There are many legends from the 1980s tuning scene, and probably if you were to single out one single car as the most famous it would be the Ruf CTR “Yellowbird†that stunned magazines with its 200+ m.p.h. top speed and created one of the first internet sensations with its slithering sideways lap of the ‘Ring. But near equal to the yellow 911 is the widebody bad boys from Affalterbach. With their four cam V8s churning supercar power levels and their widened flanks, they were a favorite poster subjects and still draw adoring crowds today. Today’s car isn’t an original, but it sure looks good:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC Widebody on eBay
One of the big things keeping the classic car hobby alive and more importantly keeping these cars moving are the classic rallies. All the way from the top at the Mille Miglia to the little local club drives to the local BBQ restaurant, these events keep the wheels turning. No matter what kind of event you are into and what era car you own, you can probably find something you live.
Today, we have an unusual example for a classic rally, but that doesn’t mean the previous owners didn’t go all-in with the theme. This 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC up for sale in Germany has all the equipment to compete in a number of events and the stickers to prove. Not a brand choice to soak up miles.
Color is everything on a vintage car for me, and some colors seem to work better than others on certain models. Today’s car, a 1980 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL, might be one of those “love it or hate it” examples.
This is a grey-market car that probably was imported when new judging by the door plaque, and it is finished in the very-rare shade of Signal Red. I don’t believe this color was ever offered on any US-market W126s because who wants a red S-Class? I know the 1980s were a wild time, but your SL was supposed to be red, not your very serious S-Class. However, now that this car is 40 years old, is it officially cool enough where the color doesn’t matter?
This might be as good as it gets. A 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SE with a mere 8,500 miles. The color combo? Pearl Blue Metallic over blue leather. This is the type of car that was regularly used and excelled greatly at it, but this one was somehow put away and spared. Now over 30 years later, do you dare? If so, it isn’t going to come cheap. Not at all.
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.
