"Owning the whole SL series"

[Cees Klumper]

My daughter and I were at a gas station this morning, when a nice 190 SL pulled up. When I complimented the owner, he said he was topping it up to put it away for the winter. As the station attendant took a long time to find the DVD my daughter had picked out, we were there for a while, long enough to see the 190 SL owner come back with ... a very nice looking 300 SL roadster! When I complimented him on THAT car as well, he said he would be busy coming back to the station for a while, because he owned the whole series, "except the SLR"!

Some guys have all the fun, eh, Rod? (Stewart, this time!).

[Paddy_Crow]

Wow, that's some serious bucks (or Euros).

[Mike Hughes]

There's an article in the newest Mercedes-Benz Classic magazine about a family that collectively owns one of each series of SL.  Could this have been the same guy?

[Peter van Es]

Wasn't it Nico Ockhuijzen... since I believe he owns them all, and then some (including a 540K Special Roadster).

Peter

[Cees Klumper]

Well it wasn't Nico Ockhuijzen since I know him (and we saw him last weekend) - I also don't think it's the family written up in the MB Classic magazine, since I think they are German, and the gentleman I met yesterday was definitely Dutch, and his collection resides close to the North Sea (oops, salt air?). Apparently it's a trend: people collecting the Whole Series!

[Mike Hughes]

Ok, now to the important question:  Did you take your daughter out on this DVD run in the Pagoda?  ;^)

[Cees Klumper]

Hello Mike - actually we bicycled out there, it was only a few miles. Today I drove the Pagoda to work though.

[drewsalisbury]

A somewhat related question...I am considering buying a 1997 320sl for my wife from Speciality Cars of Sarasota, 7150 S.Tamiami Trail,  as sort of a book end to my 1971 280sl.  Is there a member who could drive by and just verify that the car is real?  The dealer sounds fair on the phone, but there have been lots of horror stories shared here.

Thank you,
Drew

[hauser]

Drew, about three years ago I was looking for a 94-95 E320 Coupe.  I found one online in Sarasota.  It had a beautiful red exterior and a spotless beige interior.  Keep in mind everything looks better in pictures.

Long story short.  The engine bay was rusted along with the radiator supports.  The trunked leaked from the bottom.  That was enough for me.  Obviously I didn't buy the car.  

I would exercise caution buying a Florida car, especially one from a coastal area.