Pebble Beach - Monterrey Auction Results

[KevinC]

These all APPEAR to be #2 and better cars... looks like values are still strong for clean, seemingly well-sorted pagodas...


http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1971-mercedes-benz-280-sl-6/ $88,000

http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1968-mercedes-benz-280-sl-3/ $99,000

http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1971-mercedes-benz-280-sl-7/ $126,500

http://rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1068224 $264,000

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21917/lot/209/ $88,000

I believe that all selling prices include buyer's premium.

Kevin
  

 
  
 

[Douglas]

The $264K figure was 300SL Roadster territory when this group started. And a decent one at that!

[mdsalemi]

values are still strong for clean, seemingly well-sorted pagodas...

Operative words: well sorted. Midas mufflers, third-party fuel pumps jerry rigged, wire wheels and "bondo" probably don't figure into the "well sorted" category…for those that care about maintaining value!
Note also that the later models seem to be commanding the higher prices. Not the 230SL, and the seemingly rare 250SL with low production numbers is more of a curiosity than anything affecting price in a positive way. At least it seems that way when they come up for sale!

[KevinC]

Midas mufflers, third-party fuel pumps jerry rigged, wire wheels and "bondo" probably don't figure into the "well sorted" category…

Couldn't agree more Michael...some people ask "why such a range in selling prices between #4 and #1 quality cars?" I don't believe that cars with average paint, replaced fenders, unkept engine bays, obvious rust repairs, bad trunk floors, mis-matched interiors, etc are getting this kind of money.

[Cees Klumper]

The inside of that quarter-million dollar car doesn't look all that good: if you have a closer look at the passenger door card you see quite a bit of sagging? And the leather on the dash in that corner of the windshield as well. And the rear wheels show a lot of (I can never figure this out: negative or) positive camber.

[mdsalemi]

Car looks mighty fine to me…but would have to see in person. Photos are smooth and nice…

Anyway, Cees--everything you wanted to know and more: http://www.ictworkshopsolutions.com/2011/06/wheel-alignment-3/

[mdsalemi]

Couldn't agree more Michael...some people ask "why such a range in selling prices between #4 and #1 quality cars?"

...and yet, we still see all manner of the aforementioned, which creates a larger disparity in pricing. The haves and the have-nots; the regular class and underclass; the rich and the poor. Is this mirroring our American society? 

[dseretakis]

The only obvious flaw with this car is the incorrect firewall pad material. Otherwise the car is gorgeous. Color combo is spectacular. Interestingly they don't mention that the car was converted to euro spec as it has the headlights, sidemarker delete and kph speedo. The car was delivered new to California so it was obviously converted- a good move!

[mclewis]

There also seems to be other interior items that are not consistent with a U.S. 280SL, such as chrome trim on the steering wheel and rear view mirror, and small knobs on the window crank on the doors.

[garymand]

Cees, Our spring over the rearend is the camber compensator spring.  When it is weak, we get negative camper,  or if you put 300 or 400 lbs of cement in the trunk and the wheels point in at the top, that's negative camper.

Back on track: Its been a mistery to me why W113s were so undervalued compared to similar vintage cars.  Why has it taken so long to get the prices they deserve?

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

I bet Mike if you and I put our two cars in top shape (our two cars only being 3 serial numbers apart) some Millionaire would purchase both just to be able to say "Look I have 2 of them that rolled of the assembly like on the same day" LOL Perhaps He or She would get another in white then He or She could say "Look I have three in the colours of the American Flag and two of them rolled of the assembly line on the same day [or close to it]).

Then again ... we have no intention to sell and why should we

[KevinC]

The only obvious flaw with this car is the incorrect firewall pad material.

This brings up an interesting topic...isn't the semi-flat black grainy firewall pad the one that the Classic Center supplies?

[Jonny B]

There are a few detail items not right under hood. The clamps are gold/yellow cad - nope, should all be silver finish. Missing the middle bumper for the hood, there is no radio supressor spring. Can't really tell but are there a few gold yankee clamps (with the holes in the band?) Too bad they were not able to get the original type brake reservoir. Not major, but for this kind of money, it should be spot on perfect.

[mdsalemi]

The car is gorgeous. Small details such as clamps can be corrected with pocket change and shouldn't seriously enter into an evaluation equation.
I've photographed car details before, and can tell you that under certain lighting conditions, silver finish appears gold and vice versa; so unless you see the car in person, don't assume. Also, that photograph you can see on the website doesn't provide enough detail to make serious judgment calls. On the screen it is about 8x10 at res 72, which is pretty low. Most camera phones will give you a lot better results.

