W211 E55 - Predicting Value over the next few years

[alabbasi]

Over here most AMGs are an exception to your ‘it’s a car’ comment though, as although based on mainstream models the AMG specific running gear and parts make them worth a good bit more than the £2000 figure you suggest.

Yeah, problem with that is that it's a pretty robust drive train. You can buy a 55k for parts and end up sitting on the engine for a while

But having said all that, and considering the other points you make (insurance, rust etc) why do you think that E55Ks are still worth more over here - seems as though you’re contradicting yourself!

I'm not sure where I contradicted myself. I indicated that cars in the US hold value better than UK cars.

Unless you can show sales prices of E55Ks in the UK for £2000 or even close then I would suggest you have misjudged the market over here.

That sounds like quite a lot of work to prove the obvious. How about I wait around for one to show up for under your £5000 floor and let you know about it? I'm comfortable that it will be a matter of time.

 

[John]

I'm not sure where I contradicted myself. I indicated that cars in the US hold value better than UK cars.

You posted a chart showing 2 cars selling at auction for not a lot of money - not sure that really backs up what you are now saying...

W211 E55 - Predicting Value over the next few years | AMG Lounge

That sounds like quite a lot of work to prove the obvious. How about I wait around for one to show up for under your £5000 floor and let you know about it? I'm comfortable that it will be a matter of time.

Have a look at the posts on page 4 of this thread. There are plenty of examples with no work to do.

You will probably be able to find examples that fall below £5k eventually but they won't be good ones.

That's the same as stating "The World will end"... yes, eventually.

V8 automatic heavy cars are expensive to run anywhere but given the prices achieved by cars over here, it would seem values are holding up better than in the US from what we've seen so far.

I'd like to see some evidence of US cars sold at auction achieving better prices than what has been already post, to backup your point?

 

[Will]

Yeah, problem with that is that it's a pretty robust drive train. You can buy a 55k for parts and end up sitting on the engine for a while



I'm not sure where I contradicted myself. I indicated that cars in the US hold value better than UK cars.



That sounds like quite a lot of work to prove the obvious. How about I wait around for one to show up for under your £5000 floor and let you know about it? I'm comfortable that it will be a matter of time.

You don’t seem to understand - the point is the 55K engine is valuable over here. So when you throw your figures from the US about realise that you’re comparing two totally different markets a good few thousand miles apart. As I say, some stuff is cheaper in America, we all know that. What’s your point?

You contradicted yourself trying to suggest the reasons as to why prices would be lower for these cars in the UK, and then posted data to prove the opposite

I’m happy to wait for the £5000 car that’s not a total loss or with a broken engine. I’m sure one will turn up someday, let me know

As for your £2000 figure - keep dreaming

 

[alabbasi]

You posted a chart showing 2 cars selling at auction for not a lot of money - not sure that really backs up what you are now saying...

W211 E55 - Predicting Value over the next few years | AMG Lounge



Have a look at the posts on page 4 of this thread. There are plenty of examples with no work to do.

You will probably be able to find examples that fall below £5k eventually but they won't be good ones.

That's the same as stating "The World will end"... yes, eventually.

V8 automatic heavy cars are expensive to run anywhere but given the prices achieved by cars over here, it would seem values are holding up better than in the US from what we've seen so far.

I'd like to see some evidence of US cars sold at auction achieving better prices than what has been already post, to backup your point?

What? The two statements can coexist.

In general, cars hold their value better in the US vs UK due to lower taxation, lower running costs and cheaper/easier lending
In particular, Prices for the E55K are already bottoming out , indicating what what many on this thread think is impossible is possible and happening here in the US

You guys need to relax . I'm not saying that these cars are a POS. I'm just stating the obvious. All cars will hit a floor where the bad ones will be scrapped and the good ones will go up in value. To me, that number is £2000 because at £2000, it's not worth fixing. If you're saying, no Al, it's £5000, we're not that far apart because a £5000 car can turn into a £2000 really quickly with some minor issues like a faulty air compressor, air strut or other differed mtc, non functioning a/c etc.

 

[John]

What? The two statements can coexist.

In general, cars hold their value better in the US vs UK due to lower taxation, lower running costs and cheaper/easier lending
In particular, Prices for the E55K are already bottoming out , indicating what what many on this thread think is impossible is possible and happening here in the US

You guys need to relax . I'm not saying that these cars are a POS. I'm just stating the obvious. All cars will hit a floor where the bad ones will be scrapped and the good ones will go up in value. To me, that number is £2000 because at £2000, it's not worth fixing. If you're saying, no Al, it's £5000, we're not that far apart because a £5000 car can turn into a £2000 really quickly with some minor issues like a faulty air compressor, air strut or other differed mtc, non functioning a/c etc.

