How much value is a 1988 Mercedes 560sl?

Answer 1

"At this time the Washington state dmv values this car at over 11,000.00. at least that is what they want you to pay sales taxes on. I have adamantly disputed this and told them if they gave $2,000 for my 88 ( in excellent condition and 118,00 miles) I would take it in a heartbeat"

The person who gave the answer above is either a fool or has no idea what an excellent condition Mercedes 560SL is.

When maintained by professionals this car is still iconic and turns heads. The 107 was the most popular body style ever made by Mercedes. As a result they made the same car year after year. This is the opposite of most other classic body styles that benefit from limited production runs.

Placing a average value on a 560SL is difficult because so many were made and many of them are still on the streets and in peoples garages. Then there is the problem where some of the cars were not kept up and then purchased cheap by new owners who can not afford to do the necessary restoration. This too lessens the average value of the model.

At the same time there are people who have long admired the 560SL who could not afford them when they were new. Some of these people are older now and can pay for a 560SL in really excellent condition. On the other hand... we are in a bad economy now where high end toys are not selling well. So once again the average value of a 560SL is difficult to set.

My 560SL it is a 2 owner 1986 black on black with 98,000 miles. The maintenance has always been done at Mercedes or a repair shop that only works on Mercedes and only uses original parts. It has always been kept inside a garage and never used for a primary family vehicle. The car is taken in for preventive maintenance on a regular schedule. So what is my 560SL worth? I do not know. It really comes down to what a buyer is willing to pay for a particular 560SL. Unless my family has a finicky emergency my 560SL is not for sale. If I were looking to buy a car in similar condition in today's economy $17,000 to $24,000 would be a reasonable price range for a very good to excellent condition 560SL depending on the exact condition and history of the car.

You will find nice 560s around for $9,000.00 to $14,000. But be careful even if the car runs well now, there will be upcoming maintenance and the very nature of the car guarantees parts and repairs are not cheap. 560s sold below 8,000 are most probably going to become money pits for the buyer.

It is very likely the money you spend to buy the car plus the cost of even reasonable restoration and upkeep will exceed the actual resale value of the car. I bought mine in VERY GOOD condition 8 years ago for $12,000 since then I have put in another 5 or 6 thousand here and there not so much at any one time that it was really noticeable. For me it has been worth it. The car gives me pleasure.

No matter what the asking price of the car take it to a good German Car Repair facility and get a professional to look the car over. This is not a car where you should let a new paint job or you desire to own one trump common sense.