And there's that icon.... the SL73 will surely be one of those astronomical investments in years to come.
For me I still think if you're going to be bothered with the R129 platform...it should be SL60 at least.
Would you mind me asking what the SL60 was floated at? I had to pass up the one at 4 star as it was a 97 model, meaning I'd need to store it 2 years, but the mid 30s price tag was appealing. But the high 60s on ask for the other 2 seems a bit much, hence why they've not sold.
I don't think many if any of those SL60's are selling or changing hands certainly not at those prices if they are.
The SL73 I know of was bought for £60-70k depending on how much tax/duty you include.
I think I must have bought the cheapest SL60 ever at that time as they had really bottomed. It was £11k I think.....might even have been £9k I am unsure. I know it was silly cheap at the time. That was maybe 2010 ish and I sold 2013 as didn't have any garage at the time so it was getting ruined. Sold it for about £13k I think. It needed a ton of work to a rusty osr arch. Jay Manek (Mercland) bought it from me and did an absolute ton of work to get it right up to scratch. It is a lovely car now but he must have spent at least £15k likely more.
I moved house about 18 months later and have tons of space and potential storage now!
I went to buy (as had already done a phone deal with a fellow MBClubUK forum member) another SL60 for £17k a few years later and bought a one way ticket to Cheshire. It wasn't what I hoped or expected when I got there though and couldn't value it at the £17k to me at the time. Also couldn't re-negotiate a deal with the seller in the end. Lovely guy and all was good but we had a small difference in opinion I guess. Not an issue as these things happen.
Do I regret selling the SL60? Well weirdly half yes but half no. The yes in that it would have stayed a solid investment. However the no as for me it is not a special enough car and doesn't warrant the premium over a stock SL500. It was not a really special car to me to drive and didn't really give that buzz I get with other cars. My 4200 feels more special to me also my new TVR Chimaera 450SC even more so.
To me an R129 SL is a nice car but not a special car. For that reason I don't hanker for another R129 even an SL73. Maybe they are just to old and a bit lacking to drive IMHO.
Most of the cars I have, will keep and might buy in the future have to be that special car that really grabs me for whatever reason. They need to be special and I'm afraid to me the SL60 and any R129 is not special enough for me which is why I don't have one any more. Nice but I don't want nice uncompromisingly I only want special as what's the point?!
This is also my reason for saying the 500 is the R129 to have as however good the 6 pots are (and they are) the V8 just lifts that a little more. A 6 pot SL seems to me is like a Boxster or F Type with a 4 pot!