While crunching price trends numbers for the SL MARKET LETTER other information crops up. About a third of sellers include their car's mileage in ads — usually those people with the lowest mileage. Other people either don't know their car's mileage or wish they didn't. As many things in life this is a double-edged sword. We've all heard mechanics say we must drive our cars; use 'em or lose 'em. A study on engine wear described in the book THE SL EXPERIENCE (Delusions of Low Mileage, page 184) cautions that 12,000 miles on a city-driven car can cause as much cam shaft wear as five times that mileage on the highway.

Intended usage is the big factor in choosing or bypassing the lowest mileage cars. If you drive the car regularly, or even two seasons of the year, you will "consume" the key thing that makes low mile cars special. You might respond "All new cars come with nearly zero miles so what's the big deal?" True enough and the strong sales of new Mercedes affirm the willingness to pay for that luxury but discovering an unmolested 25+ year old car with under 25,000 miles is something else. Once it's gotten that far in life without deterioration it "deserves" to be preserved, not consumed. These cars deserve to go to new custodians of like mind. If you're one of those guys, then go for it! Pick the lowest mileage car with the most authentic options you can find. And find them you will. In every SLML issue there are dozens. To emphasize them in this issue there's a grey-highlight behind the three or four lowest mileage cars in each category. If you like this feature let us know and we'll continue it.

Sure, low-use cars have there own set of problems — dried out hoses, rubber seals and gaskets, the effects of humidity and condensation, heat and cold. Just starting a dormant car can snap piston rings and suck rust and died gasoline residue into the fuel injection pump. Tires that look good blow out in 500 miles. Brakes often misbehave. Fixing these vulnerable areas on an old original is a smaller task than restoring higher use cars because with use everything wears … from instrument switches and door latches to ball joints.

You'll also see average reported mileage in these Price Trends charts. While we don't learn the mileage of every car, this still is an indicator of what can reasonably be expected on the better cars with each engine. Between that number and the lowest mileage cars (in shaded boxes) you'll find some sweet cars. Never assume mileage or any other claim about a car for sale is true without verification. For mileage, the best validation is a series of service invoices showing the progressing mileage accumulating over decades. ALWAYS save major and minor service bills on your own cars. They help sell any car regardless what is revealed.

One surprise to come from the current "crunching:" V12 owners may be driving their cars more than V8 or six cylinder SL owners! As with the other data, our samplings exclude the high mileage cars but since this has occurred on all three models, the results still suggests 12 cylinder and 6 cylinder SL owners are logging more annual miles than V8 owners:

• Overall average – Sixes: 6,970 miles
• Overall Average – V8s: 5,340 miles
• Overall Average – V12: 7,280 miles

These numbers come from averaging all years for each model to expand the sample groups.

On an unrelated subject a General Motor's Power Train VP, Tom Stephens, has announced his company will begin selling "image engines" for prestige. Sounds like they're taking a chapter out of the AMG book.

I still remember my early auction experience 25 years ago, trying to buy a 300SL at a well publicized annual extravaganza then held in Oklahoma City.The car had a magnificent paint job, but was buttoned up tight with only a number on its windshield announcing its auction sequence. For hours I tried to locate the owner.

While waiting for anyone with facts about the car another beautiful Mercedes, a 280SE 3.5 Convertible came up to the auction block. I recognized one of the bidders and walked over to him. He stopped bidding considerably below what I thought was a reasonable price and the car did sell for less than I felt it should. I did not bid because I still had my mind on the Gull Wing but when I asked my friend why he didn't buy the car his reply sobered me. "Too many unknowns. Couldn't talk to the owner or drive it. Wish there was a compression test posted on the windshield instead of just a number." I walked back to the GW which was now moving in a line with a driver aboard. He opened the hood and trunk, but was indeed just a driver, knowing little beyond how the get it running. I couldn't see any glaring problems. Not ready for a concours but it was hard not to like that paint or the thought of owning the car. All the valuable parts were present and accounted for. Minutes later I heard myself opening the bidding.

Two auction assistants landed on me like glue. In the begining there seemed to be four or five bidders which narrowed down to two, myself and a Dr. Phillips in the back of the room. I couldn't actually see him but the main auctioneer, high up at the podium could see him clearly and seemed to know him. The assistants kept my attention with them. At some point when the good doctor had the high bid I hesitated in order to get in line-of-sight with Dr. Phillips. The auctioneer asked me with visible impatience if I was still in the bidding… to which I replied under pressure "I can't see Dr. Phillips. Where is Dr. Phillips?"

