At $9,900, Would You Class Up The Joint In This 1986 Mercedes 560 Sl?

Like its pagoda-roofed predecessors, today's Nice Price aliases No Dice R107 is simply a exemplary connected nan rise. Let's spot if we for illustration wherever this prestigious convertible is presently priced.

Older compact pickups, astir notably those from Ford and Toyota, bask a important instrumentality guidelines and truthful often bid a premium erstwhile sold. There comes a constituent of diminishing returns erstwhile mini pickups are excessively small, however, impeding load capacity, and implying that a legislature of terrifying clowns mightiness spill retired of nan cab astatine immoderate fixed moment.

In nan lawsuit of nan mini 1983 Suzuki Mighty Boy pickup we considered yesterday, practicality outweighed its inherent cuteness. Aside from nan awesome sanction (c'mon, who wouldn't want to thrust a Mighty Boy?), location conscionable wasn't overmuch to warrant paying nan $9,200 asking value for nan Suzuki Kei truck. That was nan takeaway from nan comments, pinch an 87% "No Dice" nonaccomplishment successful nan vote, sealing nan deal.

When Daimler-Benz introduced nan Mercedes 190 SL successful 1955, nan institution was benignant of pulling a accelerated one. The roadster's styling drew evident inspiration from nan mighty and exclusive 300 SL, but nan smaller car's punky four-cylinder couldn't rate nan checks that styling was writing. Arriving successful 1963, nan 190's successor still offered open-top motoring on pinch nan action of a tidy hardtop for erstwhile that wasn't appropriate. The caller cars eschewed nan aged four-pot for exclusively six-cylinder power, expanding successful size complete nan model's tally from 2.3 to 2.5 and yet 2.8 liters.

When that car was fresh for pasture, Mercedes went each chaotic hairsbreadth (or, astatine slightest arsenic overmuch arsenic staid German engineers are allowed), designing nan adjacent edition's motor bay to beryllium roomy capable to location a V8. The consequence was nan R107 roadster, which would beryllium nan longest-lasting of immoderate of Mercedes' two-seat drop-tops to date, pinch a astir 20-year accumulation run.

This 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560 SL is from nan 2nd half of nan tally and features nan largest motor ever dropped into a accumulation R107. That's a 5547cc version of nan mighty SOHC M 117 V8. Intended specifically for nan U.S. marketplace and nan Americans' emotion of off-the-line torque, nan large V8 made 227 horsepower retired nan door, and an awesome 287 pound-feet of torque measurement down debased successful nan rev range.

Craigslist

According to nan ad, this Benz comes pinch a cleanable title, a passing people from nan smog station, and 136,000 miles nether its belt. The advertisement besides claims this car to beryllium a "a existent European-spec exemplary that stands retired from nan emblematic U.S. versions." Based connected nan sealed beam headlamps, diving committee bumpers, speedometer pinch MPH featured prominently, and a CHMSL lamp connected nan trunk lid, that's possibly not an meticulous assessment. 

Another puzzler is nan ad's declare that nan car is "Finished successful classical achromatic complete navy bluish leather, pinch interior seating refreshed successful a vintage-inspired tartan plaid that adds a nostalgic touch." Huh? By background, I'm a kilt-wearing Scot. As such, I deliberation I could spot a tartan from a mile away, but I'm not seeing immoderate here. There's besides thing mentioned astir a mileage discrepancy from "25 years ago," but it's dismissed arsenic if specified things people conscionable spell distant complete time.

Regardless of nan questions nan explanation raises, nan car photos show a story. The achromatic overgarment complete a bluish (non-tartan) interior is simply a bully colour combo and nan car comes pinch nan de rigueur hardtop. The seller claims location are insignificant cosmetic imperfections and spots of rust, but they are excessively mini to beryllium seen successful nan photos.

The interior looks fantastic, and this is simply a caller capable car to person an airbag for nan driver. It's aged enough, though, that nan rider is SOL. The only jarring constituent successful nan compartment is an aftermarket stereo that looks for illustration it was lifted consecutive retired of nan automotive aisle astatine Walmart and not from nan location of Becker.

Both motor bay and trunk look tidy, and nan second carries nan car's level mats and a hunk of carpet for who knows what. The only transmission Mercedes offered connected nan 560 SL was a four-speed automatic. The seller makes nary mention of immoderate issues pinch that, aliases pinch nan V8 that gives it its marching orders. On nan "Hmm" broadside of things, nan seller does statement that this "is a 40 twelvemonth aged car truthful it does person immoderate insignificant imperfections."

As we concisely discussed astatine nan outset, decent R107s are seeing their values creep up. This was nan lawsuit for nan W113 a fewer years back; today, they are alarmingly costly alternatively than conscionable modestly priced collectibles. The R107s are still successful that saccharine spot wherever a well-presented car for illustration this tin beryllium had for what's astir apt not road robbery. We'll conscionable person to spot if that's nan lawsuit pinch this car. The asking value is $9,900, which is astir 3 expansive much than it would person gone for pre-pandemic, but—spoiler alert—that was much than half a decade ago.

What's your return connected this R107 and that $9,900 asking price? Does that look adjacent fixed really nan car looks successful nan ad? Or is that value tag conscionable different of nan seller's "discrepancies?"

You decide!

Nice Price aliases No Dice:

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

H/T to Don R. for nan hookup!

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