SL60 50 made ?

[rubystone]

f1ten said:

The silver one is not bad value
You won't get near a rare 911 model of that age for less than double

Yes not seen a 60 with ads probably as it had Amg suspension

We're not talking about 911s. We're talking about R129s. Which, despite the strenuous efforts of the trade, have not climbed to to levels where they're considered investible classics. Even the 107 has to be exceptional to attract serious money.

[ras62]

Zonergem said:

Maybe the first buyer didn't want the extra weight spoiling the handling of his sylph-like Merc?

No SL60 has ADS, is that right?

I don't think any r129 could be considered sylph like lol, the pano roof is a really nice option and would suit this car.
Rubystone, you are right with your 911 comparison, maybe the 129 market is changing. I did notice low mile cars are asking healthy prices especially in my prefered 32v/electronic gearbox specification. In fact I could only find 4 cars out of around 120 for sale.

[Zonergem]

I was kidding about the weight. "Sport Leicht" about a two ton car... and they say the Germans don't have a sense of humour.

[rubystone]

ras62 said:

I don't think any r129 could be considered sylph like lol, the pano roof is a really nice option and would suit this car.
Rubystone, you are right with your 911 comparison, maybe the 129 market is changing. I did notice low mile cars are asking healthy prices especially in my prefered 32v/electronic gearbox specification. In fact I could only find 4 cars out of around 120 for sale.

I'm a huge fan. Owned one and will own another. A handsome 280 with pano crossed my path today. Lovely cars. low mileage cars are rare because they were so usable in their youth and still are now.

[Zonergem]

Would rather have the silver SL60 and actually drive it than pay £40k for a garage queen SL500. Not even sure that's the M119 or M113 engine - is it the latter, lesser motor?
Someone has been time-servicing this car at a main dealer but surely this punt on rising values has gone t*ts-up?

http://www.fast-classics.com/cars/mercedes-sl-500-...

|http://thumbsnap.com/XTPfKYyI[/url]

[ras62]

There are a couple of very low mile 32v 500's for sale at half that money although cars with 13k on the clock don't come to market that often.

The later 113 engine is a good engine but built to be cheaper as was the way for Mercedes around that time. It has less power but is a touch more economical.

[SSL]

rubystone said:

We're not talking about 911s. We're talking about R129s. Which, despite the strenuous efforts of the trade, have not climbed to to levels where they're considered investible classics. Even the 107 has to be exceptional to attract serious money.

rubystone,

Guess it depends what you mean by investible classic.

Good low mileage R129 500SLs are going up in value. They will not, and never will, match what's happened with the air-cooled 911s but they will appreciate in value gently and as the supply of really mint examples decreases steadily continue to rise. This is what happened with the 113 and 107 and will happen with the 129. Moreover, in the past when sentiment in the classic car market has changed SL prices tend to stick where there are or lose far less as they haven't been the subject of overheating.

I am not surprised the red SL60 sold for £56,000. We know that there are only 50 right-hand drive SL60s so these cars are both SLs and rare. A winning combination when it comes to a classic investment.

Right now investing in a good V8 R129 or, with longer perspective, a mint R170 is a much more attractive proposition than cash or bonds neither of which you can enjoy washing or driving or just looking at.

[f1ten]

Ssl I totally agree
They will never be rm auction stock but good affordable classics which means they will only appreciate from the low base today

[rubystone]

SSL said:

rubystone,

Guess it depends what you mean by investible classic.

Good low mileage R129 500SLs are going up in value. They will not, and never will, match what's happened with the air-cooled 911s but they will appreciate in value gently and as the supply of really mint examples decreases steadily continue to rise. This is what happened with the 113 and 107 and will happen with the 129. Moreover, in the past when sentiment in the classic car market has changed SL prices tend to stick where there are or lose far less as they haven't been the subject of overheating.

I am not surprised the red SL60 sold for £56,000. We know that there are only 50 right-hand drive SL60s so these cars are both SLs and rare. A winning combination when it comes to a classic investment.

Right now investing in a good V8 R129 or, with longer perspective, a mint R170 is a much more attractive proposition than cash or bonds neither of which you can enjoy washing or driving or just looking at.

Jensen produced less than 20 SV8s yet these are never going to be Investible Classics. So rarity is no guarantee of appreciation. Yet they are Jensens and they are rare.

Plenty of people still finance the purchase of what they believe are 'investments' and convince themselves that the appreciation in the value of their 'investment' will cover the finance cost.

Yet in reality, when the merry-go-round stops, they realise that the only market for the car they bought is...the investor that, like them, believed the hype that the car they bought is an 'Investible Classic'. He too is now in the situation where the cars he bought have no market. They're not Ferrari GTOs, they're not 300 SLRs, they're not even 113 280 SL autos....ergo no Russian Oligarch, Chinese factory owner or Indian software entrepreneur is going to come to their rescue.

It's all a bit 'Emperor's New Clothes' at the moment. Go into it with your eyes open. End of lesson.

[SSL]

rubystone said:

Jensen produced less than 20 SV8s yet these are never going to be Investible Classics. So rarity is no guarantee of appreciation. Yet they are Jensens and they are rare.

Plenty of people still finance the purchase of what they believe are 'investments' and convince themselves that the appreciation in the value of their 'investment' will cover the finance cost.

Yet in reality, when the merry-go-round stops, they realise that the only market for the car they bought is...the investor that, like them, believed the hype that the car they bought is an 'Investible Classic'. He too is now in the situation where the cars he bought have no market. They're not Ferrari GTOs, they're not 300 SLRs, they're not even 113 280 SL autos....ergo no Russian Oligarch, Chinese factory owner or Indian software entrepreneur is going to come to their rescue.

It's all a bit 'Emperor's New Clothes' at the moment. Go into it with your eyes open. End of lesson.

rubystone,

Don't disagree with the general points you make. As stated the R129 is an everyman type of car at the moment not exotica like a GTO or SLR nor will a 129 ever be in that bracket.

Fact is though I suspect most of us here don't have the loose change to go out today and spend £100,000 on a nice 113 or £50,000 on a mint 107 yet at one time both of them were available for a fraction of that price and therefore within many everyman's buying capability and without having to borrow money to fund that purchase. For really nice R129s that moment is now.

I own both a 107 and a 129. I do so because first and foremost they are great cars to drive and I love them but I also appreciate that if I am canny, buy the best that I can afford and take a long view I might also own something that appreciates in value as well.

So can anyone else if they are sensible.

Edited by SSL on Thursday 15th September 14:09