This next triple feature comes as tip from Zach Z who writes; Which runt would you pick the of this ~$4k, early '70s ragtop litter? We've got a 1975 MG Midget, a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle Ragtop, and a 1973 Mercedes-Benz 450SL (that comes with a parts car).
Happy Father's Day (a bit late maybe...but whatever) to all you fathers out in cyberspace -- this next car is something that looks like a car my dad drove back in the day and brings back a strong sense of nostagia for me. My old man would get them with about 200k miles on the odo, drive them till 300k and then hand them down to one of the kids. Yes, if something breaks it was expensive...but most everything could be mended with duct tape or ignored. The seller says it has manual windows, which is good, but manual locks, which is bad...because it means the vacuum system for the locks is broken...but you can still manually lock and unlock 'em. Find this 1980 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $4700 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
The Mercedes-Benz R107 series roadster/coupes were sold from 1971 through 1989. This remarkably long production life is credited to the graceful design and mechanical robustness that gave the cars of a great reputation and kept buyers returning to the showroom each year without the need for drastic changes. The market for these cars is good right now for buyers and should start to pick up right around the time that AI makes us all unemployed and gasoline is only sold in small jugs at specialty shops. Find this 1973 Mercedes-Benz 350SL offered for $8500 in Salt Lake City, UT via craigslist. Tip from Erik202.
If you are in the market for a fast small luxury sedan you probably have seen prices on 10 year old M3s and S4/S5 drop to sub $20k DT range...but wait...there is another Skywalker. And this one is arguably the most brutal of the group -- it doesn't have all-wheel-drive grip like the Audi or manual gearboxes for carving apexes like the BMW...but it does have gobs of tire shredding torque and thrust like a banshee from the howling 451 horsepower 6.2 liter V8-- but you don't have to believe me, you can read this 2008 magazine article from C&D. Find this 2010 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG offered for $16,500 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
Before we get to far into the details of this next car, I've got to point out the major elephant seal in the room -- this thing has a slushbox auto. But maybe that is okay in a car that was never designed to clip apexes or let you heel-toe. This is a car built for cruising down the highway at something moderately near the legal limit. This is not a Fitbit Versa 2 or an Apple Watch 5...this is a TAG Heuer...it is mechanical beast that is equal parts jewelry and status...and certainly not something you'd want to get wet. And the red pin stripe interior is wicked. Find this 1993 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6 offered for $4000 in Ladera Ranch, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class isn't quite the same luxury status symbol that it used to be (BMW, Audi, Lexus, Tesla et al have certainly gained in the mind of the 1% where Lincoln and Cadillac have faded) but there was a time when driving a W124 meant you were somebody. Or you were driving somebody around because these were popular around the world as taxi cabs. A few decades later and now anybody can own a W124 with nice examples going for not a lot of cash. Find this 1995 Mercedes Benz E320 Wagon offered for $6500 in Anaheim, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
Janis Joplin had an interesting point when she 
This next car comes from tipper Art who first writes: 3 on the tree 220 Deeeeeee! Kinda just rolls off the tounge, huh? Lotta cool for 5K... quick glance through looks clean. Can these stay cheap forever? Maybe, since they never die...And a few minutes later wipes a film of coronavirus repelling axle grease off his screen and sends us another message; I mean, minus the cost for a respray....Haha my phone screen was low, didn't notice the last few pics of the paint... still .... this kinda does it for me, be the only one on your block! Yup, you got it right Art. I drove one of these things for a few years and can tell you two things with certainty--(1), the interior build quality is second to none and (2) they are slower to 60mph than the Belarusian response to the coronavirus. Find this 1971 Mercedes-Benz 220D offered for $4999 in Fairlawn, NY via craigslist.
This next car is offered by the seller as a "project" but it is much nicer than 99% of the projects offered for sale...it passes smog and has a manual gearbox swapped behind the 3.8 liter V8. Sure, it needs some cosmetic work on the interior and needs new rear glass, but the real kicker is that these R107 Mercedes-Benz coupes are so under-priced in the market compared to anything else with two seats and German build quality. Buy one. Buy another. Get a barn. Make the news in 30 years. Find this 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL offered for $5500 in Concord, CA via craigslist.
