Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
It still makes me wonder why the R230 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is so inexpensive. I know they are now 20 years old and very much considered “used” cars, but they are generally good in the grand scheme of cars that use to cost $100,000. I don’t think they’ve aged all that poorly considering when it was designed and built, and actual quality isn’t that bad either. Today’s car, a 2004 SL500 up for sale in Florida, has the classic look of understated on the outside but a totally wild interior.
You are probably looking at that photo above and thinking that is not a 2004 Mercedes-Benz G500. Thanks to the never-ending need for humans to look more wealthy than they really are, we end up with this creation. That is in fact a 2004 G500 with a W463.2 front grille, hood, fenders, fender extenders, bumpers, lighting, side mirrors, and giant 22″ wheels. I’ve seen it all.
I’m not here to say “I told you so”, but when I told you three years ago to snag these while they were still cheap, I wasn’t kidding. Just $28,500 for this example back in February 2020 (right before the world fell apart) seems like highway robbery as that car is probably going to sell for at least $10,000 more today. Today’s example, a 2004 up for sale in New York, has the beautiful Carrara White with just over 44,000 miles. Still grab one while you can? Maybe not at this price.
Nobody circles the wagons like the … Mercedes-Benz wagons. I’m sure you know what I’m trying to get at here. In all seriousness, if you want resale value, go ahead and grab yourself a wagon from basically any generation. It’s even true of today’s bottom-of-the-barrel offering, the W203 C240 4MATIC wagon. I’ve ranted for years about how the W203 was a real low point for Mercedes-Benz in the modern era with its utterly bland styling, horrifically cheap interior, and lackluster powertrains. The wagon doesn’t alter that formula, but at least you have the utility of all that extra space. As you can probably tell, this is not an attractive color combination. Travertine beige over Java vinyl. Don’t let the fancy name of “Java” fool you either, it’s just beige.
Just when you thought last week’s 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 was wild with Amaranth Violet, we have another Purple Porsche that is on a whole other level. This 2004 Carrera GT checks in with paint-to-sample Viola Pearl and I’m willing to bet it is the only one. It was delivered new in Missouri of all places but quickly transported to its first owner in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From there, it went to a few owners before being exported to England where it sits having just 7,500 miles.
