For Sale! [October 2014 Edition]

For sale! Is a monthly feature on Automotive Views focusing on cars available for purchase in Europe. None of the ads selected are featured in this blog due to any kind of sponsorship by the sellers.

1981 Mercedes Benz 450SEL 6.9

The W116 S-class is one of the best looking sedans Mercedes ever made. The design is elegant, timeless and the capable technical platform underneath allowed for some very interesting developments, the most interesting of which is this: the amazing 450SEL 6.9. A showcase of Mercedes’ greatest skills from 1975 to 1981 (well, 1980 really…only 4 made in 1981), the 6.9 featured hydropneumatic self leveling suspension á la Citroen and limited slip diff, making it a very pleasant, steady ride. Power wise, it employs the same colossus as the W100 series; the M-100 cast iron V8 was upgraded from the original 6.3 to 6.9l, getting the 450 to run all the way up to 140mph after a 0 to 60 dash of just over 7 seconds. Not bad at all for a two ton car in the 70’s. The 450SEL 6.9 attracted the attention of people like legendary Ladies man James Hunt and Ol’ Blue Eyes; apparently it also won Ringo Starr’s heart because this particular example offered for sale was once owned by the drummer of the Beatles, a musical group of some sort that was apparently mildly popular at a point.

Price: 48.914€ (62.018 USD)
For sale in the UK
Seller: Duncan Hamilton &Co Ltd
Click here to view ad
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2011 Ferrari 599 SA Aperta

The Ferrari 599 is a pretty cool car; not perfect, but quite good. It got dialed up to 11 with the GTO version and that’s great, but there’s another incarnation of the 599 that often goes unappreciated: the Aperta. Created as a very special tribute to Pininfarina’s 80th birthday, the Aperta is an exclusive ride because fittingly, only 80 were made. Featuring the same engine as the previously mentioned drop dead gorgeous, beastly GTO the Aperta packs 661bhp and reaches 202mph…how’s that for al fresco motoring?

Price: 920.000€ (1.166.468 USD)
For sale in the Switzerland
Seller: Private Seller
Click here to view ad
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1985 Lancia Delta S4 Rally Car

If there was ever a golden age of rallying, it certainly happened while the monsters of Group B were in play. Between 82 and 86, legends like the Quattro, 037 and R200 were tearing up dirt and tarmac all over the world at ridiculous speeds. In that final year, a brutal crash claimed the lives of Finnish driver Henri Toivonen and American co-driver Sergio Cresto; their S4 was unrecognizable after the incident which (coupled with a series of previous incidents involving Group B cars) became the proverbial nail in the coffin for this class. Loss of life is always tragic and Rally drivers can only be commended for their bravery to push bonkers machinery to the very limit on surfaces which are often barely fit to be called “roads”. However, I personally can’t help but wish the kind of lunacy common back then in Group 4 was still around on the WRC today. Sure, the playing field is leveled but…I just can’t get excited over the current cars. But back to what’s important. This particular, beautiful S4 being offered for sale is an original factory racer and the winner of the 1986 Rally of Argentina. The pedigree, the looks, the Martini racing livery…it’s simply perfect. Oh, and let’s not ever forget that this thing was relatively close to 600bhp and could do 0 to 60 in well under 3 seconds…on gravel…
Seriously, take a moment out of your day and marvel in the magnificence of an S4 taking off (click here to go to the video). It’s like an angry, nitrous oxide powered demonic bee. Love it.

Price: Auction, estimated 650.000 to 750.000€ (824.135 to 950.925 USD)
For sale in France
Seller: Artcurial Motorcars
Click here to view ad – page 182 of the catalog
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1985 Lancia Delta S4 Stradale

What a wonderful little matching set someone can make…after praising the Rally version, it only felt right to feature this stunning Stradale. Quite a bit less clinically insane than its Rally brethren, the Stradale version was a condition in order for the S4 Rally car to be possible. FIA regulations dictated that 200 road going models needed to exist in order for the Rally versions to be allowed to compete. The seller suggests that Lancia severely skimped on this number and that only about 65 got made of which 45 remain. Despite not being able to personally confirm, all I can say is that I wouldn’t be at all surprised if all the information was perfectly factual. You see, the S4 arrived late at Group 4 so it makes sense that production might have been cut short. However, what matters here is that this is a stunning example of a Stradale. It is a superbly rare car and this is an excellent opportunity for a lucky someone to end up with one of the most unique creations Lancia ever brought to life.

