Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
On Monday, I looked at a W124 cabriolet – a model I believe won’t witness a huge spike in value over the short term. While I do think the values will hold strong where they are and, at the very least, keep up with inflation, if you are hoping to make tens of thousands of dollars in a quick flip, there are probably better options.  Today’s car, the Mercedes-Benz 190SL, is one of those options.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a “Roll the Dice” article about a European specification 380SE with a host of period AMG bits. However, there was no supporting documentation that the car was actually an AMG car and, notably, several items were incorrect. The verdict was that without that documentation, it was probably overpriced for what it was. Today I’m back with another white “AMG” – this time, a pre-merger R129 500SL. Again, we get little documentation on what is reportedly a Japanese-specification 500SL with AMG bits. Is it worth a roll of the dice this time?
Last week I looked a CL63 AMG in a nice shade of green and a few weeks before that I looked at a very nice W124 Cabriolet. So today we’ll combine the two and check out this seasonal 1993 300CE covered in Spruce Green for sale in California.
There used to be an R107 parked near where I live. It was green, in mint condition and it sparkled in the sun like it was new. I once saw the driver, a smartly dressed young woman in her mid twenties. An unusual car for a young person to own, I thought, especially in buttoned-up DC. Did she have impeccable taste in cars? A love for classic Benzes? Rich parents who’d gifted her their old roadster? All of the above? It’s no longer there, so I cannot ask her. But I do notice these cars more and more these days, as I realize the R107 might well be the definitive classic Mercedes. Timelessly styled, precision engineered and still exuding that ineffable sense of old money, they will soon be collectible, if they are not already. A friend from graduate school recently bought one. When I see the pictures of him on Facebook sitting in it, I can’t help but admire it. And feel a hint of jealousy.
Black, white, silver or gray. Google search ‘CL63 AMG’ then click the images tab and that’s all you’ll see on these cars. (Ignore that red one. What was that guy even thinking?) I mean I get it, those are the colors that sell. I’m guilty of it. My AMG is silver because 97% of my cars produced were either black, white or silver. German cars are serious, and the buyers of their cars are too. The German models that aren’t so serious (Porsche 911) has every color in the rainbow and people go wild for that (but still usually still buy black, silver, white or gray).
But just because these are serious cars doesn’t mean we can’t venture off into other colors that aren’t on the scale between between black and white. Navy blue is a wonderful color that isn’t in your face. How about a nice darker green? Specifically, how about Jade Green Metallic? We are in luck because that’s exactly what the 2008 CL63 AMG for sale on Long Island, New York is.
