Considering NADA's Retail pricing below, what's the most one might be worth?

http://www.nadaguides.com/usedcars.aspx?LI=1-21-1-5013-0-0-0&l=1&w=21&p=1&f=5014&y=1989&m=1115&d=6216&c=15&mi=20000&vi=10268&da=-1&nx=1

Any SL with 20K miles is based on very few buyers and sellers. I don't believe there is a consensus as to values. I've seen them listed as high as 40K. What they sell for on a consistent basis is unknown and widely misrepresented IMHO. It's still a 20 year old car.

High teens for low-mileage cars. Breaking $20k with an R107 requires special circumstances, including low, low mileage and the right buyer.

__________________
- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

Considering NADA's High Retail is $15,100 on a '89 560SL, with 20K miles, I wonder where some are getting the idea that pricing one in the $40K range will get a sale?

For sale here is a 560SL with 17K miles for $22K, and a 1976 450SL with 77K for $18.5K, and a 560SL with 49K for $10.5K.
Go figure.

Uh oh.

I just bought a 1986 one owner all original car, red with palomino. Newish soft top, mint, 44K miles, passed PPI with flying colors, no leaks, cold A/C, everythign as it should be. Good service history.

I paid $16,500 plus transport and will have to detail it and stuff. Was thinking if I own it at $17,500, wife could drive it for spring, and I could sell it with 46K miles for same price I paid?

This is the car:

http://www.getauto.com/autolinks_cardetail.html/adid-11628592/e_dealer_id-/inventory-/x_dealer_id-

Was I smoking crack?

Bruce

I would be a buyer of a 2004 SL500 with 13K miles on it @ $50K, NADA, long before I'd entertain any of the low mileage SLs 10 to 20 years old in the $20K to $40K range.

Probably not. You paid near the top for an R107. That's okay, because you got a better than average car, but to think you could roll out of it within a year is optimistic. If you're going to play that game, then you have to buy a prime car below market - then you can sell it in a year for at least what you paid for it. You should know most of this stuff, Bruce, you've bought and sold enough MBs to know. On the other hand, I could be wrong and you could find the right buyer.

Keep it for a few years and have fun with it; they're wonderful cars. And that one looks spectacular.

__________________
- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

CPI shows an 89 560SL for 22K in excellent condition.

NADA is ok for commodity cars, but is way off base for specialty items.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

As my dad used to be fond of saying to me, "Something's worth whatever somebody will give you for it." Generally, that's true. It may be worth more to the owner than to any potential buyers. Occassionally, you find a buyer with too much money and not enough knowledge, which is great if you're the seller.

A good example: The housing market recently.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

BTW, Bruce. That '86 560SL is beautiful! You DO find some nice-looking cars.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Thanks.

I also bought their 1986 560SEC with 27K miles. One owner estate car, all original, mint, no leaks, everything perfect except dead passenger side (??) seat-belt presenter. Look at the engine pics....the exhaust headers have not even discolored yet!

They let me do a full PPI and were happy to drop the car off.

http://www.vintage********andimports.com/10073/index.html