BAT strikes again!

[john.mancini]

1969 Dark Olive Green just sold on BAT for $139,500 PLUS the buyers fee. Very nice looking car..........from 20 feet. Multiple dents in the body and hardtop. Multiple dents in the chrome and brightwork. Multiple defects in the paint. Who knows what else. Maybe this is the current market for #3 Pagodas. Yes, this is a "decent" Pagoda. But, not for nearly $150K. Wait until the buyer finds out what it costs to fix/replace brightwork and strip and paint a Pagoda properly. All I can say is, "Congrats to the seller!"

[Pinder]

I was surprised. I sold my dark olive 1969  for 70k. The underside of this one was cleaner than mine.

[Vander]

That car aside I actually feel that 280SL are slightly down from where they were. They will remain stable and sought after, but we are in the beginning phases of adjustment taking place. This will not affect those holding for long term.

[john.mancini]

No matter how you cut it, the buyer grossly overpaid for this 69 280SL. But.............that's what often happens on BAT.

[Pinder]

I agree with John.

[badali]

Check out this one.  Bought for 105K and did a large amount of work and reselling.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-mercedes-benz-280sl-119/

Original listing below...

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-mercedes-benz-280sl-46/

[john.mancini]

I remember this car, a very good survivor from Cascadia Classics. So, this silver 280SL was purchased for $105+ premium, and at least another $35K put into the car at Gernold's SLTech. Plus, whatever expense from Alec. There's probably well over $150K invested here. This is a much better car, condition-wise, than the recent Dark Olive Green car that just sold on BAT.

[Benz280]

I've seen so many buyers put color over condition, I believe this was another example.   

[mmizesko]

Let's hear it for 291H!!!!

[john.mancini]

Greens and browns were very popular in the 60's and 70's.

[wwheeler]

Yay! Dark olive is good on my W111 as well. Everybody at the shows, without exception, love the color. So why don't new cars come with desirable colors like this. Some do but only in the high end packages. Color is a big driver in sales price to be sure.

[john.mancini]

Today it's black, white and 50, (or maybe more like 5,000,000 ), shades of gray. I wanted to order a new, 2-door, Ford Bronco Heritage Edition. They are only being made in Black, Red and 3 shades of Gray. Then, I find out that Ford has basically stopped production of all Broncos for 2023. Supply chain issues. So, I built my own in Race Red! Nice and bright! Sorry for drifting off topic.

[lreppond]

Very cool Bronco! 

As to the 291 car:
Even though it was honestly presented, its flaws revealed, and a largely original car with three pedals, it is a #3 car nonetheless.  That said, the price is higher than I would have expected.  But it’s an auction and whether it’s for automobiles, or watches, or antiques, if there’s two bidders who want it, the gravel price is reflected by that fact.   

The silver car is gorgeous and very well sorted.  Would it be considered a #2 car?  Or is it considered concours level?   I’d appreciate others opinions. 

[Cees Klumper]

I suffered through the photographs and as much of the video I could stomach (so I missed most of that) but, to me at least, the silver car on BAT now is at best a mediocre #2 car. If you look at the (obscure) engine bay photos you see what you would see on my own Pagoda, which is definitely a daily driver level car, nothing special. I thought about commenting as such, but this seller appears to be so adored by the BAT community (for some reason alien to me, given how s/he comments) that nothing good could come from that. Sure, Gernold did a large amount of good quality work on it, but to me at least that was just 'back maintenance' that should have been done a long time ago and now the car is more or less presentable again.
But, what do I know.

Below my own heritage edition Bronco:

[john.mancini]

I completely agree with Cees. I am by no means a W113 expert, but the silver car is far from concours. Somewhere between a 2 and 3. The green car is really a 3-4. Body was terribly flawed. The buyer is in for body and chrome repair "sticker shock".

I have met and talked at length, with both Gernold and Pierre Hedary. Gernold told me, a few years back, that too many Pagoda buyers end up buying junk. Cars that will never be right. Pierre echoed that to me. Pierre just completed my 65 230SL. He came and looked at my 230SL BEFORE he took it on. He is so busy that he does not want to waste his time or waste the money of those he services.

Pierre also looked at my Horizon Blue 280SL that I sold last year. I bought that car from the estate of the original owner in the early 2000's. He told me that it was one of the best he's seen. Pristine, 40K mile, original 280SL. Not concours, close, but a beautiful survivor. I sold it for less than the green car sold for. That was the right price for me and for the buyer. Great car, fair price. BAT brings out the gross exaggerations and the unknowing bidders. Oh well.

Love your Bronco Cees!