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The low mileage 450SEL we featured last month is back up for sale. The car failed to meet its reserve last time at $18,800 after an impressive 50 bids.
-Paul
THE BELOW POST ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON OUR SITE November 14, 2013:
With a new Mercedes-Benz S class upon us, it’s an opportune time to look back through the years and see how this luxury sedan development. The W116 S class quickly became an afterthought after the much loved W126 debuted at the dawn of the 1980s. This big bruiser’s moment came via a movie most of us all know and love, Ronin. The top of the range 6.9 made an appearance in this action packed flick, terrorizing a Citroën XM and duo of Peugeot 605s in the pursuit of a mysterious case. Even with a rocket launcher perched through the sunroof opening, the 6.9 still looked dignified going about its business. This 450SEL captures much of the 6.9’s aura even if the V8 is down on power. But for most, the power, safety and luxury this classic S class offers is quite adequate.
Only a few weeks ago we witnessed a mint condition 1985 4000S quattro sell for over $12,000 – a remarkable feat. But only a few weeks before we showed that impressive condition 1985 we had an equally impressive condition 1986 model for a then staggering to contemplate $9,800. In the meantime the price has fallen slightly, first to $9,200, and now the car has appeared on Ebay. With no reserve on the auction, it looks like the seller is hoping to roll the same dice that the 1985 seller utilized. Any bets on where this lower mile, equally impressive 1986 ends up?
-Carter
My love for obscure cars dictates my leaning towards one of my favorite Volkswagens of all time: the Quantum Syncro Wagon. Known as the Passat, Santana, Corsar and Carat in other markets, the Quantum was the choice for someone seeking German engineering in a mid-sized package on a budget. Curiously, Volkswagen only offered Syncro four-wheel drive in the Quantum Wagon, as it was the bigger seller. This car shared its drivetrain with the Audi 80 and required a completely new floorpan which relocated the gas tank and deleted the spare tire well. Mated exclusively to the 2.2 liter inline-5 engine, this was a very versatile machine popular with those in the snow belt.
Few of these Quantum Syncro Wagons survive in good condition, but they have a rabid following of enthusiasts. Rarely do you see a pre-facelift Quantum Syncro Wagon but here is one for sale in Seattle. A few items need doing but nothing too terrible to put off those handy with a wrench.
It’s pretty much a given that the moment I write “we haven’t seen one of these in a while”, a second appears nearly immediately. In the case of yesterday’s 5000CS quattro, these big Audis have become so rare to the market these days that it had been months since I saw a decent example for sale. Yet, like clockwork, here’s the second in two days – but with a slight twist. Few outside of the die-hard Audi fans will recall that there was a front wheel drive Audi turbo available from 1985 until 1990. Running the same power plant as yesterday’s quattro but without the all-wheel drive system, these 5000 Turbos were actually quite fun to drive on back roads, great cruisers on the highway and slightly quicker due to less weight. Despite that few chose the Turbo model as an option and it’s probably only remembered vaguely by 1980s movie fans as the car that Ferris Bueller’s dad drove.
As we close out the year here at GCFSB, it’s safe to say that 2013 could be considered the year of the M3. With the original E30 leading the charge on the value charts, we’ve seen the effect trickle down and values have begun to creep up on its successor, the E36 M3. With the E36, however, there were several different variants available, some being more popular than others. Curiously, the M3 sedan was a tad bit lighter than its two-door sibling, making it the not so obvious choice for the track day enthusiast. Does the automatic gearbox in this example for sale in Florida diminish the fun?
