Pick of the Day: 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 looks good, priced right

This well-preserved roadster represents an apparent bargain for a fine car

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Mercedes
The SL 500's 5.0-liter DOHC V8 is rated at 322 horsepower

I am continually amazed at just how many great deals are available in today’s collector car market. If you shop carefully, there are any number of decent cars out there for less than $15,000 in numerous categories. 

Take for instance the Pick of the Day, a 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL500. The R129 SL cars were designed by the legendary Bruno Sacco, and many consider them to be his masterpiece. 

Mercedes

These are some of the final Mercedes models designed and built in a cost-is-no-object manner, which is evident the first time you climb into one and shut the door. The concept of a car “built of a single piece” could have been coined by someone experiencing the very solid, rattle-free and flex-free ride of these cars. 

Unlike the R107 roadsters that proceeded them, the R129 Mercedes roadsters like this one offer performance to match the looks. The 5.0-liter, 32-valve, double-overhead-cam V8 under the hood of the SL 500 produces 322 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, giving the heavy roadster, with a curb weight of 4,165 pounds, a 0-60 time of 6.3 seconds and a 155 mph top speed. 

In addition, Mercedes made an effort for the first time in years to actually make the engine sound interesting, giving it nice intake and exhaust notes, a boon for enthusiasts who were used to the customary silence engineered into so many older Mercedes cars.

These cars are excellent for long-distance touring with seats that are supremely comfortable and a trunk that easily holds luggage for two for a weeklong vacation. 

Mercedes

This SL 500, being offered on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Scottsdale, Arizona, is described as a 89,000-mile car with Silver paint over a gray leather interior. Of course, the Mercedes includes its factory hardtop, also finished in silver. The soft top looks to be in nice shape and is said to have been recently rebuilt. The interior and paint also look to be in nice shape.

Both the engine compartment and underside of this car look quite clean, with no visible rust on any of the ad photos.

Now, back to what I was talking about at the beginning of this Pick. The asking price for this stunning car is only $13,500.  If after having a pre-purchase inspection done by a Mercedes mechanic (something recommended for any new collector car purchase), and the car checks out to be as nice as it looks, this SL 500 offers quite a bit for the money spent.

To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

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Andy Reid
Andy Reid's first car, purchased at age 15, was a 1968 Fiat 124 coupe. His second, obtained by spending his college savings fund, was a 1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2. Since then, he has owned more than 150 cars—none of them normal or reasonable—as well as numerous classic motorcycles and scooters. A veteran of film, television, advertising and helping to launch a few Internet-based companies, Reid was a columnist for Classic Motorsports magazine for 12 years and has written for several other publications. He is considered an expert in European sports and luxury cars and is a respected concours judge. He lives in Canton, Connecticut.

3 COMMENTS

  1. I love M.B cars. I used to work on them. When you could get a complete tuneup on an American V8 car for under $100.00 we got over $500.00 for the same thing on a Mercedes. Laughed all the way to the bank.
    God bless America

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