What is the oldest Benz here? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Dee8go · #1 03-24-2014, 09:02 AM

I'm wondering what the oldest Mercedes owned by one of the Forum members? How about the rarest?

DieselPaul · #2 03-24-2014, 10:33 AM

I have a '59 190SL that I drive and is fully restored. I've seen some sigs of people with older pontons but I don't know if they are being driven. There was a member with a '57 190SL but he hasn't posted in a long time.

Rarest probably wouldn't be the oldest. They made 25,000 190sls and like 3200 300SLs but they made 500 R63s and like 150 final year C43s.

Dee8go · #3 03-24-2014, 11:08 AM

Okay, great! Which one of your cars IS the rarest, Paul?

Squiggle Dog · #4 03-24-2014, 11:19 AM

I have a 1967 fintail station wagon. That's fairly rare.

suginami · #5 03-24-2014, 12:06 PM

I didn't even know they made a fintail wagon.

Fulcrum525 · #6 03-24-2014, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suginami

I didn't even know they made a fintail wagon.

They didn't (As in MB)

But there were couch-builders who did conversions.

rocky raccoon · #7 03-24-2014, 12:53 PM

the cruise control and climate control work.

That's pretty rare.

Marrs · #8 03-24-2014, 01:14 PM

I know of a couple of 170v on here but do not recall who owned them, maybe they will speak up. Rarity of that model depends greatly on configuration.

DieselPaul · #9 03-24-2014, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

Okay, great! Which one of your cars IS the rarest, Paul?

Personally I don't like the word "rare," people over-use it, which is sort of strange given the definition of the word. It's my own private little pet peeve. Volkswagen and the rest of the hellaflush crowd drive me nuts with it, RARE WHEELS, if I can get online and buy one any day of the week, even if there are just 2 sets around, that is not rare to me. If what you have, noone else can get, that is rare. Gullwings for example, very valuable, and not all that common, but as long as you have a million dollars or two, you can buy them any day of the week. Expensive does not equal rare by my definition.

Not directed at you, just my little rant on that word.

Probably my girlfriends 1988 190D 2.5. In the USA they only imported 658 in 1988.

My 1990 190E 2.0L Euro Car is the only 2.0L gas I've ever seen imported in the US, considering the car younger than the current 25 year law, and also too young for the big grey market boom of the 70s and early 80s.

I also have a Euro 200TD wagon, the only one I've ever seen in the US. I've seen two 200D sedans in the US, but I have the only wagon I've ever seen stateside.

However that is in the US, all three of those cars are trivial anywhere but America.

Marrs · #10 03-24-2014, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselPaul

Gullwings for example, very valuable, and not all that common, but as long as you have a million dollars or two, you can buy them any day of the week. Expensive does not equal rare by my definition.

Funny, and I agree with most of what you say regarding "rarity" but I don't personally consider Gullwing's rare in my own mind. I have seen more than I could ever count or recall but then I have to remember that I have lived in several large cities, specifically seek out Concours and Mercedes events, and generally have simply put myself in places where these cars tend to congregate. This is all to say that, as an example, some people may not find a Voisoin rare, if you happen to be a member of the Mullin family, but to most of us they are. Just as your cars are rare to you but not those in other countries as you said. I like that perspective you gave, interesting view.

strelnik · #11 03-25-2014, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marrs

I know of a couple of 170v on here but do not recall who owned them, maybe they will speak up. Rarity of that model depends greatly on configuration.

Like the one in my signature?

DieselPaul · #12 03-25-2014, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marrs

Funny, and I agree with most of what you say regarding "rarity" but I don't personally consider Gullwing's rare in my own mind.

Nor do I. My comment reads either way now that I look at it. My point in using the 300SL as an example was that is widely considered the holy grail of Mercedes. They made 6.5 times more of those than they made of the Chrysler town and country, cough, I mean R63. The 300SL is not rare at all in my mind. Hell I've turned wrenches on 3 and between 3 friends they've owned 10 or 12 of them.

Marrs · #13 03-25-2014, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

Like the one in my signature?

You're in the lead at 1950, do I head any lower? Anyone, anyone? The bid is with you sir.

strelnik · #14 03-25-2014, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marrs

You're in the lead at 1950, do I head any lower? Anyone, anyone? The bid is with you sir.

Don't care if I'm in the lead or not, but would like to see other drivers, rather than people who use them as trailer queens or tax deductions.

Fulcrum525 · #15 03-25-2014, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselPaul

Personally I don't like the word "rare," people over-use it, which is sort of strange given the definition of the word. It's my own private little pet peeve. Volkswagen and the rest of the hellaflush crowd drive me nuts with it, RARE WHEELS, if I can get online and buy one any day of the week, even if there are just 2 sets around, that is not rare to me. If what you have, noone else can get, that is rare. Gullwings for example, very valuable, and not all that common, but as long as you have a million dollars or two, you can buy them any day of the week. Expensive does not equal rare by my definition.

Not directed at you, just my little rant

Definitely agree with this one. You run into it all the time in G-Class discussions. There aren't too many of the pre-MBUSA models in the U.S but if you know where to look then finding them isn't difficult at all. (Finding the right one for you however is another story) However within that niche you CAN find rare models or options that you don't see often at all. For example there are very few 2 door lwb models in the us and even fewer 4 door pickup truck varients world wide. One factory G-class option was a power take off but I have never seen one in the U.S with it and Safari roofs are also few and far between.

Now with all that being said, any one rare option or even a rare variant does not necessarily increase its value 3 fold as far too many sellers think. There are way too many other factors to take into consideration.