Mercedes 190SL...why soo much?

[JimFreeh]

My first Mercedes was a 59 190SL that I got in 1974. My cousin was Joe Alexander's first partner in SL limited, and I thought the 190SLs they had looked pretty cool.

I found even at that time, there were many people who disparaged the 190SL. It wasn't really a sports car, it's slow, blah, blah, blah.

But.... what it was was a chick magnet (and this was in the seventies). Girls loved the car. I mean loved the car. I had the 190SL when I was dating my wife, and to this day, she still remarks on how that was her one of her favorite cars.

I drove mine across country twice and it was an amazingly pleasant car to drive on the highway, given that it was 15 to 20 year old car at the time.

While any vintage car will far short of a modern car in terms of feel, dynamics, safety, etc., what is more telling is comparing the 190SL against it's contemporaries. I own a couple of fifties American vehicles, and have driven many, many different examples of American cars from the 50s and 60s. The dynamics and driveability of that old 190SL were so much better it wasn't even a competition.

The 190SL falls short when viewed as a sports car. When you consider it as a tourer, it's difficult to find another contemporary two seater that had the high quality and feel of the 190SL.

Do I want another one? Not really. It was a fun car for the ten years I owned it, but the current market has me question the value to fun ratio. There's lots of other stuff out there that I can enjoy just as much for less. My wife has a 68 MGB roadster with 38K original miles that we both enjoy driving if we want the vintage feel, and I've got a BM* Z3 for a more modern take on the two seater vibe.

I'm not surprised the price has risen, there are a limited number of them, and they ain't cheap to restore. Historically, the only MBs that seem to attract lots of money have two doors, perhaps M100 (and possibly M186)powered cars excepted....

Jim

[Jub]

Originally Posted by JimFreeh

But.... what it was was a chick magnet (and this was in the seventies). Girls loved the car. I mean loved the car. I had the 190SL when I was dating my wife, and to this day, she still remarks on how that was her one of her favorite cars.

Chicks, hmm...of course!!! DieselPaul, can you confirm/deny this (pics please..LOL). In that case put me down for two (crap, wait...my account is overdrawn by twenty bucks). Anyone looking for a kidney- PM me?

[joshhol]

Any speculation on the lowly 60's 70's sedans appreciating over the next 10 years? Yeah, they made millions but they've been junked and discarded by almost as many.
Used to see them often before the sub-prime debacle, now virtually never.

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by joshhol

Any speculation on the lowly 60's 70's sedans appreciating over the next 10 years? Yeah, they made millions but they've been junked and discarded by almost as many.
Used to see them often before the sub-prime debacle, now virtually never.

Four doors are a labor of love, not profit.
The only four door MBs that might be good for future appreciation are the wagons.

Jim

[Tony H]

I would think the 300SEL 6.3 would have potential for appriciation.

[JimFreeh]

Originally Posted by Tony H

I would think the 300SEL 6.3 would have potential for appriciation.

Yes, that's why I included it in my statement about what would appreciate in post #16.

Having once owned a 69 300SEL 6.3 for ten years, I'm not sure the maintenance costs covered the "appreciation" while I owned it......

Jim