RM Auction 1966 230 with four speed $82.5

[MichaelB.]

This looks very promising. Great colors, and again originality bringing good solid prices.  Sold at $82,500.

http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r296&Currency=USD

[pj]

That's very nice. It looks like a dream version of my car. I hope the new owner joins this forum.

Did you look at the results of the rest of the auction? Wow. I wonder if there's a 540K forum somewhere, where folks are discussing firewall pads that cost a million dollars and whether the coupe is better than the roadster or the 1937 is more true than the 1939.

[Jordan]

Wow.  The chassis number shows that it was made 9 cars after mine, probably the same day.  Does that mean I get more or less for my car?

[bogeyman]

Now that your taillights are hooked up properly, I think you should get just as much...

[Benz Dr.]

I believe RM is now the largest auction house for vintage cars anywhere in the world.
I past by their home office on a regular basis. We had a tour of their operation last fall but you can't go into the work shop area anymore. Too much money floating around the Pebble Beach circiut these days for that.

[scoot]

RM Auctions are for rich people.  That's OK.  I'm just not one of them.  We were there, but outside looking at the cars being driven in and hearing the expensive British accent over the loud speakers auctioning the cars to the people with the champaigne glasses...   It's fun, but the best show in Monterey is always on the streets during Pebble Beach weekend.   Or OUTSIDE the auction, where you get to watch the driver having trouble getting a car started or a frustrated owner hoping his car will bring enough money.  That's the real show.  And the parking lot at the Coucours Italiano is much more interesting than the actual Consours itself...   

[W113SL]

I personally viewed this car at the RM preview Thursday night at the Portola Hotel in Monterey.  It was interesting to me as it is a twin to my 1967 250SL.  I was a bit disappointed in it's condition and presentation.  It was shown as a largely original car without any effort to detail it or spiff it up.

I almost didn't believe the mileage to be true based on the wear I observed in the passenger compartment and the cleanliness of the engine compartment. I was looking for the factory runs on the underside of the hood and trunk when two Germans approached me and thought that the runs were the result of some poor attempt at restoration.  When I told them it was factory, they seemed quite interested,  Who knows, perhaps they may have bought the car?

Don't get me wrong, it was very nice and I am happy it brought this kind of money, but it pales in comparison to two other Pagodas sold.  That same weekend an even lower mileage 250SL with five speed sod for something in excess of $125K and a complete restoration of a 230SL by the Classic center brought $150K!

W113SL