Immediately the auctioneer declared a new bidder at one side of the room, taking attention off me. Assistants kept after me to re-enter the bidding but my trust had broken in what was happening. My friend's words flashed back through my mind – "Too many unknowns. Couldn't talk to the owner…" Yup, the spell of the moment was gone. I froze up and stopped bidding. The scene played out with another minute of fanfare and the car left the stage with the auctioneer announcing the car had not reached reserve. I inquired but was never able to speak to the well known Dr. Phillips.

Upon returning home I drew a few books on the history of auctions from the library. Every book made it clear early on that a centuries-honored skill of good auctioneers was throwing in an extra bid now and then, from here or there. It was never a question of properness but one of skill. In the USA each state has its own auction regulations. Some declare "shills" (a decoy bidder for either the seller or the auctioneer) illegal, others states do not. Phantom bids from non-existent sources are less often addressed by state laws.

Today's more prominent auction houses provide details on each car at their websites well before the sale. Shoppers can usually request a phone conversation with the seller weeks before the sale. This can lead to an advance showing of the car before it is even brought to the auction, for inspection of records and discussion with the car's mechanic… the same thing you would hope for in a private sale. You can be sure your contact will be discussed between the seller and auctioneers if they are on their toes. It could be a wise strategy to stay away from the car on auction day until the moment of bidding to throw off any planning for your presence. A good auctioneer only needs one bidder (regardless what it seems like to you) to conduct a successful sale.

A Better (?) Type of Auction was invented when Ohio State School of Engineering was given a Gullwing by a grateful alumnus. The school needed money more than an exhibit of German engineering excellence but was concerned that it's sale be completely open and free of mystery. I was selected to oversee this sale, to facilitate inspections and guarantee that all bids were real. That car sold for $249,000. Subsequently I have conducted more single car bid sales under the banner of John R. Olson, Inc., providing the same guarantees.

To discourage uncompetitive bidding only the top few bidders are invited to a concluding conference phone call. Finalists are introduced (no phantom bidders) and highest bid announced. Before the phone call, all bidders are urged to inspect the car or send their expert to evaluate and drive it. The seller is also available for interviews. The exact time of the final phone call is not set until inspections are complete.

A minimum price is not declared up front though the seller is allowed the right to withdraw the car up until the conference call. By this time the seller and I have talked to each bidder and studied other recent sales enough to accept the outcome of the bidding or retreat. These discussions work to bring buyer and seller together on more common ground. Once a time for this phone call is announced the car will definitely be sold to the highest bidder during that call. In a sense this becomes an auction in slow motion where bidders become comfortable that they know the car, everyone has time evaluate the market, alternatives, and all bidding is guaranteed to be real.

Finally, for busy people the sale comes to the bidders; they can participate from anywhere. To learn more about our telephone bid sales visit this page here.

THE FIRST CARS SOLD to the public with fuel injection were Mercedes-Benz 260D (diesels) in 1936. Gasoline applications were more difficult, though M-B's Racing Department was planning its introduction for the 1940 Grand Prix racing season. The outbreak of WWII. circumvented M-B's 1940 participation. Within three years the technology surfaced in both German and U.S. combat aircraft.

The idea of precisely metered gas/air ratios at each cylinder was attractive, as carburetors were infamous for uneven distribution. A big reason for multiple carburetors (six of them on some V-12 Ferraris) was not so much for volume of output (though it helped) as to bring the delivery systems closer to their assigned cylinders. For cars Bosch had to smooth out low R.P.M. fuel delivery (not so critical in airplanes where 2/3 throttle or more was the norm). Automatic adjustments for altitude, humidity & temperature changes were a bonus inherited from planes.

