Certainly is Lovin! Good thing about the SL it attracts women of all ages!

 

Darn, I thought my 29 year old wife loved me for me. Now your telling me it is my SL600.

At least now I understand.

 

Must say, the more I see your colour combo the more I like it. Hey, you're probably an OK-looking guy as well. :o)

 

46, but with the self-control of a 16 year old

 

I am very surprised as to how young some are as well - am I right in presuming you have bought the vehicle outright? Or are you HPing (paying monthly)?

 

I averaged the ages here and definitely a case of mid life crises going on with this car!

 

No crisis, just reaching mid-life and affording an SL happening at the same time!
Mind you, losing my hair is a bit of a crisis. Then again, not much to blow about when the roof's down!

 

42...cash only. NEVER finance a car.

 

I’ve been driving SLs for the last ten years, so it’s been a long crisis. I agree: no debt for cars, or for that matter houses.

 

Thank you giffSCPA....I'll be 60 in August....I thought with this group of babies, I'd be the oldest!!!

 

There does come a point when even mortgage interest cannot be further deducted. Taxes suck

Steve

 

21

 

Thank you. I thought I was the elder statesman at 62. First owned an MB since 1968 and continuous since then.

Here is the list of MB's that I have owned, some I still own. No comments necessary, since my wife tells me I have more cents than sense when it comes to cars.

Mercedes That I Have Owned ( Not in order of purchase)

Family Model Year

W198 300 SL Gullwing 1956
W188 300 SC Roadster 1957
W188 300 SL Roadster 1962
W115 220 1968
W111 280SE 3.5 Coupe 1971
W113 280 SL 1971
W115 220 D 1972
W108 280 SEL 4.5 1973
W116 450 SEL 6.9 1977
W124 300 CE 1988
W126 560 SEL 1991
W201 190 E 2.6 1992
W210 E320 1996
W210 E430 1998
W208 CLK 55 2002
W215 S 55 2003
W215 CL 55 2003
W209 CLK 500 2004
R230 SL 55 2005

 

Wow! That's some lineup IKirchner. Which one was/is your favorite? Surely one of them was ultra special. I'm going to guess the SL 300 Gullwing?

NeilC - your presumption is correct. Bought outright. I am and will always be the only driver. Plan to ride with it as long as it lasts and to have it look as good as it does now when the end comes. Who knows, maybe sell it for 10-20k if I'm lucky. What's next... can't wait to see some 10-years from now.

 

Blimey - if you people can afford to buy outright I must be missing something. As even with a decent job like mine - because of taxes - i could never afford to buy a £50k+ car outright. Oh and that's also not forgetting the £1500 a month mortgage as well!

 

I bought mine outright.

Jeff

 

Wouldn't that depend on how much your house was?

I'd say in some cases owning a house outright would not be that smart.

 

It's a tossup. The 300SL gullwing draws more attention from the average "looky-lu" while the 300SC Roadster really turns on those who know the Marque due to the rarity of the roadster in particular. The gullwing still amazes; a 50 year old car that is still modern in many aspects while at the same time you can tell that creature comforts were not the top priority.

Both are trailer qweens so the true fun of driving is no longer a factor. The most special was the 450 SEL 6.9; sleeper, a 1977 AMG, whatever you want to call it. Had more fun looking at the "Kids" look on their faces after they had their doors blown off by a 4 door sedan; as they say "Boys will be boys". I wish I had kept that one.

 

I agree, I mean it's a great tax deduction (the house that is).

J

 

Whatever works dude. We all have our own gimmicks.

 

For many cases (aside from not being able to pay cash), mortgages make sense. In San Diego, for example, instead of paying cash for a house (not that I'm able), it's smarter to buy several houses to maximize appreciation. On my primary home, I've seen 75 to 80 percent appreciation in two years and my two other homes (which are rented) have seen similar appreciation.

 

38

 

I hope you realize that was a joke. Seems you didn't.

 

I don't wish to go completely at a tangent to this thread - but i noticed it was mentioned earlier which made me think - damn i wish i lived the states - here in the UK your mortgage is not tax deductible - they expect to you live after they have taken half your earnings in tax! Car payments are not even deductible even if you mainly use the car for business purposes - unless you sign up to very expensive hire purchase agreement. Okay enough of the tax lecture....I'm moving to the Isle of Man...or Jersey perhaps....damn tax havens.

Going back onto the thread I have always thought the SL was the kind of car you buy towards the upper echelons of your life to illustrate how much you have achieved and a degree of "well done in life" status....If you have the car at the ages of 25-28 where on earth do you go from there? Supercars?

 

Neil,

Good question! I hadn't thought that far ahead. I tend to keep my cars for a while (my BMW...which I still have... is a '97), so I'm sure there will be something uber cool by then. Perhaps even a new SL will be different enough. I think there are going to be some really interesting cars in the next 10 years especially with oil running out on our little blue planet.

Jeff