https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/09/20/cars-to-buy-before-prices-tick-up-fall-2019
Hagerty valuation of 6.9 has nearly doubled in last 7 years, though they show a drop off in prices last quarter.
The report, does it apply to 6.9s only or to any W116s ?
The pic is of a 450.
I loved this quote:
" These cars are also very reliable in the world of Mercedes-Benz, as well as easy to service for the DIYer when necessary."
Cheers
R
yes Robert.....We know better than to confuse "service" with "repair" n'est ce pas!?? ::)
Good to hear that interest in the 116 is rising. No doubt as MB has been quietly promoting it for some time featuring it centre on the "All Stars" site and of course restoring and selling the car. There are also several commercial sources also promoting the 116. I know some forum members regret the interest causing prices to rise and therefore excluding the enthusiast but I do feel that it can only be good for the car's status.
I am of two minds about rising W116 prices. On the one hand, I was only able to buy my 6.9 because values still haven't broken into "desirable classic" territory. On the flip side, rising values would really, really help in terms of parts availability from MB. Obviously, I don't hope to challenge 300SL valuations, but if 6.9's could get into, say, Pagoda SL territory, MB might be more willing to manufacture some of the NLA parts we need. Suspension struts, anyone? Or dashboards?
At least MB is including the 6.9 on the list of IMPORTANT PAST BENZES now. Surprising, given the "unwanted middle child" status of the W116 in public perception. "Really unusually good car in a decade of very bad cars" just doesn't have a great ring to it. Of course, we understand our cars' wonderful merits, but we're biased!
I think that if the w116 would end up in pagoda territory, I'd be buying a pagoda, haha!
But seriously, if that had been the case, even a fanatic like me would have walked away on day 1 of shopping around. I'd already be finished modifying the hell out of a W123 Long, most likely.
There was one for sale here with an odometer under 50000km, and in showroom condition.. 12500usd, a few years back. Was a hard one to walk away from..
The W123 Lang is an unusual creature. I can't speak for Taiwan, but they are really rare here in the US. My old mechanic kept trying to sell me a really cherry one he'd had for years, but I wasn't sure I was down for that much car pulled by a single-cam 250 gasser motor. That, and the proportions are funny, in my opinion. Shame, because it was a beautiful example.
Yeah, the Lang had a very dubious reputation.. Tragic, even. In Europe, within a few years after it's release, the Lang was often used as a taxi, driving among the millions of regular W123's, but more remarkably, Turkish and North-African immigrant families were the first to see the logic of owning such a people carrier, and they pretty much set the future for that classic. We called it a "Turkish Trailer" A poor man's limousine. At the same time, we saw banana republic officials and small-time purchasing Lang's as well. Some major dictators kept them as well, be it parked next to a 600.
The Lang, even though very practical, and rather unique in it's own niche, was rarely just an affordable Mercedes Limo. In the end, it ended up belonging in the Unimog section, rather than in the luxury sedan corner.
That's one lang car!
Since this thread has already seen more hijacks than M. Airlines, why not add some more.. :D
amazingly there are 4 in various states of repair for sale in ireland at the moment
https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/mercedes-w123-300d-1986/22871446
https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/mercedes-w123-250-8-seater/23034027
https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/mercedes-w123-lang-final-price-drop/22709113
https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/mercedes-w123-250-lwb-limo/23021113