Germany's Goliath and Gutbrod minicars were the first to sell the Bosch units on gas engines, (2 cylinder, 2 stroke) in 1951, though public interest in two stoke engines was on the wane. Both cars were short lived. The M-B racing department encouraged its development over supercharging as the power boost was from more precise fuel distribution not just more air & fuel. The ideal air/gas ratio, 13.7:1, was produced without wasting fuel or the opposite risk, too much air, which can quickly burn valves. Fast race cars seldom exceeded 3 to 4 M.P.G. & fuel injection double these figures! In street form, production 300SL Gullwings frequently hit 20 M.P.G., while Ferrari of the same period give 10 M.P.G. Throttle response was also faster, as injectors were in or closer to each cylinder than possible with carburetors.Variations were tested, including a combination of fuel injection and supercharging (which M-B reincarnated for the 1996 SLK). One factory prototype 190SL was built with fuel injection, but the cost/benefit ratio was not justified given the inherent breathing limitations of that engine.
No less than 57 changes occurred during 17 years. Three big ones were:

1. moving the injection nozzles into the intake portion of the cylinder head (some had tentacles protruding way into the head from the intake manifold).
2. switching from vacuum to mechanically activated fuel metering.
3. reducing plungers to 2, 1 for each 3 cylinders. This may have been inspired by GM's Rochester fuel injection of 1957 that only had one plunger for eight cylinders. Lance Reventlow's Scarabs won many races with this simple system, but when it clogged from any foreign particles the whole motor stumbled, rather than just one (or three) cylinders. Mercedes did not make this change on all models, and returned (retreated?) to a plunger for each cylinder in 1963 & 64. The 230/250/280SL always had six plunger mechanic pumps, and the 6.3 V-8s through 1972 retained eight plunger mechanical pumps. Both used manifold mounted injectors.

Experiments with electronic fuel injection did not satisfy M-B engineers enough for it to reach production until the 3.5 V8's. This required new tuning and rebuild equipment & knowledge. By 1975 catalytic convertors added more demands. In 1976 a mechanically driven continuous injection system (CIS) was introduced. These models will be discussed at another time.

CARE AND FEEDING OF MECHANICAL FUEL INJECTION PUMPS
Considering what they do (see shaded area on page 5) Bosch pumps are extremely reliable. We asked our favorite authorized rebuilder, Robert Fairchield (Jerry Fairchield Industries, Redding, CA 916-241-1592) what advice he had for owners:FAIRCHIELD: "These mechanical pumps are vastly superior to carburetors. 200,000 miles without repairs is not unusual, & when pumps are rebuilt they often require little more than a good cleaning and new "0" rings. If they get proper lubrication wear is minimal."

SLML: What can Mercedes-Benz owners do to prolong the life of their pumps?

FAIRCHIELD: "Monitoring the correct level of oil is important. There are two portions of the pumps that receive lubrication… the lower portion has its own fillable oil reservoir. All except the 280SL have a dipstick that can be checked. Too much oil is as bad as too little. Lack of lubrication is obvious too much inhibits proper advancement of the flywheels that are in the lower portion… and this allows the pump to run too rich. Overfilling on 220, 230 & 250 engines can be caused by careless servicing, or by leaky "0" rings from the plunger chambers up above. The upper parts receive lubrication separately. Leaky "0" rings will cause flooding of the lower pump chamber (in 280SLs overflow drains back into the engine). In addition to poor M.P.G. running too rich washes oil off cylinder walls (maximizing wear) and diluting oil (destroying main bearings). Maximum permissible oil dilution is 5 percent."

SLML: What advice do you have for people that store their favorite cars in the winter or longer?
<< CONTINUE READING >>

Don't rule out Mercedes-Benz just because your budget for a second or third or fourth car is $10,000, or even $2,500. With all the attention on value for the dollar these days, Mercedes-Benz has much more to offer than prestige. Peter Drucker, the business economist, once observed that used cars are one of America's most effective methods of redistribution of wealth to the less affluent. Automobiles simply don't wear out as fast as they depreciate. In Mercedes-Benz case, some never wear out, and eventually reappreciate in value. Here are some models we take a very serious look at whenever we're in the market: << CONTINUE READING >>

Cars can become timeless, permanent assets. Picking ageless styling and durable engineering (the manufacturer's role) is the first step. Putting the vehicle on a conscientious maintenance plan (owner's role) will make the car last as long as your house. Maybe longer.

