50 years later - Mercedes Benz 300 SC then and now
In 1961, an owner of a Mercedes Benz 300 SC (from 1956) willing to sell published an advertisement in Automobil Revue and offered his apparently well-preserved luxury vehicle (mileage 50,000) for half the original price, i.e. CHF 25,000 (instead of the CHF 50,000 originally paid).
50 years later, an almost identical vehicle (picture by Tom Wood/RM Auctions above) will go under the hammer at the RM Auction in London on October 26, 2011 for an estimated value of £ 120,000 to 150,000 (equivalent to around CHF 170,000 to 210,000). A buyer in 1961 would therefore have roughly multiplied his investment by six to eight times by 2011. That sounds impressive. But even in these dimensions, maintenance and restoration costs, as well as the devaluation during these years, are likely to have eaten up the supposedly fat profit.
Hopefully, however, the owner(s) enjoyed the car for many years, the running costs served to increase this enjoyment and the increase in value is simply seen as a bonus at the end.
We have published a comprehensive article announcing the upcoming RM Auction in London on October 26, 2011.
