31k-Mile 2002 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG on BaT

[maw1124]

Open up your crypto accounts for this one Gents...

31k-Mile 2002 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG

Bid for the chance to own a 31k-Mile 2002 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #48,250.

bringatrailer.com

maw

 

[195910]

Really Nice Example. How much do you think it will bring?

 

[maw1124]

That's a really good question... and my honest answer is "I have no idea"... $40k, maybe $45k... just finger in the wind... what you think? It is the nicest example of these I've ever seen... and when you see them this nice it actually inspires you to want to own one.

maw

 

[duuder]

Interesting that Stig isn't driving it as spirited as they usually do with their cars

 

[outrbnks]

Really nice car, but at the prices your projecting it's an investment/flipper car, and don't drive it much or lose resale potential.

I'd like to have one in a price range that would allow unlimited use, no worries about miles driven or return on investment.

 

[195910]

Really nice car, but at the prices your projecting it's an investment/flipper car, and don't drive it much or lose resale potential.

I'd like to have one in a price range that would allow unlimited use, no worries about miles driven or return on investment.

I agree, Its not for me either as I prefer a second Youngtimer that I would be able to drive to events and trips..Already have a Garage Baron.
But definitely a valuable car.

 

[maw1124]

Yeah... I don't know who pays that amount, but I think someone will... the supercharged 55's stole ALL the thunder from these, and I have one of those that I bought and drove and drove and drove, and whatever I sell it for, if I sell it, I've gotten every dime of my money's worth... same with my E5E... I'm a car enthusiast, not a collector... but I can see someone dropping $40k on this, driving it as part of a fleet for 10 or 15 years, selling it with 60k on the clock and not being hurt at all by the experience... that's more or less my "finger in the wind"... what can you pay today for it, enjoy it for a while, move on and not really care about the sale price.

I bought my E46M for under $25k, have used it to keep miles off the E5E quite frankly... + it's more fun to drive... have never even thought about how many miles are on it... and I'll STILL sell it for more than I paid for it... and if not, who cares, close enough.

maw

 

[Jlaa]

Yeah... I don't know who pays that amount, but I think someone will... the supercharged 55's stole ALL the thunder from these, and I have one of those that I bought and drove and drove and drove, and whatever I sell it for, if I sell it, I've gotten every dime of my money's worth... same with my E5E... I'm a car enthusiast, not a collector... but I can see someone dropping $40k on this, driving it as part of a fleet for 10 or 15 years, selling it with 60k on the clock and not being hurt at all by the experience... that's more or less my "finger in the wind"... what can you pay today for it, enjoy it for a while, move on and not really care about the sale price.

I bought my E46M for under $25k, have used it to keep miles off the E5E quite frankly... + it's more fun to drive... have never even thought about how many miles are on it... and I'll STILL sell it for more than I paid for it... and if not, who cares, close enough.

maw

As an aisde -

I'm always astounded by people who have the mental capacity to care for a "fleet" of cars in the garage.
I find that I only have the mental capacity to care for 2 hobby-cars, at the most.

By "hobby-cars" I mean open-checkbook care, constant acquisition of spare NLA parts, constant hoarding of knowledge acquired about the car/systems/common repairs/TSBs/Troubleshooting Manuals/Parts Catalogs and archiving that info onto local storage .... Constant tinkering and incremental improvement of everything you can think of.... not a month goes by without me electing to do some small or big project on the car, by my own hand.

Anyone that can do more than 2 of these hobby-cars in parallel is REALLY IMPRESSIVE!!!!

 

[maw1124]

As an aisde -

I'm always astounded by people who have the mental capacity to care for a "fleet" of cars in the garage.
I find that I only have the mental capacity to care for 2 hobby-cars, at the most.

By "hobby-cars" I mean open-checkbook care, constant acquisition of spare NLA parts, constant hoarding of knowledge acquired about the car/systems/common repairs/TSBs/Troubleshooting Manuals/Parts Catalogs and archiving that info onto local storage .... Constant tinkering and incremental improvement of everything you can think of.... not a month goes by without me electing to do some small or big project on the car, by my own hand.

Anyone that can do more than 2 of these hobby-cars in parallel is REALLY IMPRESSIVE!!!!

I feel you... I learned the hard way, it's more than a notion... but hoarding NLA parts is where I draw the line... or so I think... there's only so far down that rabbit hole I have mental room (or desire) to go... I'm not a collector... 4 became my limit, life imposed... luckily by then I was far enough ahead to coast a bit... most of it because I bought well... but when parts are gone the cars will not be far behind... the next owner can deal with that.

I got my bug from Mike and Edd on Wheeler Dealer... mini restorations... a decade later, it's been fun but I'm kinda over it.

Back to the car at hand... they don't really need much... you can take it out as a Sunday Funday car, a decade will pass and it'll be worth more than you paid for it... or you won't care... and in the meantime all parts will be available... that was my E5E experience anyway... that's starting to change but it doesn't need much anymore.

maw

 

[msq]

I bought my E46M for under $25k, have used it to keep miles off the E5E quite frankly... + it's more fun to drive... have never even thought about how many miles are on it... and I'll STILL sell it for more than I paid for it... and if not, who cares, close enough.

