1991 Mercedes-benz 500sl - 57k Miles - Excellent Condition - All Original on 2040-cars
Santa Monica, California, United States
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Overview The R129 500SL is one of the last, best Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Its designer, the legendary Bruno Sacco, called it “the most perfect car of my career,” and its lines still look great today. Furthermore, the quality of materials and engineering throughout is unmatched by pretty much anything sold since these cars were new. Its ground-breaking M119 dual overhead cam, 32-valve, all-aluminum V8 engine, matched with a surprisingly lively 4-speed automatic, delivers tons of smooth power from anywhere in the rev range -- and sounds magnificent doing it. And the well-tuned chassis handles just about everything you can throw at it with grace, comfort and agility. Ownership History I am the car’s second owner, having purchased it in January of this year from an elderly couple, who used the car only a few months each year when visiting from their primary residence in Japan. They originally acquired the car new from Jim Slemons Imports, a now-defunct Orange County dealership, in April of 1991. The MSRP of the car at that time was $95,180, according to the original window sticker (which is included with the sale). Condition
The car has lived its entire life garaged in California, with regular but sparing use, and has always been maintained by Mercedes-Benz dealers or specialists with no expense spared. It is easily one of the best examples available. Exterior: 8.5 out of 10 The car is completely original and has never been in an accident nor had any paint or bodywork of any kind. The arctic white paint (code 147) shines with a depth that only older Mercedes-Benz vehicles seem able to achieve. Any flaws I’ve found are well-documented in the photos -- mostly minor parking-related scrapes. Also, at some point a vandal attempted to remove the 500SL badge from the rear trunk lid, causing some damage. (I have fully removed the badge, and it is included with the sale.) I’ve chosen to leave everything as-is rather than to disturb the original paint. The car still wears its original black soft top. While fully functional, the top is showing its age with slightly yellowed plastic windows and one small tear (see photos). If you plan on using the soft top frequently, I would recommend having the entire rear panel replaced, which would run approximately $800 at a high-quality convertible top specialist. The original white hard top is in outstanding shape and sports a recent new headliner. Included with the car is an aftermarket hard top storage cart and cover. Interior: 9.5 out of 10 The black leather interior (code 271) is like new. The only notable sign of wear is some scuffing on the left bolster of the driver’s seat (see photos). Additionally, the plastic cover of the vanity mirror on the driver’s sun visor has broken off (I still have it), and the small cover that slides over the lower third of the center console has fallen within the console and needs to be retrieved. Otherwise, all switches, gauges, lights, windows, climate control functions, cruise control, etc. are working perfectly, as does the convertible top mechanism. Mechanical: 9 out of 10 The car runs and drives like the low-mileage, well-maintained Mercedes-Benz that it is. The 322-horsepower V8 motor idles almost silently yet pulls authoritatively when willed, and the transmission shifts through all gears quickly and smoothly, including the proper (and thrilling) kick-down at full throttle. The car tracks straight, soaks up bumps with no funny suspension noises, and the steering and brakes are both tight. It rides on brand-new Continental ExtremeContact DW tires. The only reason I am not giving the car a 10 out of 10 mechanically is that it occasionally runs rough for a few seconds when first started, usually after it’s been sitting for at least a day or two. I have not yet attempted to diagnose this issue, partly because it is easily avoided by giving the car just a tiny bit of throttle when firing it up. The engine runs perfectly at all other times and just passed the CA smog test with exemplary numbers, including no measurable CO emissions. Being a lifelong Southern California car, this 500SL is entirely rust-free. Also, there are no oil or fluid leaks of any kind. Service History The car has received all of its scheduled maintenance and repairs at Mercedes-Benz dealerships or specialists, and it comes with service records dating back to its first inspection at 1700 miles at Jim Slemons Imports (noted in the stamped maintenance booklet, which comes with the car). Recent repairs and maintenance include… @ 56k miles: new distributors & rotors, new engine air filters & cabin air filter, new transmission fluid & filter, new engine oil & filter, new fuel filter, new differential oil, new steering damper @ 54k miles: new brake rotors and pads @ 53k miles: new alternator I welcome and encourage private party inspections (at the buyer’s expense, of course). Pricing Classic car specialist Hagerty Insurance reports an average value of $9,444 for this model and year, ranging from $19,800 for a concours-ready example (#1 on their scale) to $6200 for one in fair condition and many notable flaws (#4 on their scale). My car is between a 2 and a 3 on the Hagerty scale, which equates to a value of $11,250. Reason for Sale I’m selling the car now because it’s currently just a weekend car for me, and I would like to use the funds to offset the costs of some upcoming home improvement work. Additional Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/ua28dbj2wbclh76/AADMlsOym5zAMP_cwW2N7tWma |
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Auto Services in California
Z Best Auto Sales ★★★★★
Woodland Hills Imports ★★★★★
Woodcrest Auto Service ★★★★★
Western Tire Co ★★★★★
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2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced
Wed, Jul 6 2016Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.
Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers
Sun, Mar 29 2015As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs
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