Warning!
We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.
This site contains Ebay partner affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
Last week I looked at a 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL with just 1,500 miles on it. I was pretty underwhelmed with it because of the presentation and the fact that it looked like every other R107 that wasn’t beat to death. I was even more underwhelmed by the $75,000 asking price. To no one’s surprise, the car didn’t even up selling and they actually relisted it for $500 more at $75,500. Yeah, I don’t get it either. Today, I thought I’d present another 380SL at a much more reasonable price and actually in the same ballpark in terms of condition. The best news? This is a European-spec car so there is much to be excited about.
It seems like every time a first-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK catches my eye I look inside to see what seems like the inevitable. The paint on the center console is all worn away leaving a disaster of flaking paint and a total eyesore. Blame it on poor materials or careless owners, but these SLKs just don’t seem to be holding up as well as you might have expected. Once you realize that these were not just a mini-SL and built with more of the spirit of the C-Class in mind, you start to understand why they are aging like they are. It is possible to keep these nice in ideal conditions by ideal owners, but now that these cars are old enough to buy cigarettes, they are few and far between. Much to my surprise, this SLK230 up for sale in California is one of the better ones I’ve seen for sale in a long time. The best part? This price almost seems too good to be true.
I love flagship Mercedes-Benz and all their uniqueness that they bring. From last weeks Adenauer to today’s car, a 2011 S600, I enjoy all of them. (Except the W220 S600 with the 5.8 V12, that thing is garbage.) This W221 up for sale in Texas has everything you’d expect a flagship Mercedes to have with its radar guided cruise control and 510 horsepower that does 0-60 is 4.5 seconds. On top of all the normal goodies, this S600 has the extra special designo interior option. Problem is, I don’t know if I’m in love with it.
Last week I looked at a 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550 with little over 2,700 miles on it and quite honestly, wasn’t all that impressed. Maybe because it was a modern car that was only 10 years old, but the low miles didn’t really blow me away all that much. Today, we have a 1985 380SL that has just 1,500 miles on it. That’s it, exactly 1,500. I don’t know why or how this car only managed 1,500 miles, but that’s what I’m seeing. The problem is, like the S550 from last week, this car just isn’t doing it for me.
About a month ago I checked out a 1968 Mercedes-Benz 600 that is the crème de la crème when it comes to flagship Mercedes. It gets all the press, all the attention and rightfully so. But often overlooked is the predecessor of the 600, the 300d Adenauer. I’ve checked these cars out in the past and they don’t come up for sale to the public all that often thanks to their age and rarity. Personally, I think they are one of the coolest Mercedes ever made thanks to their distinctive style with the great waterfall grille and pillar-less profile. This is a car with presence. You don’t blend in with the pack with this car. When an Adenauer drives down the road, you see it coming. The best part about this car? It’s not as expensive as you would think.
