What would you pay?

[Seeker_UK]

Your opinions please - how much would you sell this SL320 for?

1996 SL320
60K miles
FSH (Not MB)
General condition vg (no nasty bumps / clonks etc, hood works and shows no wear, couple of paint chips on bonnet, wheels recently refurbed)
Panoramic roof
Leather interior
Non-metallic paint.
12 months MOT

Looking around, I reckon £8495 might be about right but what do you reckon?

Thanks in advance

 

[jibcl500]

£6995

jib

 

[RGubbioli]

Jibbo, he was asking how much you'd sell it for, not for a bid

 

[Seeker_UK]

As you suspect jib, it's really about what I should pay however, the car is up for £9995 and offering £6995 is a good place to start but I'd like a good steer on where I ought to end up.

If that makes sense....

 

[Speedmaster]

I think it is worth more than that, nice miles. I think £8k if it is a nice one

 

[jibcl500]

Look at pistonheads.com and other sights, cars arent selling at the mo and prices are falling, if you want a sale it needs to be sensible, what you want and what someone is prepared to pay are two different things.

Try parkers for a price.

jib

 

[Setanta]

I would say that £6500 would get rid of it - better to undercut the others for sale and make a sale than have it sitting.

My mate just sold his BMW 330 convertible that he paid £17,500 5 months ago.....for £10,000!!

Full BMW hist, warranty, all options, 6 speed

He was gutted

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Look at pistonheads.com and other sights, cars arent selling at the mo and prices are falling, if you want a sale it needs to be sensible, what you want and what someone is prepared to pay are two different things.

Try parkers for a price.

jib

Sobering, but jib is spot on. Cars like this are often "discretionary purchases" - not for use as an everyday car, but to be cherished as an interest. When money is tight, this is one of the first areas to be affected - just like holidays, going to the pub, meals out.

At this time of year, convertibles are very much a niche market, and the niche has shrunk.

Which is ideal if you are buying (good choice, leverage) and dismal if you are selling (oversupply, competition).

But a nice 129, in spite of what has been said in the debate 107 v 129, is a good car, and cars of that era were overengineered and well built.

So this is not just a case of the heart ruling the head!

 

[straightsix]

What would I pay

I've been looking to buy an SL320 for the last 8 weeks. Have seen three 1996 cars, all being sold by dealers, as follows:

1996 (P) V.good nick, no panoramic roof 18,000 miles, FMBSH £9,995

1996 (P) V. good nick, panoramic roof, all new tyres, AMG alloys, 45,000 miles, FMBSH, haggling around £9,650

1996 (N) haven't viewed yet but looks good, no panoramic roof, 40,000 miles, FMBSH, £8,781!

Can't see you getting £8,495 in a private sale for a 60,000 miler; I wouldn't pay more than £7,500. Not offering though, prices definitely on the way down. There's no shortage of good cars, but I get the impression not too many buyers. Two of the dealers I've been talking to seem desperate to shift their cars. I'm holding off till year end to see what happens

 

[Seeker_UK]

Thanks for all of your input.

I'm actually looking to buy and wanted to work out whether £10K was reasonable for a 1996 in good nick, FSH (not MB), 60K recently refurbed wheels, panoramic roof. It would appear it's not. :sad:

However, I'm interested in a 98 currently at a main dealer - more than I was looking to spend but but 1 years MB warranty and mobilo seems worth the extra.

Interestingly, a good SL is now coming in at less than a goo W124 coupe!