rouse passions more swiftly than poetry or philosophy.

Therefore, O seekers of wisdom, laugh, but also learn. The Mercedes-Benz 380SL is not merely a jest, but a parable of misplaced desire. It reminds us that attraction often bows before symbols of wealth and power, though true love lies deeper than chrome and leather. O’Rourke’s words carry both jest and warning: pleasure won by possessions may sparkle, but it is fleeting. For what intoxicates the senses today may rust tomorrow, while only the treasures of spirit endure.