2020 Barrett-Jackson auction

[pj]

I see a few Pagodas on their website. These are the 230SLs:
https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1965-MERCEDES-BENZ-230SL-ROADSTER-237430
and
https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1966-MERCEDES-BENZ-230SL-ROADSTER-238114

[lowpad]

Both a little rough around the edges.  Will be curious to see where pricing winds up.  White interior on the red car is a bit jarring ....  OTOH, as a 230SL owner, it always bugs me when people use the later, coarser-grained vinyl on the interior instead of the finer, earlier material. 

[Shvegel]

Barret Jackson is never a good gauge for our car pricing as their primary focus is American muscle cars and they attract buyers of American muscle cars.
Southeby's, Gooding's and Bonham's are much better barometers.

[MikeSimon]

I totally agree, Pat. Same applies to Mecum.
Goodies just sold an original factory Porsche 914-6GT for $955,000. Record price for a 914 of any kind. Wonder what a 916 would bring. I think the money I spent last year for my 914-6GT M471 was a real good investment.

[JN]

What do you guys think of Russo and Steele auction house
I was thinking of taking my 250 sl out to their Monterey in August.
just curious

JN

[114015]

OTOH, as a 230SL owner, it always bugs me when people use the later, coarser-grained vinyl on the interior instead of the finer, earlier material.

Lowell,
It has been my understanding that the original (e.g. caviar) MB-Tex material with the fine grain that the 230ies and 250ies used is long, long no more available, NLA. Only the later 280-style MB Tex is available. That's why they keep using that 'replacement' material.
If you want to have the earlier style you have to find something similar looking, any US-aftermarket material that comes close.
I saw somewhere a note from Mercedes where they claimed that the earlier material (MB Tex fr 230/250ies) was discontinued,
but currently I cannot find the piece of documentation anymore in my archive ....


Achim
(formerly blue mb tex seat covers)

[lowpad]

Thanks, Achim.  You are correct -- when I bought by car in Germany in the late 1990s, I wanted to put on new seat covers, but only the later material was available.  In the end, because MB Tex basically never wears out, I just redid the springs and pads in the seats and they look almost new.

I can tell that even the Classic Center had a problem when they restored a late 230SL.  They also used the newer material to restore it (and wanted $230K!).