It may have seen better days but this old Merc found rotting in a garage could provide your chance to invest in a classic car for restoration.
The time-warp 1960 Mercedes Benz 190SL was in a very sorry state in a Solihull lock-up but it’s guaranteed a new lease of life when it comes up for auction next month.
It will go under the hammer with no reserve price at the H&H Classics at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire, on July 26.
Auctioneers reckon it could fetch around £50,000 as a restoration project.
That would be a bargain because once restored it could fetch around three times that.
The record for a 190SL sold at auction is $209,000 (£164,000), in 2015.
The car coming up for sale this time round was discovered by H&H Classics’ Mark Bryan who had been invited to value some old motorcycles. Instead he unearthed the 57 year-old classic sports roadster.
Shocked and excited after finding this classic car for restoration
Shocked and excited, he said: “What a great find.
“Never in a million years did I expect to see this, an original UK registered, RHD, Mercedes 190SL in dire need of restoration.
“It goes to show you just never know what’s lurking in that old lock up!”
The auction house’s sale notes explain: “Classic cars don’t get any more authentic than the 1960 Mercedes-Benz 190SL.
“Designed for speed, the car is a classic roadster with a top speed of 175 km/h. It is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 11 seconds and packs a power of 120bhp.
“The 190SL is all about luxury and elegance.”
Don’t fancy a classic car for restoration?
Classic car insurance experts at Adrian Flux have given the other H&H auction lots the once over and here are their favourites:
- A 1965 Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato valued at £19,000-£29,000.
- A 1938 Lincoln Model KA Town Sedan – stylish black with pink coachwork detail – valued at £30,000-£40,000.
- A 2004 Ferrari 360 Spider F1 valued at £62,000-£68,000.
- A 1929 Bugatti Type 44 Vanrooyen Saloon valued at £200,000-£240,000.
- A 1953 Lagonda 3 Litre Drophead Coupe valued at £70,000-£90,000.
If these classic cars are a little out of your price range, how about a personalised number plate? The plate 0005 is also going under the hammer at Duxford with a valuation of £10,000-£15,000.