Pagoda Pricing Summary

[twistedtree]

I just reviewed a listing of 34 280SLs currently for sale.  The upper 12% of those 280SLs has an average price of $105,600.

Wow.  I'm curious where you are seeing those cars, and is that asking price or actual selling price?  Any chance you can share the listing you compiled?

I've been looking at ebay, which admittedly is only a slice of the market, and there is a huge difference between a list of the asking prices and a list of the consummated sales.  When I looked last night the highest price for a car that actually sold was $37k, and it looked like an excellent driver.

[twistedtree]

By the way, it might just be that my definition of the different categories is off. When I see a car I might thing it's much better, and hence fits in a higher price band than others might judge.

Anyone want to venture definitions for each of the price bands?

I'm quite interested in this as my 4-car "barn find" starts to come to life.  I'm currently planning on selling off two of them, and trying to decide how much work to do on each before placing on the market.  I could do very little other than make them sounds drivers (which is pretty easy with all of them), or do varying levels of carpet, seats, paint to push them up a category or two.

[TR]

I didn't think it would be right to post all of the details, but you can get access to that kind of info by subscribing to the SL Market Letter.
http://slmarket.com/news/

Also, I seem to recall sometime back having read there that the W113 was projected to be the best appreciating M-B for the coming decade.  +7% CAGR for the best cars if I remember correctly.  If that ends up being the case then based on the "rule of 72" prices could double in approx. 10 years.  Hope it works out that way.  Who in their right mind wouldn't?  It's nice to own an asset that has such potential to appreciate, that is rolling art, which also serves as a hobby.

[Sigman]

I know I'm late chiming in but the is a good summary...

[t walgamuth]

Are there any colors which seem to sell for more consistantly?

[Benz Dr.]

Most cars you will see are going to be number 3 cars. Even nicely restored cars are still going to be number 3 cars. High 3 or low 3 is the only difference and it takes a really nice car to even venture into the low 2 range. You aren't going to see very many number 2 cars unless you go to a museum and I don't expect to ever see a number 1 pagoda.

Most people think they have a better car than they do - it's normal.

[Bonnyboy]

I just received the latest Sports Car market (awsome magazine - if you get just one non MB, this has to be the one to get) - Bonhams Scottsdale auction results Jan 19, 2012 included a 69 280sl cond 2+ sold for $52,650.  The writer Michael Leven says that he has had a Pagoda for 10 years.  Michael?  Are you out there on this list?

Ian