Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Even after all these years which I’ve been involved with GCFSB, a car will come across sometimes which I had no idea existed. Such is the case with this 1986 300SL with an AMG tuned 3.2 liter inline-6. First off, the 300SL is rare on US shores, as we only got the 560SL in our market from 1986 through 1989. Secondly, someone went to the trouble of optioning an R107 with an AMG engine and not much more to denote its bump in horsepower. The ultimate sleeper, then? You decide…
I know, I know – another Audi B2 post. But hey, we hear about every single variant of 911 all the time too, and since I love the GTs I think they deserve to be showcased. There weren’t many special editions of the GT produced, but in 1986 Audi made an entire run of “Commemorative Design” cars. The 4000CS, 4000CS quattro, Coupe GT and 5000 models all got special upgrades and each were slightly different. The closest were the 4000 quattro and Coupe GT, which shared paint colors and interiors. The exteriors were either Graphite Metallic or Alpine White, but inside they shared the same lipstick red “Mouton” leather. While the quattro got the slightly uprated JT code 115 horsepower inline-5, the GT relied on the “KX” code motor with 110 ponies. The difference lay in the exhaust manifold; the GT unit was a 5-1 cast manifold, while the quattro had a beefier 5-3-1 exit, along with a larger diameter exhaust. However, the lighter GT was quicker than the all wheel drive variant; and thanks to the nature of the GT versus the quattro market, more of the special 1986 models have survived. The ’86 CE models also received the notorious digital dash, and if you selected Alpine White, they had color matched wheels, mirrors and rear spoiler. The color combination really makes the sharp Giugiaro lines stand out:
It’s always nice when you come across low mileage classic Mercedes-Benzes, but when I read the sellers description as to why he was selling, all I could do was shake my head in disbelief and think “kids these days.” If I was just learning how to drive, I would be more than pleased to be handed the keys to something so durable and timeless as the first E-class. Having grown up with a W124, I can say without a doubt that a car like this could give a young driver an appreciation for motoring that newer cars simply couldn’t replicate. While some might say that an older car wouldn’t be safe for a new driver, a Mercedes-Benz like this was light years ahead of the competition in terms of safety and would be able to compete favorable with many modern day machines. With just over 50,000 miles on the odometer, this 300E for sale in Florida has a lot of life left in it.
Technically, this post could be filed under “Motorsports Monday.” The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 was the contemporary of the E30 M3 we saw in Carter’s post earlier today, a darling of the DTM, or German Production Cars Championship, started in 1984. Originally intended for rallying purposes, the Cosworth tuned W201 190E was deemed a bit uncompetitive for such an event by the boffins at Mercedes, so they went to the track with it, instead. As a result, a homologated version was released to the public shortly thereafter. While this particular 190E 2.3-16 for sale in Philadelphia has low miles, it has a number of issues that need to be addressed. Still, the rarity of these special W201s make this a car worth saving.
Here it is folks, your chance to put your money where your mouth is and drive the underdog of the 1980s. The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 is the sleepiest of modern classic sleepers. While E30 BMW M3s are a dime a dozen for those that can afford them, the 190E 2.3-16 remains a rare sight. That means subdued W201 styling all the way round. To say that this car is capable of flying under the radar is a massive understatement. It was only available in Pearl Black or Smoke silver, the latter being the more attention grabbing of the two. Overall this looks like an enticing package, the question is, what will it cost you to enjoy it? Hagerty puts the value of a tier two car at $20,700 and a tier three car at $13,400. That’s a whole lot of ground to cover in between, and in that range is where I would expect the reserve of this car to fall. With two days left on the auction bidding currently sits at $7,200 which doesn’t even meet tier 4 market value, so barring a last minute flury bidding or removal of the reserve, I think we’ll be seeing this one back on the block soon.