There are many opinions we've all heard for avoiding loss of value in collectible cars. Is it better to rebuild an original engine's block than replace it? At what point do you take original paint off a collectible car? Many people spend extra thousands of dollars returning a car to it's original color after learning how it left the factory when new. The SLML has praised the charm and often superior durability of original paint. Giving up a 90% well preserved original finish, even if faded, to eliminate a few scratches or dents doesn't make sense. Obvious losses come from hasty repair work that shows — from overspray on rubber that should have been removed to misaligned body work that belies an accident free past. Finally, there are obstructive insurance practices can prevent proper repairs.

There's a lot thrown in that first paragraph but it can be grouped in three categories… perceptual, repair or insurance diminution. One curve ball here that doesn't always behave: perceptual assumptions aren't always born out in the real world. Look no further than the awards circle at the half dozen finest Concours d'Elegance each year. I recently surveyed a group of car show judges and appraisers including these questions: 1) During the past three years what percentage of pre-1970 national concours winners (top 3 cars in each Class) do you believe were not original paint? Averaged answer 91%. 2) During the past three years what percentage … not original engine blocks? Averaged answer: 50% 3) During the past three years what percentage … do you believe were color changes (but within the color choices offered originally)? Averaged answer: 55%

We all know that trophies are a validation of a restorer's long hours: consequently the marketplace rewards awards with less hesitation than "mere " preservation. The craft of restoration is honored as well the cars. There are exceptions. I particularly recall a humble, midline 1962 Rambler sedan that so impressed judges at an invitational Milestone Concours that it took Best of Show on a field with V12 Packards, Duesenbergs and Ferraris. After the awards ceremony dozens of spectators and participants circled the Rambler voicing agreement with the judges.

Congratulations to the few car clubs and Concours events that now have a separate "Preservation€" Class. Automotive magazine editorials are applauding it and other clubs are rethinking their Classes and scoring. Separate criteria? You bet, and it will be every bit as tough to get in the top three of these soon-to-be crowded Classes as any other. "Enhanced" originality is discouraged.

To summarize, Perceptual Value Diminution of engine block changes (of correct type), repainting and color change are often disproved by car show priorities and/or later strong sale prices.Repair-Related Diminution of Value resulting from inferior quality repairs is not a matter of perception or miss-perception. Bad craftsmanship is there for everyone to see. Fortunately today's insurance companies (and state insurance laws) allow owners to send repairs to the company of their choice and insist on OEM parts. With a collectible car the whole point of going to the best restorer you can find is to circumvent inferior repairs before they occur.

It's no secret that true restoration centers require many more hours for every step of the same work as high volume accident repair shops. The later are geared to specific work in the least amount of time. Sending parts out for replating or re-anodizing or refinishing adjacent parts for a "seamless" repair result are avoided to ensure all work is out by week's end. Using two sets of new rubber seals, one for pre-paint fitting of doors, trunk and hood, and one set to install after final painting, would be preposterous in a normal accident repair shop. When claims agents limit pay per hour or otherwise obstruct quality, the likelihood of Insurance Related Diminution emerges.

For starters, make certain your prized cars have an Agreed Value policy with a reputable insurance company that has claims experience with your type of automobile. (Request SLML back issue No. 311 about Agreed-Value Insurance).

The following book review is written by John Olson:

EVERYBODY KNOWS Max Hoffman obtained the first Post WWII Mercedes-Benz distributorship in North America and that he persuaded M-B to build the 300SL and 190SL.  Nearly everybody knows Studebaker-Packard was the second North American distributor, and that Daimler-Benz didn't take on wholly owned distribution of their cars in the US until 1965 through then formed Mercedes-Benz of North America (MBNA).  But 1951-1965 were plenty rocky for M-B.  Penetrating the American car market has never been easy…witness withdrawals of Citroen, Renault, Fiat, Sterling, Alfa Romeo, M-G.  The survival rate for American auto manufacturers has been no better; there have been over 2000 brands of car manufactured in the USA since 1900.  Americans are tougher customers than sometimes thought.
 
Many new details about 1951 through 1970 in the USA and the reorganization of Mercedes-Benz world-wide, come to us from retired M-B executive Heinz Hoppe. With entertaining candor Hoppe has written Serving the Star Around the World.  He tells of many goals, not always compatible, that M-B executives had for the USA… from worries about spreading communism to reaching new customers to more selfish goals.  Hoppe leaves out precious little.
 
