Dan's Papers - June 19, 2009

Two weeks ago I wrote an article about purchasing the perfect summer cars, citing used, new and collector cars. To my surprise, I received several e-mails from readers mentioning the fact that I didn't talk about all the old Mercedes Benz SL sports cars. There was a good reason for that omission. I simply forgot and apologize to all you Mercedes buffs out there. Of course any old, or new Mercedes sports car would make an excellent Hamptons' summer ride. In fact, the Mercedes SL series has been the definitive luxury sports car to be seen driving in the Hamptons or anywhere else in the world. It all started with the Mercedes 300SL sports car in 1954, which unfortunately was the last of the real race bred SL series.

You have to understand that when Mercedes unveiled its new 300SL Gullwing coupe in 1954, it was a most astounding piece of automobile engineering. It also didn't hurt that the car was absolutely beautiful and built with a level of quality that was unheard of in most '50s sports cars. Let's not forget those fantastic gullwing doors. Even though the upward opening doors made the 300SL difficult to enter and exit, just getting in and out of the car was an event. In 1957, Mercedes introduced the 300SL as a convertible with conventional doors and both versions of this magnificent beast were manufactured until 1963. When new, the SL was expensive, (by 1950s' standards) costing around $14,000. Today, good 300SLs can be had for slightly less than half a million dollars. It is and always will be one of the most exciting cars I've ever driven and is worth every penny.

Built during the same period as the 300SL was a smaller and considerably less expensive sports car model, the 190SL. It had the same styling clues as its bigger brother, but with rather mundane engineering credentials. The engineering was based on the chassis and engine of the Mercedes entry level 180 and 220 sedans. The 190SL was powered by a four cylinder engine with only 105 horsepower, compared to the 300SL's 240 hp. Nonetheless, the baby 190 was and is a stylish motorcar with build quality in the Mercedes tradition. Truth be told, even though it had the same surname (SL) and good looks of its bigger brother, there is absolutely no comparison in performance or provenance of the 190SL compared to the 300SL. I personally found it a disappointing ride. Today, a well-sorted 190SL brings around $50,000.

The next SL model introduced was the totally redesigned 230SL that debuted in 1963 and was in production until 1971. It was a modern design with a distinctive pagoda shaped removable hardtop. To current car collectors, this model SL is even called the "Pagoda." Like the earlier 190SL, this model was also based on the 1963 Mercedes sedan chassis and engine. The early 230 models are slow, but the later 280 SLs are quite peppy. They, too, are beautifully built cars, and can be bought for as cheaply as $15,000. However, those that you really want will probably cost between $25,000 and $40,000.

In 1971, Mercedes introduced its 350SL two-seat roadster and four-seat SLC coupe. These were very fast and popular cars. More of these SL models were built than all the other SL models combined. They, too, were built on the 1971 sedan chassis with sedan-based engines, a formula that has worked for Mercedes for decades. They have never really been considered hard-core sports cars, as compared with their neighbor, Porsche. The SLs were rakish looking, rather nice handling, luxury rides. They were built until the late '80s and the later the model, the better. The last series, 560SLs, are the most valuable, and with a powerful V-8 engine, they are particularly fast. There are literally hundreds of them for sale in the world. Ratty ones can be had on eBay for as little as $4,000, but proper late models cost $15,000 to $20,000. One can look really "Hollywood" driving down Jobs Lane in one of these late model SLs. Most people don't even know they're that old.

All of the above mentioned SL models make good investments with some caveats. Rust is the leading issue. All early Mercedes had severe rust problems. The earlier the car, the poorer the steel. Be careful of bondo queens. Put it this way, you will be driving a 50-year-old car that has 50-year-old parts. These days, parts and labor are incredibly expensive. A new Mercedes SL is around $80,000. All Mercedes are beautifully built machines, but old ones do need TLC. Oh yes, I want a 1957 300SL Gullwing coupe. Why didn't I buy one when it was 10 years old for $5,000?

Bob Gelber, an automotive journalist living in the Hamptons, appears regularly on television as an automotive expert. You can e-mail him at bobgelber@aol.com.