About a month ago I took a look at a 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG that you wouldn’t think to be all that rare, but was actually just one of about 750 cars for the model year. Keeping with the rare Mercedes-Benz coupe thing, I wanted to rewind the clock back to the mid-1990s and check out a car that is even rarer — the S600 Coupe. Towards the end of the W140 run, Mercedes really cut down production on the V12 cars for North America much more than you would think. This 1997 up for sale in Georgia is just one of 348 for the model year. The lesser S500 Coupe was nearly triple that number with 933 cars imported, while 3,510 S500 sedans were sold in 1997. Now that these are reaching full-on classic status, demand for them is high and so are prices for the low-mile cars.
Category: Mercedes Benz
Hard to believe the newest W126 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is over 30 years-old now. Hard to say these aged great as it is pretty clear these were a product of the 1980s, but in terms of quality, tough to argue. You won’t find much that is falling off these cars unless you find a 500,000-mile example, which there are many, and they have no real signs of inevitable decay like some much newer models. As long as you treat them well, they will return the favor and be happy to do so. The pinnacle of the chassis, the 560SEL, still to this day brings crazy money when the miles are right. Today’s example, a 1991 up for sale in Phoenix, has some miles, but the price seems to be relatively reasonable for the condition.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL on eBay
1 CommentRecently I had a chance to catch up with a friend, who since I had last seen him had purchased a classic Mercedes-Benz. After months of getting it polished up and running right, his 250 was proudly on display at an event that he drove hours to get to. I got to go for a ride in it, and immediately the smells, sounds, and experience of a classic Mercedes-Benz all flooded back; there really is something special about these cars.
The 250 was one of the six-cylinder models on offer as part of the 1.9 million produced in the W114/W115 series. Designed by the legendary Paul Bracq, the W114/W115 is a handsome design that channels all the right classic Mercedes-Benz qualities. It really does look like a scaled-down 600. Though the overall production number is really high, numbers in the six-cylinder configuration are much lower; today’s car should be a W114.611, which was produced between 1973–1976 and was powered by a 2.8-liter M130. About 11,500 were made in this run, and this model year was the end of the run for the W114 – as ’77 saw the W123 introduced. Let’s take a look:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1976 Mercedes-Benz 250 on eBay
3 CommentsLast week I laid out why I think right now the R230 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is probably the best value in the Mercedes-Benz world. It has the perfect combination of very high production numbers and the perfect timing of too old to be modern but too young to be a classic. Today, we have the previous generation that had a similar production run, which means it can still be had for very little money given how many are out there floating around. Of course I’m talking about the trusty R129, and more specifically an early 500SL.
This example up for sale in New Jersey is finished in one of my favorite colors of Spruce Green and just has shy of 51,000 miles. The best part? The asking price is only $10,900. Of course there is a catch.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500SL on eBay
Comments closedFor me, right now, there is no better value in the Mercedes-Benz world than the R230 generation SL-Class. A nearly $90,000 car new back when it first launched almost 20 years ago has probably reached its floor for the well-loved models. If you want in on one, now is the time. Thankfully just like the previous generation, the R230 had a long production run with no less than five different engine choices including a V12. Of course, the real value is with the classic M113 5.0-liter V8 with the nearly indestructible 722.6 five-speed automatic. Today’s example, an Amber Red Metallic example up for sale in Nevada, is looking to be a real deal even in today’s thirst for everything cool in the automotive world.