Adding to common knowledge about Maximilian Edwin Hoffman, Hoppe writes:

"If Maxie Hoffman's sales organization had a major flaw it was that it was set up primarily to serve his own interests, and tended to disregard those of his 40 or so sub-agents, the customers and the manufacturer back in Germany.  The sub-agents' main task was to report potential customers to Hoffman, against payment of a rather small commission.  Hoffman then collected the main profits:�  "The customers suffered badly from Hoffman's sales structure, which landed them with a luxury automobile but offered them no prospects of reliable servicing of it."�  "A flood of complaints soon set in, criticizing poor spare parts availability and servicing errors, but also warranty claim problems;  all this led to continual disputes between Stuttgart and New York."�

About Carl Kieckhaefer, the famous American manufacturer of Mercury outboard motors, Hoppe:  "He wished to collect a new Mercedes 300SL in Stuttgart [alloy-bodied Gullwing #1 incidentally] and I was told to accompany his drive from Stuttgart via Paris to LeHavre, France, where the car was to be shipped to America.  Giese [Hoppe's boss at the time] regarded Kieckhaefer as a possible contract partner like Tata in India for the joint production of passenger cars, and wanted to be sure that his journey went off smoothly."� 

"The journey was an exciting one, not only because I had never been in the company's celebrated sport coupe before, but because the distinguished visitor I had been instructed to look after was an eccentric personality, to say the least…  Even in the Ritz Hotel's restaurant in Paris, he had no hesitation in ordering a sandwich during dinner.  The head waiter's face was well worth seeing."

MBNA'S ROCKY ROAD
Despite Mercury Outboard's success, including substantial production of engines for inter-island fighting in the Pacific during the war,  Mr. Kieckhaefer was vague about an alliance with Daimler-Benz, so Carl F. Giese's search for a North American assembly facility moved to Quebec for another dubious reception, and later to Curtis-Wright.  Giese's goal seemed to ignore the Board of Management's reluctance, only ten years after the war, to take on overseas marketing alone.  One statement from Giese's supervisor, Arnold Wychodil: "Daimler-Benz AG earns its money by producing vehicles & supplies them at ex-factory prices to the domestic sales organization & to general agents on the export market." << CONTINUE READING >>

NOTE: We have a few copies of this rare book for sale. 

Given a new SL600 to test drive for two weeks, we thought (for 1/2 a second) about declining on the premise that our reader poll shows some preference for pre-'75 models. Another poll response sprang to mind that "great cars are the attraction, regardless when they were built, and M-B is still building them." Anyone trying to phone our office during the middle weeks in September has an inkling what we did. We were "outta there" for 3,700 miles!

With development costs multiplying with each decade, the ability to bring low production products to market, at any price, has nearly disappeared. It is only by sharing body components with 500s & 320s (plus 420 & 300 in Europe) that 600s exist at all. While all perfectly maintained M-Bs are collectible, twenty or thirty years from now collectors will exercise their usual preference for top- of-the-line models with all authorized options. Only one 600 is built for every seven SLs with other power plants.

So what's this future Milestone car like to live with? How does it compare to the SL500 & SL300 & other makes? Is it faster? Is it nose heavy? "Our" brilliant emerald 600 arrived with 2,985 miles. SEARS Imports, of Wayzata, did its 1st inspection & declared it "broken in". M-B of North America maintains a press pool of selected models for automotive journalists and auto shows, so you might see this same car in Automobile or Autoweek before it is sold. North Central PR Mgr. Chuck Johnson, said that cars assigned to his department are usually passed on to interested M-B dealers before they reach 10,000 miles.

For a first day's jaunt we decided to turn south out of Minneapolis and take in a show at Branson, Missouri. Leaving Minneapolis after a leisurely breakfast, we squeezed off 680 miles in 9.3 hours, plus pit stops in Boondocks, Iowa, and Horton, Missouri. Average speed: 77 M.P.H. Obviously we found little wrong with the way the car moves. Our list of complaints this first day was scant. For our height (6'), the sun visor turned down too low. Eventually we found a seat adjustment that put our head in the right place.

