[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by Maky

Thanks for sharing these beautiful pics!
Could anyone tell me which Mercedes model is that red roadster please ?

The Mercedes-Benz roadster bearing registration "MRH/617" is....

A 190SL! The younger brother of the 300SL! In fact, in close quarters, the smaller SL resembles its bigger brother, quite a bit!

As they say, Small is Big!

BTW-The car is ex-Sashi Kapoor!

Cheers!

[Maky]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

The Mercedes-Benz roadster bearing registration "MRH/617" is....

A 190SL! The younger brother of the 300SL! In fact, in close quarters, the smaller SL resembles its bigger brother, quite a bit!

As they say, Small is Big!

BTW-The car is ex-Sashi Kapoor!

Cheers!

FINTAIL thanks for the quick reply!.
Could you perhaps help me further by estimating is current value :?

[Bulldogji]

Originally Posted by Maky

FINTAIL thanks for the quick reply!.
Could you perhaps help me further by estimating is current value :?

Hi Maky,

This sl is not for sale, so pointless asking for its value.

[Maky]

Originally Posted by Bulldogji

Hi Maky,

This sl is not for sale, so pointless asking for its value.

Bulldog, I seriously doubt I could buy it even if it was ; ).
I'm just curious is all...

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by Maky

Bulldog, I seriously doubt I could buy it even if it was ; ).
I'm just curious is all...

Trust me! IT IS PRICELESS!. Mercedes Benz SL's are certainly rare in India, and car with such a history..........
Its worse than even attempting to find a needle in a haystack..

I would'nt try and estimate its worth...BUT as they say,
"Beauty lies in the eyes of a beholder" You could estimate it yourself.

A benchmark- A super mint Mercedes Benz Ponton or Fintail should sell for say- ~16,00,000 INR. The Pontons and Fintails were the E-Classes of yore. (Production years-Pontons-1953-1962. Fintails-1962-1968)

The 190SL is perhaps something like the SL63. Calculate. Add some more....You're getting near.....!

But realistically speaking, valuation of classic cars is somewhat difficult, and moreso in India, where classics are priced higher, due to obvious reasons.

Cheers!

[Maky]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

Trust me! IT IS PRICELESS!. Mercedes Benz SL's are certainly rare in India, and car with such a history..........
Its worse than even attempting to find a needle in a haystack..

I would'nt try and estimate its worth...BUT as they say,
"Beauty lies in the eyes of a beholder" You could estimate it yourself.

A benchmark- A super mint Mercedes Benz Ponton or Fintail should sell for say- ~16,00,000 INR. The Pontons and Fintails were the E-Classes of yore. (Production years-Pontons-1953-1962. Fintails-1962-1968)

The 190SL is perhaps something like the SL63. Calculate. Add some more....You're getting near.....!

But realistically speaking, valuation of classic cars is somewhat difficult, and moreso in India, where classics are priced higher, due to obvious reasons.

Cheers!

Right. This is going to run into the better part of 1Cr. isn't it Fin o.O ....

I dream of someday owning a Vintage car, Roadster to be specific, as my 4th Vehicle. I came across a very pretty convertible Triumph Spitfire MK.Something at Five Gardens in Bombay many months ago and since then I've been hooked on owning a 1960s era vehicle. The design of that period is just mesmerising. Doubt I would get one <10L.

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by Maky

Right. Fin o.O ....
.

Most likely MK2. I would however try for a FIAT 1100D as the first classic car. Trust me, we own one....for 3 decades!

Classics are wonderful, full of character and what not. Just choose wisely, and devote more time to your cars....As they are so wonderful, that its impossible to keep your eyes off them!

I once saw a W111, and looking at it...well I kept gazing at it. A feeling somewhat closer to love, you see?

Classics are the best hobby, indeed! Spent your time reseaching, restoring and maintaining 'em!

P.S: What do you mean by the part in bold?

Cheers!

[Maky]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

Most likely MK2. I would however try for a FIAT 1100D as the first classic car. Trust me, we own one....for 3 decades!

Classics are wonderful, full of character and what not. Just choose wisely, and devote more time to your cars....As they are so wonderful, that its impossible to keep your eyes off them!

I once saw a W111, and looking at it...well I kept gazing at it. A feeling somewhat closer to love, you see?

Classics are the best hobby, indeed! Spent your time reseaching, restoring and maintaining 'em!

P.S: What do you mean by the part in bold?

Cheers!

Oh hehe. Thats your name that I shortened & is followed by a *** like smiley :P
*Isn't it FINTAL o.O

Mk2 perhaps yes. It was so low and made a glorious noise. Actually very old Fiats made that noise as well I remember. It had a natural muscular growl & didn't sound like it has been modified in anyway as AMG of today. I could of course me wrong on that : P.
These old cars, they break down often? I ask since that's what I've been told so I was kind of surprised you guys took them on such a long trip. No Issues?

