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Month: February 2015

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1967 BMW 2000

Do you want to stand out in the vintage German crowd? There are plenty of expensive ways; drop a couple of million on a barn find 300SL Gullwing and everyone will be talking about you. But, say you don’t have a few million? Well, even for the modest budgeted enthusiast, many of the classics are heading out of reach. In the world of BMWs, vintage 3.0s are heading towards six figures for the best examples and even the 2002 – the car that started the craze of BMW’s sport sedan heritage – can be an expensive proposition for an average enthusiast. If you want a really nice example, you’ll be spending between $25,000 and $30,000 for a good carburetor example. Tiis are even more highly sought, pushing $50,000 for the best examples. Even a top condition lowly Isetta can run over $40,000. That doesn’t mean you’re pushed out of the classic BMW market if you’re not made of money; witness the BMW 2000, the semi-forgotten sports sedan that shared much of its architecture with the 2002 but offers 4-door sports sedan practicality:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1967 BMW 2000 on eBay

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1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL in original condition

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We all dream about finding that holy grail in the barn, but it usually takes a lot of luck, years of tracking a rumor or lobbying a sometimes reluctant owner to sell off a vehicle that has been in the family for ages. Sometimes, though, you stumble across one, like I did with this 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing in original condition. This one is on sale from a German dealer but the car is currently located in the US. It’s not every day you’d shell out $1.4 million for a fixer upper, but they’re only original once. Will this car make a trek back to the homeland or will someone here on these shores snap it up before it shoves off to the port?

Click for details: 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL on Mobile.de

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1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E

I knew I had to write this one up as soon as I clicked through the link.  In my opinion the W123 platform is the peak of Mercedes’ restrained design that is still head turning and beautiful. It is truly hard to imagine any automaker coming up with such a tidy package these days, especially Mercedes, what with their current love of creases, creases and more creases. This is truly an elegant machine, built for cruising out to the country house with family or the beach house with the tennis instructor, either way you’d get there in comfort and style.

I’m a big fan of the Astral Silver paint on this extremely low mile example. It can appear to have a greenish tinge to it when in the right light, really a unique look that fits the vibe of the car perfectly. I hope the buyer lives in New York too because that plate looks just right. It’s a very minor detail that people often overlook on their otherwise obsessed over vehicles but I think a license plate can make or break the look of a car. In this case, it is very much make, thanks largely in part to the yellow euro lights.

Of course the interior is something to behold as well. It’s perfectly sparse, like a corner office in 1970s Germany. One of the things I like most about the W123 is that it’s a 70s design that carried over into the 80s. Sure I’m a fan of the W124 as well because they’re practically indestructible and it’s the first Mercedes I ever rode in but it doesn’t hold a candle to its predecessor. Years of beautiful Bavarian design influence is clearly evident in this car and it’s not hard to see why they’re collector items for people who simply love great design.

Click for details: 1981 Mercedes Benz 280E on eBay

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Tuner Tuesday: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC AMG

The words “authentic” and “original” become quite contested when it comes to 1980s AMG products. That’s mostly because, in truly un-Germanic fashion, most of the records of the early AMG cars were lost in the move from an independent company to incorporation in the Daimler-Benz Goliath. That’s really unfortunate, because it opens the opportunity for interpretation; without documentation, how is one supposed to truly show that their car is an original modified version? There are also questions about what level of modification makes a “authentic” AMG; because, technically, you could buy a steering wheel, wheels and aerobits from an authorized dealer in the 1980s and be able to claim it’s an original car. But the big money tends to be reserved for the cars that were fully modified with upgraded engines, suspension, interior and exterior upgrades. We’ve seen a few of these variously modified SECs cross these pages, and today we get to look at another. This one straddles the middle ground of mods; a steering wheel, reportedly correct “Penta” wheels, and aerodynamic bits adorn this European market 500SEC, but the car also has the correct AMG suspension as well. With lower miles, will this 1980s spectacular dipped white example set the market ablaze?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC AMG on eBay

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1980 Volkswagen Scirocco S

I’m going to get a bit gushy for a moment, if you’ll allow me. I love the original Scirocco. Considering I’m a huge fan of the similarly Giugiaro designed Audi Coupe, that should come as no surprise. Both the GT and the Scirocco have some odd angles, and arguable aren’t the prettiest designs ever to be penned by the Italians. However, it’s that awkwardness that adds to their appeal for me – they stand out not because they’re perfect, but because simply they stand out and not in a bad way. It’s something that the second generation Scirocco wasn’t able to pull off, in my mind. The short and squat original model, though it lacked the performance of many of the top-tier Volkswagen products, has to go down as one of the prettiest Volkswagens ever made. While they were a popular coupe and in many ways helped to spawn the sedan-based 2-door market that was the rage in the 1980s and early 1990s, not many of the original Sciroccos remain thanks mostly to rust and electrical issues. To me, the best looking of the original models are the infrequently seen “S” models, such as the 1980 which popped up this week for sale. The S was mostly an appearance package but featured a front spoiler, some cool stripes and Recaro seats; it was also only available in three colors in 1980 – black, Mars Red or today’s Alpine White:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1980 Volkswagen Scirocco S on eBay

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