As might be expected the car's most distinctive characteristic is its level of refinement. When the new 500SL was released (1990 model) we did a comparison test with SLs of three previous decades. We concluded that on a scale of 1 to 10 for 15 criteria, each decade of SLs has became more evenly excellent. The 500SL in our test did not have adaptive dampening suspension (ADS) and that was the only area in which it fell below a 9 or better (average of four testers scores was 8.9). The most apparent differences in the SL600 are its V12 & standard ADS. This car refused to be "flustered" regardless how it was driven. The quietness of the engine & body, composure of the suspension, and low R.P.M. torque give a peace of mind even to proverbial back-seat-drivers. The best testimony to the engine's refinement was realizing that the only way I could determine if I was actually in high gear was a) glancing down at the tachometer, or b) looking at the shift lever. The sound of the engine is so smooth and mellow, that it does not reveal the 1,000 rpm difference.

Driving to Branson wasn't actually a whim. We met four Gullwing Group members coming in from the East & Canada, and continued with them to the 26th annual gathering of 300SL owners in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

With Branson on the Arkansas border, our group entourage began with a quaint 150 mile route through the Ozarks, stopping in an amazingly preserved 1800s town called Eureka Springs (highly recommended). It has the winding mountainous streets of a Swiss village, with a strong vein of New Orleans & Victorian architecture. At the top of the town we found lunch in the 125 year old Crescent Hotel. Loved it. During this morning stretch of relaxed 35 to 65 M.P.H. driving, the 600 turned in 231/2 M.P.G. Incredible for a 390hp, 6 liter, V12. Credit the automatic engine retardation (cams and electronics) on deceleration. Branson's street system is so poorly designed that we got our worst M.P.G. plodding through its NYC-type traffic: 151/2 M.P.G. Overall for 3,700 miles: 17.9 M.P.G. Do you know of any 6+ liter, gasoline powered car that can beat these numbers?

Putting the top down lowered mileage 1/2 gallon. We expected a greater difference. With top down & side windows & rear wind-screen installed, the A/C could pull temp. down. This kept us comfortable until outside temperature grew to low 90 degrees. The rear screen is a great innovation; talking is much easier, and air turbulence itself is cut by 70%. It attaches to the roll-bar, but goes up or down separately, & can be stored in the trunk. [450/380/500/560SL owners now also can enjoy these rear windscreens, available through any M-B parts specialists.] Back out on the road, we all made wonderful time across Oklahoma & New Mexico to rendezvous with twelve more 300SLs at Albuquerque. Two other groups drove in from the west coast. Some came across Arizona, while others came through Colorado & stayed in Durango. Everyone arrived safely in Santa Fe, where 4 days of camaraderie commenced. A 220 mile rally on Friday lead us to pueblo ruins and other unique New Mexico sights/sites. Longest distance driven in a 300SL was by Bill Martin of Toronto. Over 150 people attended the black tie optional banquet Saturday evening. The year's co-chairpersons, Bob & Gayle Sirna of Michigan, and their assistants make the event a great success!

Before pointing back toward Minnesota we donned hiking boots for an afternoon near Red River, NM. Once on the highway, average speeds were again so excellent that we decided to continue up to Mount Rushmore, before turning east! The route took us right through Colorado Springs, so we stopped long enough for a tour of MBCA's National Headquarters & spent a little money in the Club Store. Everyone was very cordial. Up in western Nebraska, on Hwy. 385, we stopped at "CARHENGE" (photo on page 1), created by Jim Reindeaus and constructed on the family's farm during a 1987 reunion. We hadn't stopped in the Black Hills or Badlands for 40 years. They exceeded all our expectations. We'll be back. It is every bit as historic & colorful as the "in" addresses we visited earlier on this trip. Find a few days in your life to browse in southwestern South Dakota. The owners of nearby Wall Drug Store (Wall, SD.) display the finest collection of privately owned western art we've every seen. Five large rooms of mostly oils, portray every aspect of early western life. It is a serious treasure!

Secrets of High Speed Driving: Our entire 3,700 mile loop averaged 76.75 M.P.H. without a single ticket. As odd as it sounds, we were also among the safest travelers on the highway. Our strategy endeared us to one of the SL600's key features… silent high speed acceleration. Most accidents happen near intersections, in town or country. Slower drivers completely overlook or misjudge faster cars, while the faster driver takes his presence too much for granted. This leads to three principles we follow on the road: 1) staying smooth and predictable around other cars, 2) assume other drivers are not predicable and "about to" do something wrong, and 3) be wary of all junctions, from simple street corners & driveways to expressway entries & exits. This boils down to passing other cars (those going in either direction) and negotiating all junctions at very near posted speed limits. When the coast is clear, smooth, significant gains of M.P.H. will pull average speed up 5 or 10 M.P.H. fairly quickly. In lesser cars, acceleration generates tiresome wind & engine noise, & keeps passengers awake. Not so in the 600. The V12 has so much torque that major speed changes don't require the intrusion of downshifting. At the slightest sign of other cars or junctions (or radar) we begin coasting, while further evaluating the scene. The engine immediately leans out to over 30 M.P.G. Only a few times in 2 weeks did we find a need to manually downshift the automatic & consciously retune. Once I recall was to overtake a plodding truck at a sadistically short passing zone.