I'm always astounded by people who have the mental capacity to care for a "fleet" of cars in the garage.
I find that I only have the mental capacity to care for 2 hobby-cars, at the most.

I think the E46M is the best 3 series ever done (including comparing it to some of the more collectible ones like say E30 M3)....style, performance, modern amenities and performance, without being all "electric" stuff, naturally aspirated, plenty of torque etc. I keep telling myself I want to find a manual, lower mileage one that I would just "drive" and change fluids and not worry about scratches, parking away from things in parking lot etc.

Agree that once you get past 2 hobby cars, the maintenance and tinkering and storage hassles aren't worth it, for me at least. If I had more garage space and still had the tools and desire maybe I would feel differently.

This E55 looks like a great car. I think the W210 E55 and W202 C43 are still some of the most underrated modern cars.

This particular E55 is in a weird place with 31K miles, do you just buy it and drive it like intended and watch it devalue somewhat rapidly based on what prices are on BAT these days, or do you treat it as a collector car/

 

[maw1124]

I think the E46M is the best 3 series ever done (including comparing it to some of the more collectible ones like say E30 M3)....style, performance, modern amenities and performance, without being all "electric" stuff, naturally aspirated, plenty of torque etc. I keep telling myself I want to find a manual, lower mileage one that I would just "drive" and change fluids and not worry about scratches, parking away from things in parking lot etc.

Agree that once you get past 2 hobby cars, the maintenance and tinkering and storage hassles aren't worth it, for me at least. If I had more garage space and still had the tools and desire maybe I would feel differently.

This E55 looks like a great car. I think the W210 E55 and W202 C43 are still some of the most underrated modern cars.

This particular E55 is in a weird place with 31K miles, do you just buy it and drive it like intended and watch it devalue somewhat rapidly based on what prices are on BAT these days, or do you treat it as a collector car/

, on all fronts... I bought my E46M for all the reasons you described, as a family beach hopper (except I opted for drop top and paddles)... but a strange thing happened “on the way to Damascus”... people decided they were collectible for all the reasons I bought it (except the drop top and paddles)... OK... doesn’t change my entry point, use or enjoyment... and since it’s an “extra” car at an “extra” house, it doesn’t get driven much... but I could tell from the carfax when I bought it that’s how it had lived... option tick car, driven from the dealer in State1 to the dealer in State2... wash, rinse repeat... those people are out there, and one of them will likely buy this ‘02 E55... and the years will rack up faster than the miles... and by the time that 20 year old stereo becomes unbearable, it’ll be the next owner’s turn.

I think you drive it like intended, less than 3k miles per year, enjoy learning about it through the eyes of your trusted mechanic (especially if that’s you), and then move it down the line... naturally aspirated with more torque than you need, 4 seater invigoration to Sunday dinner, wash and wax on Monday, call it a day... even if you put 6k miles per year on it for 10 years, it’ll still be a sub 100k mile car when you sell it... and on these that‘s nothing.

As I just took the S55 out for a spin at sunset hour, for no other reason than I hadn’t “driven it like intended” in a while... discovering once again that 2nd gear start is so the tires don’t spin obnoxiously.

maw

PS... @msq here you go... Supercharged 2006 BMW M3 Coupe 6-Speed... market insights are that the color combos are really driving value in these... this being one of the best (Carbon Black over Cinnamon, looks midnight blue)... 19” forged, true polished wheels are the ones to have, NLA... the supercharger will hold this one back as non-purist... as will the miles... but it doesn’t change the torque curve (power still after 5500 rpm)... so it doesn’t change the character of the car... and I’ve seen these things with 300k+ miles on them wearing superchargers as demo cars... unreal! Actually, that was at Active Autowerke in Miami when I was thinking of supercharging mine... I’d put this one for the same money as this E55, maybe less, and I think you know which one I’d rather have for that coin.

 

[alabbasi]

That's a pretty car. It will give someone reliable motoring for many years to come. I miss driving mine.

 

[maw1124]

That's a really good question... and my honest answer is "I have no idea"... $40k, maybe $45k... just finger in the wind... what you think? It is the nicest example of these I've ever seen... and when you see them this nice it actually inspires you to want to own one.

maw

Went for $41.1k + Fees... I guess I can't say that was unexpected... still it's a W210 55 car... I wonder what a W211 with similar miles and care would bring... that would be an interesting case study.

If the W210 goes for more, who could explain why? I mean, that's a pretty huge nostalgia premium. And who would pay $50k for a W211 55 car? And why?

This market is getting pretty wonky. Either that or someone just bought poorly here, which is to me more likely.

maw

 

[195910]

Went for $41.1k + Fees... I guess I can't say that was unexpected... still it's a W210 55 car... I wonder what a W211 with similar miles and care would bring... that would be an interesting case study.

If the W210 goes for more, who could explain why? I mean, that's a pretty huge nostalgia premium. And who would pay $50k for a W211 55 car? And why?

This market is getting pretty wonky. Either that or someone just bought poorly here, which is to me more likely.

maw

Interesting, I was not expecting that either.