28 Mercedes-Benz in Historics 3rd March Ascot Auction

The snow is a nightmare, but Historics 3^rd March auction at Ascot Racecourse is going ahead and, as always, at times when travel is difficult, it could be your chance to pick up a bargain.

Viewing is open today and tomorrow, with the sale itself commencing with automobilia at 10.00am on Saturday, then the cars at 10.30.

The Mercedes-Benz section alone boasts no less than four SL R107s, two SL W113s, two SLR129s, an SL R230, three W110 Fintails two 190E 2.5 Cosworths and an abundance of CEs, CLs, and S Class.

One of the stars of the show is the magnificent 1970 280SE 3.5 coupe in the main photo. After a leisurely life the car was mothballed in 2007, then re-awakened in 2015 when it was extensively restored. Worth looking at for the sheer quality of its construction and estimated at £90,000 to £110,000.

Of the two Pagodas in the sale, this LHD 1968 W113 280SL is less eye-catching than the red 1966 and is likely to be fought after for its rare manual transmission. Extensive works totalling £50,000 have recently been carried out by a leading UK SL specialist and it is estimated at £90,000 to £12,000.

This RHD 1966 W111 230S Fintail came to us from salt-free South Africa and, after a visit to Germany in 2016, arrived in the UK last year. Its 2,306cc M180 engine runs sweetly and it comes with a full file of documents. It’s estimated at a sensible £15,000 to £19,000.

Representing four R107s in the sale, the 1986 500SL is a RHD car with the relaxed big V8 from the W117 S-Class. This one has a new dark blue hood, a ‘recorded’ mileage of 63,999 (not warranted) and is estimated at £17,000 to £22,000.

The lovely and elegant 1972 280SE is totally original, has had only two owners, and, like the 1968 280SL, features a four-speed manual gearbox. South African built, it has covered only 19,106 miles since new and comes complete with an extensive history file. It is estimated at £15,000 to £20,000.

First there was the 190E 2.3 Cosworth, then the 190E 2.5 (an example of which is in the sale). Then there was the 190E 2.5 16v Cosworth. Slightly garish and with 170,000 miles on the clock the estimate of £10,000 - £14,000 offers a chance to acquire a car that later examples of which have been fetching £200,000.

Finally, the potentially big bargain of the sale: a 2006 W221 Mercedes Benz S550. This RHD monster is fully loaded, sits on factory AMG 20-inch wheels and gets to sixty in 5.4 seconds. Massive value at an estimated £10,000 - £14,000.

Altogether, Historics 3^rd March sale includes 2 AC Cobra replicas, the ’54 Airstream caravan, 3 Alfa Romeos, 7 Aston Martins, 2 Audis (including a UR Quattro), 4 Austin Healeys, 9 Bentleys, 2 Corvettes, 5 Ferraris, 9 Fords, 8 Jaguars, 3 Lotus, 2 Maseratis, 28 Mercedes, 3 Minis, 8 MGs, 14 Porsches, 5 Rolls Royces, 5 Triumphs and 5 VW Beetles, plus a lot more one-offs.

Link to full online catalogue: Historics 3rd March auction catalogue.

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