Dying breed?

[marku]

Or  rare and sought after? Learned the other day that there are only 17 450s on the road in this country.

[Big_Richard]

.

[littlefin]

Or  rare and sought after? Learned the other day that there are only 17 450s on the road in this country.

Yes, there are a lot more laid up on 'SORN' hopefully awaiting restoration. In truth most will probably end up scrapped or broken up for parts. In theory at least each scrapped car makes ours more rare and therefore more valuable. But W116 values have got a long way to go...

There has been a steady decline in numbers since the 1990's with the cost of parts and restoration creeping up inexorably. Most people want to be able to recoup the money they spend on classic cars when they come to sell them. Sadly this isn't the case (yet) with W116's. The current price of Pagodas (W113's) can justify significant expenditure, whereas the market value of most saloon (sedan) cars does not.

The main issue being the rust on the cars built in the 70's is just atrocious and so expensive/time consuming to fix properly. 

[nathan]

that is unbelievable, just 17? i dont quite understand this SORN category - is this meaning someone owns it but doesnt drive it on public roads?
out of interest, can you find out how many 280s,350s, 6.9s are left? there is probably more 6.9s around then?
regards
nathan

[Type17]

SORN = Statutory Off Road Notification. You declare a car SORN to the UK DVLA (Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority), and you don't have to pay Motor Tax on it, but it must be kept on private property, not on a public road, and obviously driving it in a public place while it is SORN is a big no-no.


Info on UK numbers of car models still being taxed/declared SORN can be found here: http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk - note that the info is only as accurate as the Motor Tax records kept by the UK DVLA (Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority), and there are discrepancies. Also, when SORN was introduced in 1994, cars that were already off the road and untaxed did not have to be declared SORN, so they won't be included in these figures.

[littlefin]

To save you the trouble nathan, the last figures available show 27 x 6.9's licensed & 28 unlicenced (SORN) in the UK

280SE numbers are tricky to gauge as the figures do not differentiate W108/W116/W126 models

350SE : 36 licensed & 42 SORN

350SEL: 3 licensed & 2 SORN

450SE: 17 licensed & 36 SORN

450SEL: 35 licensed & 43 SORN

[marku]

As mine is one of the 36 hopefully there will be 18 on the road before too long. But will the declining numbers lead to increased interest? So far it would seem not.

[calvin streeting]

hi.. being one of "350SE : 36 licensed" no wonder i don't see many 

[nathan]

Wow.
Us convicts still have at least 210 6.9s here.
That rust must really be killing those things!
Regards
Nathan

[Kjhall65]

I hope there are a lot more 450SE over here since I am looking for another one as a parts car.

[littlefin]

Us convicts still have at least 210 6.9s here.

Useful for those quick getaways I guess 

At least us poms know where to come looking now 

[ziper1221]

No numbers on the 300SDs?

[Type17]

300SD was never sold outside the USA, so no UK figures

[ziper1221]

Do you know if they keep such numbers in the US?

[Tony66_au]

What is the price of Fuel in the UK at the moment?

Currently $1.55.9 for 91 ron ULP here and id suggest it has a bit to do with there being less 450's....


As for sourcing Benzes in Australia for export back to Old Blighty?

Not so silly.....

There was a guy not too long ago buying up S1 and SII/SIIa  Land Rovers and 2 door Range Rovers and shipping them back to the UK and a mate of mine was sending TC/D/E 6 cylinder Cortina's over as well so why not come raid our precious 450's lol