SL55s are two a penny though?
You keep calling an R63 a minivan in the same way as an E55 is a taxi
Someone clearly thinks it’s worth more than an average SL55 though
R63 AMG - Collecting Cars
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You keep calling an R63 a minivan in the same way as an E55 is a taxi
Someone clearly thinks it’s worth more than an average SL55 though
Rich764089
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Think this is how they appear when unsold on CC.
As others have said, looked a more than fair bit tbh, so surprised the reserve was so high.
MikeInWimbledon
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For sure, but a minivan is suitable for minivan things. SL55's and E55's are two a penny because people bought them in their thousands, and still do.SL55s are two a penny though?
You keep calling an R63 a minivan in the same way as an E55 is a taxi
Someone clearly thinks it’s worth more than an average SL55 though
The R63 is perfect for Boris Johnson with a wife, two children, a security guy, a dog, and a mistress hidden in the back.
But limited in it's appeal iby its seating arrangement and consequent bulk: 2.4 tonnes, 6'4" width, 17' length. Which is why only a handful of R63's were ordered in the first place. A design experiment that hasn't been repeated.
Yes the discussion of the unpopularity of the R-class chassis in general has been done to death in the first few pages of this thread. I’m not a particular fan of this model (to me, this comes down to the aesthetics mostly - a bit like the Fiat Multipla for example). I think whoever is bidding the best part of £30k for this sixteen year old one clearly doesn’t mind the looks though, beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all.
But your observations relating to its bulk - how is this any different to say the ML or GL (later GLE/GLS) or G-wagen? All of which are still in production today and as popular or more than ever (I see loads of GLEs, BMW Xs and Volvo XCs daily)
Again, to me it comes down tho the aesthetics, but that’s just my opinion.
FWIW, we don’t really refer to cars like these over in the UK as ‘minivans’ even if that’s what they are known as (or made in the states!).
It’s the engine that’s important here - the packaging is less so. Hence it’s a £30k vehicle not a £3k one, just like an old S/W211 E55 is worth £10k not £2k etc.
The comment I made about SL55s being two a penny is that there’s plenty of used examples out there (supply) which is why the comparative values aren’t as high as this example. Low demand for the R63 but relatively speaking much lower supply out there
oldguy57
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I'm not surprised it didn't sell at £30k, I'm guessing the owner will have wanted £35/40k and wasn't desperate to sell (a dealer perhaps). Very niche market, but one of the rarest normal production AMG's which will be the attraction to some. One very low mileage R63 sold for nearly $75k in the States last year and two owners here in the UK have gone to the trouble of importing R63's from the States. There is interest in them, but not all of those interested are willing to pay the price. Interesting vehicle.
Or the V Class / Viano of course. Plenty of those around.
MikeInWimbledon
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We're talking about the AMG R63 being worth over £30k for a 16 year old car on 60k miles. That's maybe six times the value of an R500.
Are there 16 year old AMG Viano's out there selling at six times the top Viano price ?
Value at auction is determined by the top two bidders - well, assuming that their both genuine, and that one isn't a shill bidder pushing up bids for the seller.
Generally US and European values for an R63 "ought" to be higher. They have an established minivan niche, which is why the R class was made in Alabama. The UK doesn't have the roads, the garages, the mileages, which is why R63's didn't really sell in the first place, except as demonstrators or halo cars to the dealerships.
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The R-Class is the same platform as the ML/GL which became the GLE/GLS, and equivalent to other full-size SUVs like X5//X7, Q7, Cayenne, Range Rover, etc and there are no shortage of them in the UK.
I have no data to back it up, but I would imagine that outside the US and maybe Middle East, the UK is a relatively significant market generally for full-size SUVs and especially fast ones.
I believe the R-Class didn’t sell well because it didn’t have the image, appearance, or presence of full-height full-size SUVs, and that’s a big part of the buying decision in the image conscious UK market.
I only mentioned the V Class / Viano in the context of the R's perceived 'bulk'. There was never an AMG version of course, but Brabus did offer the W639 Viano with a 6.1 litre / 426 bhp V8 ... which I suspect would be worth a fair bit if one popped up for sale now. Pretty sure none were ever registered in the UK.
Not really a 'production' vehicle (they have said they will only build 10 a year), but German tuners GAD-Motors have fitted the current W447 V Class with a modified AMG 4 litre BiTurbo V8 (585 bhp, and complete with 4Matic, ceramic brakes, and Maybach 19" rims):
V-class from GAD-Motors
Tuning for V-class Mercedes. Engine tuning. The fastest V-class by GAD-Motors. V8 Bi-turbo Mercedes minivan.
www.gad-motors.de
If that's not bulky enough
in Germany you can also buy a Sprinter with the biturbo V12 in a choice of 530 or 630 bhp ... basically S600 running gear. All professionally done, EU 6 certificated, etc.Rich764089
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This now shows as sold for £31,800 in my watch list... guessing an after auction negotiation.
My neighbour bought it
I alerted him to it after I saw this thread.
he has been looking for an R class petrol - very rare - for a while.
So he's actually going to use it regularly?My neighbour bought it
I alerted him to it after I saw this thread.
he has been looking for an R class petrol - very rare - for a while.
Yes. He's not a collector.
MikeInWimbledon
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Well done that man !
Worth a (chauffeur driven) drive to a rather nice lunch, I’d reckon !
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Great to hear that it get used properly
It'd be great if they could bring it to 'Benz on the Green'.
Next up is 2018 ARIEL NOMAD
MikeInWimbledon
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I will see if I can borrow it for the day ..
Not just 2k -- also recent upgrades to the Supercharger etc from Ariel. It must be such a hoot.With 2k on the clock? Worth £52k of anyone's money.