Our complaint list gained a few entries, but on balance they don't deserve mention. If you are in a position to have the best, and you love cars, you shouldn't go through life without owning at least one of these Mercedes V12s. You shouldn't.

If you've yearned for a navigation GPS that you can move from car to car, save time and buy the latest GARMIN c330 or c340 and be done with it. This summer we tested the products recommended by Garmin and Magellan, the two dominant makers) and the Garmin wins, hands down better graphics, a clearer voice, fewer map errors and easier to learn.

Both units have full color touch screens displays, voice directions and operate by connection to the posthumous cigarette lighter socket. That's were the similarity ends.
I never did fathom Magellan's 740 RoadMate instructions. Its start up time was longer and turning the ignition off even momentarily shut it down whereas the Garmin runs 30 seconds after the engine is turned off. This proved handier than expected for unlocking the glove box or other primitive activity obsoleted by keyless ignitions. The Garmin c330 functions mostly by touching the screen drawing on a pre-loaded, hugely detailed US map. Both unit accept updated maps and for other countries via USB interface. The information crammed into both units is hard to believe, even exact addresses in thousands of towns and cities.

Even asking for the nearest Home Depot or Radio Shack is routine however the source of some of this data is suspect in that we were led to the street on the back side of a WallMart (outside a shopping center) and to the corporate offices of a Lake Michigan Ferry Co. rather than the dock where the ferry would be boarded. These foibles happen on the best of navigation software and can be corrected when they occur. In our home area where we know all the short cuts both units chose routes we "thought" were longer… but (choke) sometime we were wrong.

The Garmin's 3D mode is several generations ahead of Magellan's cartoonish images. Garmin shows slight overhead views (as one might look from a two story building) that requires less concentration than an overhead view as the curves look remarkably close to what appears in front of the car. Both units offer fastest routes or one avoiding expressways. Likewise both display, or omit, significant landmarks.

After living with both units for close to a month we still definitely give our vote to Garmin. To top it off the Garmin c330 retails for $589 in the USA vs. $999 for the Magellan 760. Shop a little; we found www.GPSnow.com selling the c330 for $549 and offering a c340 with added features for $699.

This is the SLK's tenth Anniversary. The SLK was announced to the USA market on Sept. 7, 1997 as a 1998 model; it was available in Europe during 1997. SLK production during these 10 years has doubled the 280/300/350/380/420/450/500/560SL (107 Body) during its 19 years of production. The SLK's compact styling, retractable hardtop and optional 185/190 H.P. supercharged (Roots type) engine were a major departure from the large SLs of the previous quarter century.The SLK is a modern incarnation of the 1950s 190SL by returning to four cylinders and a 94-inch wheelbase. Massively successful even its first year, worldwide sales hit 55,000, over double the entire nine-year production of 190SLs! The SLK was named “North American Car of the Year” by CAR & DRIVER magazine for 1998. Only in the USA sale of the SL320 (6 cylinder) was ended when the SLK arrived to distance it from the senior SL.
Chronology of Features and Changes

1997/1998: First year features included a five-speed automatic transmission, ASR to control wheel spin, ABS brakes and front and side impact airbags. The five speed automatic defers to higher shifting points when it senses “spirited” driving. It also changes shifting points when climbing or descending.

Three engine variants were offered:

1. Normal
2. Supercharged (kompressor) 2.0 liter and
3. The C230 sedan's 2.3 liter engine with a supercharged — the later being the only engine for the USA and UK.

A supercharger was chosen over a turbo as peak torque begins sooner at 2,500 RPM, up to 4800. There is variable rate valve timing, electronically controlled oil pressure, antiknock (ping) control and an anti-theft engine disabler. The distributorless ignition features a dual firing coil for each cylinder. Rear axle ratio is 3.27:1.

