Archive for September, 2013

250 Manual, Part 1 – 1967 Mercedes 250 S

September 19, 2013

One of the cool things about old cars is the history that comes with them. Even if you don’t know it, you can try to imagine the person who bought your car new, and the stories they had from it. What was the occasion they bought it for? Who was the original owner? Where did they live, and where did they go with the car? These are interesting questions to ponder, particularly in the case of non-sports cars, where you have time to think beyond how quickly you can fling it around the next corner. To get you thinking, we have a pair of Mercedes 250 sedans with 4-speed manual transmissions. The first is this W108 Mercedes 250S, for $1995 in Omaha, NE.

1967 Mercedes 250S left front

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E30 is the new 02 – 1988 BMW 325is

September 18, 2013

It’s probably no revelation to anyone reading here that BMW’s E10 series of cars (2002s, 1600s, and their derivatives) are rising in price. And it’s probably also no surprise that while the E10’s successor, the E21 (sold in 320i and 320is form in North America) is not so prized by enthusiasts due to a less-than-exciting driving experience, that car’s replacement was a great comeback for BMW. The E30, initially released as the BMW 318i, soon sprouted a 6-cylinder engine and a 4-door version, as well as a touring (station wagon) version not sold in North America. You can find today’s 1988 BMW 325is listed for $3000 in west San Jose, CA.

1988 BMW 325is left front

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What Happens When Retro Gets Old? 1992 Mazda Miata

September 18, 2013

The 25th anniversary of the Mazda Miata is just around the corner. Think of the compact roadster competition at that point – the costly, long-in-the-tooth, over-luxified Alfa Romeo Spider, the wedgy MR2 available with T-tops, and what else? Triumph, MG, Fiat, and Jensen Healey had all disappeared in the past 10-15 years. So things were looking pretty bleak for the affordable sports car, until this came along – the 1990 Mazda Miata, introduced in late 1989 to long waiting lists and crazy dealer markups. Since then, they’ve been quite successful, and you can find an example of the first generation car for pretty short money. One example is this 1992 Miata for $2995 at a consignment lot in Santa Clara, CA, just near San Jose.

1992 Mazda Miata left front

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