As time marches on, so does the W126 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Pick your engine size and you are basically set. The cleanest of the clean examples continue to bring strong money month after month, and the less than desirable examples are dying off as they become not worth it to own or repair anymore.
Today, we have a 1988 300SEL up for sale in Florida finished in the rare Pajett Red with dark gray lower cladding. Even better, it’s covered just 86,000 miles since new. Worth the asking price? Maybe.
As much as the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring was theoretically produced in an attempt to curb the insane mark-up prices on the 911 R, it seems like they didn’t produce enough. Based on the recent prices, a lot more people want GT3 Tourings than are out there. As for the 911 R? Good luck even finding one. If they do turn up, bring a barrel of money. Several barrels of money. This example up for sale in Houston with 158 miles? Do I need to even so more?
Just to wash the bad taste out of our mouth from the paint-to-sample 993 Turbo earlier this week, I thought I’d look at a shade that is a lot more pleasant. This is a 2007 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet finished in paint-to-sample … something purple. The seller says it is “Lavender,” however I don’t recall that being an option for the paint-to-sample cars. This looks much more like Vesuvio Metallic or a shade very close to that. It doesn’t scream purple like an Ultraviolet, but rather has a little bit of a grey tint in it. Personally, I like it. But maybe not on this exact example.
Paint-to-sample examples are usually my favorite cars to look at. They almost always have some kind of unique twist that sets them apart from the standard color range and I’m mostly all for them. Mostly. Today is not one of those cars.
This is a 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo finished in paint-to-sample Gold Metallic. That might be the most literal description of a color ever. There is no denying this is a gold car and boy, is it not shy. Sometimes you can get away with having a gold car, but I think this is probably one of my least favorite shades ever, especially on a 993 Turbo. However, it doesn’t end there. Just wait until you see what the picked for the interior.
In terms of the R129 Mercedes-Benz, it doesn’t get better than this. This is the SL73 AMG. Just 85 were made and they are the only SL fitted with M297 V12, which is a variant of the M120 that was tuned by AMG. This is the same 7.3 V12 that powered the early Zonda cars and, of course, the CLK GTR Straßenversion. It is basically the cream of the crop when it comes to the naturally aspirated Mercedes V12 engines and threw down an impressive output of 561 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque. Even looking at it is worth the price of admission. But to have the engine and all the car wrapped around it? Bring a very large check.
Sometimes what you see isn’t always what the reality might be. That of course applies to colors of cars as well. When I look at the photo above and process what color that is, I would say navy blue. It has a little lighter hue, but a nice dark blue is where I would put my money. However, Porsche will tell you that you are not worthy of judging a color as they are calling the shade “Atlas Grey Metallic”. Naturally I went over to Google and did an image search for Atlas Grey Metallic and what pops up is a bunch of cars that still look navy blue to me. Am I out of touch here?
I still think the C140 Mercedes-Benz hasn’t had its day yet. They are coming around for sure, but full blown “collector cars” they are not. I also think their time is coming and this example up for sale in The Netherlands is a good reason why. This 1997 CL420, an engine combo we didn’t get in the US, wears the rare Ruby Metallic paint job and the always cool 18″ Eltanin wheels that we also didn’t get. Inside, black leather with burl wood everywhere. Despite looking so good, this one has a surprising 92,000 miles on it. Doesn’t mean it is going to be cheap however.
Hey there. My excitement sure peaked with I saw this 2002 Mercedes-Benz ML320 finished in its current shade of mint. I thought this was maybe a special order or a designo color given that this shade is no stranger on German cars. I personally love it because I think it is something different without being too garish or offensive as well as being a nice refresher (no pun intended) in the normal sea of earth tones. After all, I’ve seen factory crazier colors on cars, but sadly I was left disappointed on this one. You can probably guess why.
Fresh off last week’s 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL, I happen to run across another European-market example, although this one is already in this US. This is a 1985 380SEL that marked the final year for the 3.8L V8 before switching over the 4.2L V8 in the 420SEL. These are generally forgotten in the W126 world as if you are going to buy one, a diesel or the 560 are the best bang for your buck. So why look at a lowly 380SEL then? How does 2,900 miles since new sound? Well, how does it look is more like it.
For the past 20 years or so, Porsche hasn’t been shy about the special editions. Most of the time they pick the non-911s as it is easier to be a little be creative with the models. This special edition, the 2008 Boxster RS60 Spyder, was made to commemorate their victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1960. The car used there was the Porsche 718 RS Spyder, which is suppose is an ancestor of the current Boxster, or at least Porsche wants you to imagine that. Just 1,960 units were made in a unique GT Silver Metallic exterior over a Carrera Red interior that was intended to match the look of the 718 RS Spyder itself. There was some other special trim as well as a sport exhaust, which raised output to 303 horsepower. Values have been surprisingly strong believe or not, and they don’t seem to be getting any cheaper. Worth it?