In the summer of 1997 US production included cruise control, air conditioning, an adjustable steering column and brake-assist, which became standard for the UK also. A few early cars do not include these features. The rear window is glass w/defroster. 1998 also brought "BabySmart" to turn the passenger’s airbag off whenever light infants or a booster seat was belted in.

Larger tires are used at the rear of the supercharged model which increases neutral handling. 16” wheels were used from the beginning. Suspension design conformed to M-B proven wishbones in front and five-link at the rear. The exhaust system's center and rear mufflers are stainless steel. Headlights are halogen with variable focus reflectors. Remote key codes change every time the key is used however a transponder built into the key also exchanges a code in an electromagnetic coil that surrounds the ignition lock as an added antitheft control.

Fog lamps, power side mirrors and tinted glass are standard. Ditto power windows, cruise control, a telescoping aleather wrapped steering wheel plus climate control with dust/pollen filter and separate controls for driver and passenger. Initial weight of the 2.3 was just over 3,000 lbs. 0-60: 7.2 sec. Top speed: 140. EPA city/hwy: 22/30 In the USA there were only four options: heated seats, metallic paint, heated headlight washers and a choice of telephone/CD changer combinations. A four-year/50,000 mile warranty included tires and battery.

1999: The driver adaptive five-speed automatic transmission became a $900 option, and about 20% of the US customers were expected to select the five speed shift. M-B claimed identical performance for each. A new $3,990 AMG designed Sport Package included 17" wheels, and rakishly styled side sills plus front and rear fascias.

2000: Two unique "designo" paint and upholstery options were added. The "Copper Edition" came with copper metallic paint and an interior finished with copper and two-tone charcoal leather. Steering wheel, shift knob, floor mats, center console and rollover bars also receive a copper and charcoal. The 2nd designo SLK is "Electric Green," using charcoal leather and trim with light green. Other interior options are Oyster/Charcoal or Salsa/Charcoal combinations or a solid Charcoal version.
A stabilizer bar was added to the rear and they reinforced the front one. A 3.46:1 axle was added for the manual shift SLK. Gas tank grew from 12 to 14 gallons.

2001: A 3.2-liter V6 and a six-speed manual transmission arrived in 2000 as a 2001 model. Concurrently the unibody was reinforced and they thickened the sheet metal of the ellipsoid firewall. Impact absorbers were added to side members to support the wheels in an offset crash. Inner panels of the doors were reshaped and reinforced. A link between the rear side body and main structure was added to disperse rear impacts. Brakes were enlarged on the V6.

Tele Aid and EPS became standard for all Mercedes-Benz in the USA. Tele Air incorporates remote diagnosis, emergency door unlocking and theft alarm notification. Emergency and non-emergency buttons establish immediate voice contact with reception specialists who can dispatch local police or other services. GPS tracking pinpoints location automatically. This also tells authorities the location of stolen SLKs. The 3.46:1 axle was dropped in the USA.
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This is THE BIG WEEK in Arizona… the land of annual records in attendance (250,000 expected), in volume of collector cars offered (over 2,000), and in record prices. With new records set for sales every year appeal is strong for sellers. Buyers are attracted by the huge diversity of offerings and frequent "no-reserve" pricing.

The entire 1,100 car Barrett-Jackson auction is now conducted with no-reserve pricing, which ensures a high percentage of cars sold. But don’t pack your suitcase just yet. Auction fees & taxes are also vying for records. Barrett-Jackson, the oldest and largest, collects 10% from buyers and 8% from sellers plus positioning fees for preferred time slots and substantial state and local taxes. With no reserve pricing what is a seller to do if bidding stalls way below reason?

One estimate of "buy-backs" is 30% of all no-reserve cars crossing the block. "Buy-backs" pay both the buyer's and seller's commissions and taxes, which together can total over 20% to return home with the same car. After adding personal time, lodging, car shipping, and airfare, the experience can be downright painful.

Why do people do it? FDA wouldn't approve medicine that was successful 70 percent of the time but advocates see more than 50 percent of the cars selling, some for record prices. For buyers my unscientific notes on past sales suggest 10% go for WAY too much money and 10% of the cars sold go for genuine bargains.