[Faster789]

Originally Posted by Maky

FINTAIL thanks for the quick reply!.
Could you perhaps help me further by estimating is current value :?

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

A benchmark- A super mint Mercedes Benz Ponton or Fintail should sell for say- ~16,00,000 INR. The Pontons and Fintails were the E-Classes of yore. (Production years-Pontons-1953-1962. Fintails-1962-1968)

The 190SL is perhaps something like the SL63. Calculate. Add some more....You're getting near.....!

Perhaps I can offer a little more clarity. The 190SL is nowhere as desirable as it's bigger brother, but it is an established classic. It is also a far superior machine and more desirable machine than the bog standard stuff (like Pontons) that MB also produced in those days, and FIntail has attempted to draw a parallel with. They are not the correct comparators.

There are plenty of examples for sale because it is not what I would call a rare car in the grand scheme of things, certainly not when you consider some of its contemporaries. MB has always been very thorough in recording the numbers of cars made and 25,881 were made. Given when it was built (1950s), rust can be a big issue especially in a city like Bombay.

£70,000 - £100,000 will buy you a nice example but you can certainly pay rather more for one as well (which I would not recommend).

However, those prices are based on a stable classic car market outside of India. The prices of any car deemed "classic" or "vintage" in India are massively inflated due to scarcity and in some cases, a lack of knowledge. Not every "old" car is worth buying or even preserving, and I have seen a number of cars that I would consider quite ordinary (akin to a Ford Focus or Punto today) being fawned over in these forums.

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by Maky

Oh hehe. Thats your name that I shortened & is followed by a *** like smiley :P
*Isn't it FINTAL o.O
These old cars, they break down often? I ask since that's what I've been told so I was kind of surprised you guys took them on such a long trip. No Issues?

Okay! My favorite Merc happens to be the W111, the S-Class of the Sixties. Now both the E-Class (W108, W110) & S-Class(W111,W112) happened to have the very distinctive FINTAILS. . It, therefore became a key identification feature. And as a result- My username- FINTAIL

Secondly, let us brush aside the old myths that OLD CARS BREAK DOWN. Infact, they are like just any car, THEY DO NOT BREAK DOWN IF PROPER CARE IS TAKEN.

Now, in India, until very recently, spare parts were not available for certain imports, et cetera. As time passed, spares dried up, hence, certain JUGGADS were done, which, in turn failed to comply with the original designs of the car, and hence resulted in break-downs. Also, decades of misuse was a contributing factor.

Under such scenarios, we must appreciate, the people who took pains to keep their cars in an original condition.

Believe it or not- My Grandfather went places with his 1961 Willys CJ3B, registered in Nagpur. The Jeep actually went to J&K (There is a long tale associated with that!), Bombay, Poona, New Delhi, Bangalore & Madras. Did I mention Calcutta? All from Nagpur! All this in seperate road trips, without the Golden Quadrilateral! Now! That properly breaks the myth, does it not?

I am opinion that the modern cars are actually more useless than the older ones. You never heard of electronic failures in the past, which crippled a car, Did you?

Since, the older cars are less complicated, they are less prone to breakdowns. The 1100D, in the family for 3 decades, has not given us a single cause for complaint yet! Now, which modern car can do that?

Old cars have the soul, the smell of petrol, surely evokes nostalgia! Modern cars- Well, they are meant just for profit. Evident by the cost cutting measures seen.

@Faster 789- I've tried to draw a parallel. Agree with your points. An SL is better than a Ponton, surely! Note that any classic is exaggerated in India, simply because, well, are we not far away from, say U.S.A or Germany, the origin of the car. Well, yes, a 190SL is'nt exactly rare, quite a few examples survive, however, they are full of character! Also, note- I NEVER claimed it was rare.

Cheers!

[Bulldogji]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

THEY DO NOT BREAK DOWN UNLESS & UNTIL PROPER CARE IS TAKEN.

Hi Fintail,

Surely you mean otherwise??

Having used cars that are over 70 years old on a daily basis, I can confirm that they are reasonably reliable if correctly maintained.

They do , at times, fail to proceed You have to be mentally prepared for that.

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by Bulldogji

Hi Fintail,

Surely you mean otherwise??

Having used cars that are over 70 years old on a daily basis, I can confirm that they are reasonably reliable if correctly maintained.

They do , at times, fail to proceed You have to be mentally prepared for that.

I DID mean the opposite. A typo. Realized it too late!

Cheers!