Price: 304.917€ (386.604 UDS)
For sale in the UK
Seller: Joe Macari Performance Cars London
Click here to view ad
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Porsche Speedster (930 – 964 – 997)

From the granddaddy 356 on, Speedsters have always been cool. If you’re anything like me, you’d like a Speedster filled garage. Thankfully Artcurial has your back. Their next auction features 3 speedsters, a red 930, an also red 964 (with awesome or horrible red rims, haven’t quite decided yet) and a blue 997. Only missing a 993, what a shame…

Price: Auction, estimated
930: 170.000 – 190.000€ (215.543 – 240.901 USD)
964: 170.000 – 190.000€ (215.543 – 240.901 USD)
997: 210.000 – 250.000€ (266.259 – 316.975 USD)
For sale in France
Seller: Artcurial Motorcars
Click here to view ad – pages 182, 190 and 154 of the catalog
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1992 Mercedes Benz 500E

Without a doubt the most special of the W124s. This Porsche built, V8 powered German bruiser is a thing of beauty and at this price, a bit of a bargain too. You can read all about it in a previous AV post here

Price: 24.750€ (31.381 USD)
For sale in Portugal
Seller: Luxus e Veloce
Click here to view ad
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1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Twister Special

I absolutely love Mach 1s. They’re about half way in the (classic) Mustang scale, not quite as basic as the sportsroof/fastbacks but not super hardcore 302 style. Like the thing with the bears and the beds, these are “just right”. Now, we can argue till the cows come home about which Mach 1 looks better, 1969 or 1970. Personally, I’d be more than glad to own one of either year. The changes (to Mustangs in general, not just the Mach 1) are minimal and quite frankly you’re gonna look badass in a Mach 1 no matter what. The one featured in this ad is very cool and very rare, especially outside the US. The Twister Special was a limited edition of just 96 cars offered for sale in the Kansas City area dealerships; I’m still debating if Ford’s choice of name was cool or unbelievable insensitive…The Twister Specials were performance oriented and came equipped with either 428s or 351s. This particular example has a 428 Cobra Jet which is great! However, a decision was made which I personally think hurts this car considerably: the color change. Twister Specials were Grabber Orange, that’s it. Despite the graphics being correct and this metallic gold not being ugly, it just feels out of place. Still, beautiful ride and an extremely rare find in the old continent.

Price: 50.756€ (64.353 USD)
For sale in the UK
Seller: Mather Collectable Motorcars
Click here to view ad
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1967 “Eleanor” Mustang

When Gone in Sixty Seconds came out in 2000 I fell in love and in 14 years, that love only grew stronger. I wasn’t the only one impressed with her; “Eleanor” became one of the most famous movie cars ever and that’s been a huge problem. More concretely, the bad copies have become a huge problem. It seems that there are very few accurate “Eleanors” out there; the exterior is relatively easy to get right with the body kit, but the equipment, the interiors, rims…even the color, that’s where the challenge lies. I understand that a lot of folks don’t want an exact replica, they want their own car and that’s ok I guess; the problem is, when you change and redesign and cut corners in one “Eleanor”, it reflects poorly on all of them. This body kit/style has gained such a bad rep lately that people actively hate it and it’s so very unfair on the original concept. This particular example being offered for sale isn’t perfect (tail lights, reverse lights, etc) but it’s not that bad either (at least esthetically); Mechanics wise it does look super clean and owning some very nice quality parts; the 363 small block is usually more of a hot rodding focused engine, but it looks great in there. On the inside you’ve got the nice correct switches for NOS (which is indeed in the trunk, awesome!) but I wish it had the correct shifter, steering wheel, rev counter, etc. Still, certainly not a terrible conversion and “she” is numbered in the Eleanor registry.
You can read a bit more about the GT500E in a previous AV post here