Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Time for another Honorable Mention Roundup of the cars we just didn’t have a chance to get to this week. We’ve got quite a few reader submissions in this edition, and by chance it ends up focusing on some super sedans which are all quite affordable in their own ways. Which is the one we should have spent more time on?
The W110 is where the Mercedes-Benz fascination started in my family, with my father having owned a 1962 190C during his years of bachelorhood. There are times I miss owning a Mercedes, even though I’d never give up the MINI Cooper S I currently own. I have no doubt that someday I’ll return back to a Mercedes-Benz, but it would have to be a vintage one. This 1966 200 for sale in Illinois is one of the nicest W110s I’ve seen in recent years. The green over tan livery is smart looking and the four-speed manual shift on the floor is a rather rare option, as you generally see a lot of column shifters on these mid-sixties Mercs.
It’s with some confusion that I write this post. There are several reasons for that, but it boils down to really two things; I keep seeing this car, and I don’t understand why it’s for sale. In general, S6 Avants aren’t really often seen. I don’t think that anyone who knows C5 Audis would consider Aqua Blue Pearl Effect to be a particularly common color. Find one with the Alcantara Recaro seats and it’s likely down to single digits. And to narrow that down even further, 6-speed converted S6 Avants pop up from time to time, yet generally aren’t often seen. But combine all of those things and there only has to be one, right? Well, wrong – as there appear to have been no less than two identical 6-speed converted Aqua Blue Pearl Effect 2003 S6 Avants for sale on the West Coast over the past two years. And what is even more confusing is that they keep coming up for sale. The first one appeared in January 2014 and was stock with 95,000 miles and on offer for just below $16,000. It was back in March 2015, now with 105,000 miles and on offer for $500 less. So in September when a nearly identical one popped up for $16,500, you’d presume it was the same, right? Well, wrong – this one has more miles and is highly modified. But at its base is the same Aqua Blue Pearl Effect with Alcantara and a 6-speed swap. As strange as that is, what perplexes me even more every time one of these or their S8 cousins come up for sale, though, is why anyone would go through all the trouble of the manual conversion only to sell the car shortly after:
I’ve focused heavily on the now-importable forbidden fruit of Volkswagen recently, but the models VW kept from us tend more towards the funky instead of the fast. One of the tastiest BMW offerings that never came across the Atlantic is the “Italian M3,” or E30 320is. As a reminder, these were standard E30 chassis heavily upgraded with M parts, including the M3’s S14 but with a shorter stroke to circumvent Italy and Portugal’s heavy taxes on engines over 2000cc. It produced almost as much power as the M3 with a little less torque, and the same Getrag dog-leg gearbox ensured a powertrain experience as close to the all-conquering M3 as any. The suspension setup was similar as well, but an M-Tech II bodykit provided a much more subtle, gentleman-racer look compared to the E30’s legendary box flares. Carter featured one of the few in the US (and one of 2,542 in the world) a while back. It was for sale by the oft-derided Enthusiast Auto Group, well known for snagging low-mileage examples of rare BMWs and proceeding to ask exorbitant amount of money for them. That car with 50k miles was left on the auction block despite a high bid of $29k. It was also pretty much all-original, which is not the case here.
This 320is has had quite a few owners, starting with 3 in Italy, two in Germany (including the current seller), and 8 years with one in the UK. The British owner spent heavily to elevate his 320is to a true track weapon with an FIA M3 roll cage, race seats and 4-point harnesses, and a fully upgraded suspension. Other OEM+ items like E30 M3 rear brakes, E36 M3 chain tensioner, and M Coupe differential cover complete a package that is well thought-out and is surely an exceptional performer on road and track. In an effort to make it more streetable, the Recaros and roll cage are supplemented by by a custom rear seat-delete parcel shelf. It’s racy for sure, but none of it looks so extreme that it couldn’t be enjoyed regularly on the road. The exterior follows a similar path with jagged M-stripes crossing the beautiful Delphin grey. They’re vinyl, so you can take them off if you want to return to its original sleeper status. With the performance parts it’s packing and the rollcage peaking out of the back windows, I’d leave them on to proclaim BMW Motorsport for all to see. It will be in Germany until early next year which complicates the sale a little, but if the rare and unique 320is is your style, I’d say it’s worth getting in touch with Norbert to see what you can work out.
For a car as rare as the 993 Turbo S we do seem to be coming across a decent number of them right now. The one we see here certainly qualifies as one of the more interesting color palettes and even at the insane prices we see for these it should attract a good deal of interest. Here we have a Cobalt Blue Metallic 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo S, located in Washington, with Midnight Blue leather interior and yellow accents with 17,917 miles on it. The blue on blue look is something I have grown accustomed to seeing on the 911. I’m far less accustom to the yellow accents we see in this interior, which certainly make a bold statement and help break up an otherwise monochromatic appearance to the car as a whole. I’m not sure what sparked the choice of yellow – perhaps it is as simple as matching the brake calipers of the Turbo S – and I’m equally as unsure of what I think about it. Thankfully the use of yellow was fairly restrained. I have no reservations about the exterior color choice: Cobalt Blue simply is fantastic and here on a Turbo S it looks both aggressive and alluring. With 424 hp the Turbo S are fantastically quick cars that bring with them a high level of refinement and luxury. While perhaps lacking some of the insanity of the 964 Turbo S, especially the lightened 3.3 liter version, there is little to find at fault with the 993 and the overall shape is about as good as it gets. This is the final evolution of the air-cooled 911 design and when I look at that shape I quickly understand the disappointment felt by 911 enthusiasts upon the release of the 996.