This next tip comes from Erik202 who writes: Seems like you’ve been on a small car kick lately (not complaining) but here’s something that’s not that. Small cars...big cars...I try not to discriminate, but there are times when I get on a kick for small 80s crapcans that have manual gearboxes and I need something like this next car to pull me back to my senses. Find this 1991 Mercedes-Benz M100 Sprinter Van offered for $6500 CAD ($4904 USD) in Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada via kijiji.net.
In the world of fast German luxury sedans, there is an interesting rivalry between the BMW M3, Mercedes-Benz C-AMG, and Audi's S4. These three compact executive cars have been brawling since the beginning of time..and while you might think that BMW landed the first punch in the German street car brawl with its barn-storming E30 M3...but the truth is Mercedes-Benz launched the 190E 2.3-16V Cosworth in the same year -- and the 190E hasn't appreciated into stupid price territory, yet. Find this 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V Cosworth offered for $8000 in Hillsborough, NJ via hemmings. Tip from BP.
One of my favorite automotive memories was driving a vintage Mercedes oil burner through the hilly streets of San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The 2.4 liter inline-4 cylinder non-turbo diesel engine didn't have much punch, but it did have enough torque to lug up seriously steep hills will very minimal throttle (errr...rack) input. Few cars have a similar ability to be started in first gear without the use of a the go-pedal up a hill...but you could just dump the clutch and go. I don't miss the tectonic acceleration...but I do miss a few interesting details on that old Benz. Find this 1978 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $3,200 in Sevastopol, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
This next car comes as a tip from Jeff who writes; Slick wagon, assuming you trust the shop that did the work. I'm not as concerned about the quality of the swapper as I am about the signs of the tin worm from life in the rust belt...is D.C. in the rust belt? Maybe the proximity to the chief offices of our gubmint causes accelerated oxidation of metal...I dunno....but I do know that I'd love to have a supercharged V8 wagon. Find this 2003 Mercedes-Benz C240 Wagon with M113K SuperCharged V8 offered for $13000 in Washington, D.C. via craigslist.
The W121 chassis was sold in large quantities by Mercedes after the war and used as taxicabs all around the world. The name Ponton was given because of the styling of the fenders and is the German spelling of the word pontoon. Mercedes were built from 1953 to 1961 and were badged with the 180/190 series names. The Ponton sedans have never really appreciated in price, perhaps giving additional prudence to the theory that sedans will never be collectible...or they are so miserably slow that even the appreciation curve is slow? Find this 1959 Mercedes-Benz 180D offered for $4800 in Riverside, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The W123 generation Mercedes-Benz is known in the USA as a diesel smoke belching executive car that was driven by older professor types when new...but to people from exotic places like Germany, Iran, or Tunisia, the W123 is known for being a taxi-cab, limousine, or ambulance. Find this 1978 Mercedes-Benz W123 Ambulance offered for $9200 in San Francisco, CA via craigslist. Tip from John.
This next beast is a continuation of our Bracq Friday spectacular from yesterday -- a festival of the best stuff from French born automotive legend Paul Bracq. The W110 fintail Mercedes-Benz was an evolution of the older W120 Ponton shape, but added little "fins" on the rear quarters and was more modern in its shape and less bulbous. Legend has it that one of Paul Bracqs first job as an automobile designer at Mercedes-Benz was to design the rear taillights that you see on this next car. Find this 1966 Mercedes-Benz 200D W110 offered for $10,999 in Phoenix, AZ via craigslist.
A quick look in your local craigslist for $5k cars is an experience not too far from dangling in a La-Z-Boy recliner above a hungry sarlacc pit with nothing holding you up but a harbor freight bungie cord that's on fire. Sure, its a great way to get your adrenaline flowing while being super comfy, but that warm feeling in your gut isn't just the two week old Mexican food leftovers that you probably shouldn't have eaten...it is also the fact that most sub $5k cars for sale or total junk. Salvaged late model Japanese economy cars are everywhere...but there is hope. And that hope lies in the over priced German luxury tanks that have depreciated into poor man's territory and the only downside is a threat of doom from lurking expensive repairs. Just don't say it was my idea to drive one of these cars. They all came as a tip from FuelTruck. So if your wife needs someone to blame...blame the tipper. Which would you pick? Mercedes-Benz S430 vs BMW 750li vs Audi A8L vs VW Phaeton