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My problem with the car is while it is very cool, unless you had a museum, or a large displayed private collection it is pretty useless. With no VIN you could never get it titled or plated, at least not legitimately. It will be interesting to see what it goes for. It's like a 962 I found one time that was a static display, used at the racetrack to fatten up the pack. It was cool, but not very practical.
I've read that not having a VIN is not fatal. A lot of people import cars that either don't have VINs or aren't in the system.
I'd wonder if the car met safety standards for the US. Probably not. Otherwise in a few years it will be considered historic and you might possibly get plates that way.
I've read that not having a VIN is not fatal. A lot of people import cars that either don't have VINs or aren't in the system.
I'd wonder if the car met safety standards for the US. Probably not. Otherwise in a few years it will be considered historic and you might possibly get plates that way.
Yeah, but like a lot of guys have learned, just because you can finnagle plates doesn't make for an easy sell, if you ever need to sell it. Selling cars with a "story" can be tough.
You always have to think of the end game, things change, and having an expensive car that you can't sell is tough.
I remember these. The days before wraps could accomplish the same thing without disassembling the car! I wonder - wouldn't it have made more economical sense for MBUSA to order two specially painted cars from their Euro division that were created in the original assembly stage?? Also, PPG must have paid for some of this.
Technically it's 1 of 1, since the other was dismantled and destroyed.
I happen to know via someone who has worked at the NHTSA for years that there's no way this car will ever be legally titled and driven in the US. I don't agree with the rules and I think it's a tragic waste, but that's the law.
It would be great in a museum yes. It would be greater as a track car project to strip down, lower, install a manual transmission and tow on a trailer to track days. Leave the exterior appearance exactly the same, but with light weight wheels and racing suspension, front and rear splitters, etc. That would be a really unique car!
Technically it's 1 of 1, since the other was dismantled and destroyed.
I happen to know via someone who has worked at the NHTSA for years that there's no way this car will ever be legally titled and driven in the US. I don't agree with the rules and I think it's a tragic waste, but that's the law.
It would be great in a museum yes. It would be greater as a track car project to strip down, lower, install a manual transmission and tow on a trailer to track days. Leave the exterior appearance exactly the same, but with light weight wheels and racing suspension, front and rear splitters, etc. That would be a really unique car!
98 C43, 15 Alfa 4C LE, 18 Tesla Model 3 DM Perf, 08 Duc S1000, 02 Duc 998, 98 Duc 748, 01 Miata
A couple of months ago, I would have considered it. We're buying a house in two months though, so not really financially feasible right now. I do hope that it goes to a good home. I also wish it had a few more special elements than just the paint that might make it a bit more enticing.
A couple of months ago, I would have considered it. We're buying a house in two months though, so not really financially feasible right now. I do hope that it goes to a good home. I also wish it had a few more special elements than just the paint that might make it a bit more enticing.
we submitted an offer today!!! so edgy LOL will finally have a garage to play in
No sale at $10,000, now re-listed. They told me they were hoping to get around $20,000. My brother did the research on the car and the one that was destroyed was a little more race like with a roll bar. They would take you around the track in that one. This is the one that PPG used for displaying in their booth.
He could find no photo evidence of either car every being used as a pace car, but it was at races for the two purposes listed above.
at 2400 miles, if the car has been well cared for, garaged, oiled, maintained, plastics have been cared for, leather oiled, kept out of the sun, the rain, the snow, humidity, temperature and ventilation kept at proper levels inside the cabin and under the hood, then $20,000 is a very fair price.
i also wouldn't pay 20 for it, not because it isn't worth it, but only because I lack the interest. that also doesn't mean I don't love my W202 and wouldn't mind spending 20k on it, which incidentally, I am very very very close on considering my purchase price and repairs (not including gas, tires, oil and other normal wear items).
98 C43, 15 Alfa 4C LE, 18 Tesla Model 3 DM Perf, 08 Duc S1000, 02 Duc 998, 98 Duc 748, 01 Miata
Originally Posted by Sulaco
I wouldn't spend 20 because it has no VIN. You can't drive it. You can't even title it.
Agreed. If it had a bunch of track modifications, like it sounds like the other car may have had, I might spend decent money without a VIN. But this car exists in that purgatory of not being a road car while also not being something that I would want to track because of the low mileage and near perfect condition. So it is really only suitable as a museum piece and the price doesn't reflect the current reality of C43 demand, even for something that is cool like this.
There has to be a way. If cars can be rebuilt or customized/using many different parts of different cars, there just has to be a way.
You can absolutely have the car titled, it may take some work but I don't think people here wouldn't buy the car because it isn't titled per se, but rather because of the work involved in getting the title or because even though it is close to a perfect example, they consider the lack of title a a defect. I'm not sure lack of title is a defect in the collectable car market though, I'm just not knowledge enough to say one way or the other but logically speaking there are thousands upon thousands of cars that are with millions which are probably cannot be instantly titled here. I don't think it makes them less desirable or less valuable, but I guess I could be wrong.
Last edited by mickey13; Mar 18, 2018 at 10:21 PM.
Also I should point out that the ad didn't say there is no VIN on the car, it says "no valid VIN"
In likelihood, the VIN was never registered in the US as the cars were never intended to be street driven and possibly didn't comply with US standards.
Last edited by mickey13; Mar 18, 2018 at 10:21 PM.
You can absolutely have the car titled, it may take some work but I don't think people here wouldn't buy the car because it isn't titled per se, but rather because of the work involved in getting the title or because even though it is close to a perfect example, they consider the lack of title a a defect. I'm not sure lack of title is a defect in the collectable car market though, I'm just not knowledge enough to say one way or the other but logically speaking there are thousands upon thousands of cars that are with millions which are probably cannot be instantly titled here. I don't think it makes them less desirable or less valuable, but I guess I could be wrong.
I think you have to go under the assumption that "no VIN" means "no VIN". These were made as promo vehicles and not designed to be sold. If there was an assigned VIN someone would have gotten some kind of paperwork in the last 20 years. As far as getting a title, it would be a hard sell. I can't imagine trying to explain to a DMV person that you have a non-classic Mercedes with no VIN, they would probably just think it was stolen and seize it at worse and laugh you out of the building at best. No, the only use with this car would be a static display that you took to show's, a private collection or a museum.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