The original brake reservoir isn't available to my knowledge. The original ones don't often look pretty (how often do we see questions about cleaning and brightening the plastic?) so it's easy to understand why they installed the one they did.

If the work was done by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, they can ONLY use, without exception, parts sourced from Mercedes-Benz--even if those parts are far away from original appearance, and a reproduction that looks perfect to the original is available, or can be made.

If one were to take a good driver, or even a great one--to Motoring Investments, Kienzle in Germany, The Classic Center (Germany or USA), Hjeltness or Gernold at SL-Tech and ask for a ground up restoration, you would be in that kind of money. Just ask the Gary Jarvis about his 250SL featured in the current issue of The Star...

[66andBlue]

I assume we are all writing about this one: http://rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1068224
If so then note that  "This original Southern California-delivered car received a frame-off restoration in Germany."
That explains the km/h and centigrade instruments.
The VIN is 113.044.12.004696 thus it should have the red/red tail lights. The cabin rear view mirror is from a 230SL/early 250SL as are the window crank handles! But it does look nice if the new owner doesn't care about originality then he/she is probably happy.

[GGR]

The car is nice but it looks like a euro model from the location of the vin plate on the firewall. The door cards are US though.

[Brian in NL]

My guess is there were two or more bidders who had promised this car to their wives/girlfriends and the bidding got a bit crazy.  So there is one very happy buyer and one or more with some 'splainin' to do ...

Agree with Michael, at this price the minor originality issues can be addressed easily enough.  But the buyer could probably care less.  He or she just liked the car, wanted one that was like new, and had deep pockets. I'm sure the restoration shop owners love it when they see these crazy prices.

[garymand]

So much for trying to make a car perfect 

[GGR]

I'm sure the restoration shop owners love it when they see these crazy prices.

That is for sure. That kind of prices make restorations more economically sensible and will bring them more clients.

[Cees Klumper]

And might drive restoration prices, and prices for new parts, even higher. MB has started a couple of years ago to control the spare parts market much more, and since then prices have already increased quite a bit for many parts. The more valuable the cars become, the higher they can raise the prices. Which in turn pushes values higher, and we have a vicious, or virtuous depending on whose perspective you take, cycle.

[KevinC]

I certainly get the discussion on high parts costs. BUT looking at it another way ... my 230SL was at a local shop two weeks ago with the front-end being rebuilt. I thought that I had supplied them with all of the correct parts but of course, they discovered that I needed more. I emailed Tom Hansen at the Classic Center who secured the parts I needed from their stock and had them shipped via overnight delivery to the shop. Personally, as one who helps manage inventories and watches "carrying costs" in the industry I work in, I cannot imagine what MB's parts inventories must cost them. I know that they are in the business to make money but they truly do support their brand. As an aside, my brother has a mint 1969 Corvette. GM stopped stocking parts for this car in 1979. For parts he has to rely on reproductions and sourcing NOS which is not always possible. The guy that manages the front-end shop that did my SL was AMAZED that parts could still be ordered from MB and delivered overnight. IMHO, in the collector car world, I think we are a little spoiled when it comes to having access to "factory" parts. 

[KevinC]

So judging by the RM car, that would make the Survivor '69 and the Restored '71 on Brian's site real bargains...

http://motoringinvestments.com/MainPage.htm

[Cees Klumper]

Fair point Kevin. As an owner of a '73 Chevrolet myself I contend with the NLA phenomenon and we are lucky in that regard. But when a new crankshaft has to cost €17 thousand (that's what I was told by a major restorer years ago applies in the case of a 300 SL, don't know if true) I can't help but think there's a major markup in there...

[KevinC]

Cees,

I see your point as well. Like $200 for a gas cap and $700 for a steering wheel, right?

Kevin

[mdsalemi]

Parts and labor prices for these cars have always been high relative to others. That's [one big reason] why, for example, my car sat from 1985 until I rescued it in 1998; and why there are so many of these cars left in limbo in a barn or garage; the owners or stewards as it were can't or couldn't afford the repair costs.

It's just that they are higher than ever! 

What's amazing, Kevin, isn't so much that parts are available from MB, its that the parts are available for cars with such low production numbers.

At the Concours of America Hagerty Seminar on restoration, one of the experts made a point regarding old (1964-66) Mustangs: in the first 2.5 years of production, there were 1.1 MILLION of these cars made. They will NEVER be rare. While Ford may not support them there are enough aftermarket suppliers out there; they cannot support too much in the way of a car that only had 50K over 9 years like ours. Heck you can get anything for a Model A if you look!