I have just bought my third car in 26 months. I documented the first of the three purchases in a posting in November 2018, Old Car - New Car, in which I replaced a 2002 Toyota 4Runner for a brand new 2018 4Runner. Then in August 2020, I traded the 2018 4Runner for a 2016 BMW 550i GT. I documented the rationale for that move from Japanese SUVs to a high performance German sedan in Old New Car – New Older Car.
Just this morning, I took possession of another new, but even older, car: a 2005 Mercedes SL 55 AMG. This time, I didn’t trade anything in. I bought this two-seater convertible sports car specifically as a car to enjoy in nice weather.
I have always thought about having such a car since the late seventies when my friend and neighbor bought a white Mercedes Benz 450SL. I really liked the look of that car. Upon first seeing it, I could see myself driving one. I loved the thought of getting such a car but left it as a dream for three reasons. First and foremost, I was a working, albeit an avocational, musician. A two-seat sports car was completely impractical given the amount of gear I had to tote around every weekend. Second, I lived in Detroit and worked in the auto industry. Buying a German car was completely out of the question. Lastly, I could simply buy the car as an extra hobby kind of car, but I was not in an economic position to do this.
that are obsessed with learning and mastering a musical instrument, do it. To get what the really and truly desire, the simply have trade-off or forego lower priority aspirations and goods. Clearly, I did not really want that extra summer convertible or a beach house. I had other more important priorities.
Last summer, another good friend, Claude Ohanesian, bought a vintage mid-1980s Mercedes SL550. It was white, the same style and color my buddy in Detroit had in the late 1970s. It was in great shape and I had the same feeling for this white SL as I did when I saw that first one some 50 years ago. We took a ride in his new acquisition and I asked him how much a car like this would cost. As he has like 18 cars, he is very free to share how much he spends on his hobby. He told my that this gem of car, 45 years old with 60,000 miles, cost him around $16,000. Honestly, I expected him to say $50 or 60,000. Admittedly, I have never paid attention to the vintage car market, so I was unaware of the market prices. I was guessing. Suddenly, this idea that was an occasional daydream seemed very doable.
So, my buddy started forwarding me websites and auctions offering cars like the one I wanted. As circumstance would have it, the moment I got serious about getting one of these cars, the prices shot up. Not surprisingly, many others were thinking the same thing I was. Cars like the one my buddy bought for $16,000 were going for $25,000 and more by the time I started to look at them.
In mid-December, my buddy sent me an article, Pick of the Day: 2005 Mercedes Benz SL55 for performance, daily usability, a feature offering the ClassicCars.com Journal. It was about the exact car that now sits in my garage. I read the article for a few days, looked at the photos of the car on the dealer’s website, and decided to buy a more functional, higher performance, 16 year old SL for less money than a 45 year old one with less bells and whistles with the same mileage.
So, I called the dealership in California that was coincidentally owned by an Armenian, Brad Kassabian. I negotiated a deal, arranged for transport, got some insurance and took delivery of this gorgeous car today.
I know a few guys, like my buddy, who have several vintage cars. Is this the beginning of a new collection hobby. I don’t think so. For me, I am certain this is a one and done deal. The thought also occurred to me that I might be having a mid-life crisis. An internet search confirmed that I am officially too old as they officially start sometime between 45 and 64 and can last for 3 to 10 years. Whatever it is, I am looking forward to driving around town with the top-down when the Spring weather hits.
No comments:
Post a Comment