"Yep, cars hold their value better here in the states."

Yet a few of us have posted evidence that contradicts that.

I'm sure we all have predictions for most things but whilst the values of E55s might be on their rse in the US, they are fine here and have maintained the same value more or less for many years now.

This is backed up by hard evidence, as posted, rather than opinion.

No one else is stating they are a POS. They are a car, pure and simple. Just so happens the value of them is very different to standard cars... maybe you need to relax?

 

[alabbasi]

"Yep, cars hold their value better here in the states."

Yet a few of us have posted evidence that contradicts that.

I'm sure we all have predictions for most things but whilst the values of E55s might be on their rse in the US, they are fine here and have maintained the same value more or less for many years now.

This is backed up by hard evidence, as posted, rather than opinion.

No one else is stating they are a POS. They are a car, pure and simple. Just so happens the value of them is very different to standard cars... maybe you need to relax?

I'm relaxed. I love bargains

 

[John]

I'm relaxed. I love bargains

That's a good job as you have plenty to choose from over there.

Shame we can't say the same yet and won't be able to for many years given the current trends here.

 

[Will]

What? The two statements can coexist.

In general, cars hold their value better in the US vs UK due to lower taxation, lower running costs and cheaper/easier lending
In particular, Prices for the E55K are already bottoming out , indicating what what many on this thread think is impossible is possible and happening here in the US

You guys need to relax . I'm not saying that these cars are a POS. I'm just stating the obvious. All cars will hit a floor where the bad ones will be scrapped and the good ones will go up in value. To me, that number is £2000 because at £2000, it's not worth fixing. If you're saying, no Al, it's £5000, we're not that far apart because a £5000 car can turn into a £2000 really quickly with some minor issues like a faulty air compressor, air strut or other differed mtc, non functioning a/c etc.

I think the trouble is you’re speaking as if you know the UK market for these cars, which it seems as though you don’t.

I’ve bought and sold a couple of E55Ks over the last 5 or 6 years, and have a fairly good ideas of values of these cars having seen plenty that have sold over that time. I wouldn’t speculate on the values of specific models of cars in the US as I don’t live there and don’t know the market so well.

What I can tell you is that the sort of car you described as a £2000 car is what sells for £6/7k over here

Have a look on Autotrader and eBay at every single E55 AMG available to buy - the absolute cheapest ones out there are £10k for an estate with 122k miles and £9k for a saloon with 136k.

Sure there’s a difference between asking and achieved prices but I suspect you will be waiting a long time for your £2000 unicorn

 

[pmcgsmurf]

I've just done some searching on US auction sites.

No $2k cars there unless you start looking at accident damaged cars.

 

[alabbasi]

I've just done some searching on US auction sites.

No $2k cars there unless you start looking at accident damaged cars.

You're not looking at the right places.

 

[alabbasi]

I think the trouble is you’re speaking as if you know the UK market for these cars, which it seems as though you don’t.

I’ve bought and sold a couple of E55Ks over the last 5 or 6 years, and have a fairly good ideas of values of these cars having seen plenty that have sold over that time. I wouldn’t speculate on the values of specific models of cars in the US as I don’t live there and don’t know the market so well.

What I can tell you is that the sort of car you described as a £2000 car is what sells for £6/7k over here

Have a look on Autotrader and eBay at every single E55 AMG available to buy - the absolute cheapest ones out there are £10k for an estate with 122k miles and £9k for a saloon with 136k.

Sure there’s a difference between asking and achieved prices but I suspect you will be waiting a long time for your £2000 unicorn

Well it's not like I haven't bought a car in England. I've bought several. What I'm saying is pretty much universal and if you're saying that the car I expect will become a £2000 is currently a £6000, I'll say fair enough. it hasn't happened yet, but never say never.

When I was a kid, If I wanted to see the most luxurious from 20 years before, I'd walk around the white city estates in West London. When do you think that E55's will show up at council estate car park? At a certain point, people will start buying them that can't afford to maintain them, and you'll see a lot more ropey examples. If that's not happened yet, it will happen soon enough. Usually those cars start dragging other cars down until they get scrapped, leaving only the good ones which will go up in value.

It's the circle of life Will.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

You're not looking at the right places.

OK, I see now, that clears it all up.

 

[Will]

Well it's not like I haven't bought a car in England. I've bought several. What I'm saying is pretty much universal and if you're saying that the car I expect will become a £2000 is currently a £6000, I'll say fair enough. it hasn't happened yet, but never say never.

When I was a kid, If I wanted to see the most luxurious from 20 years before, I'd walk around the white city estates in West London. When do you think that E55's will show up at council estate car park? At a certain point, people will start buying them that can't afford to maintain them, and you'll see a lot more ropey examples. If that's not happened yet, it will happen soon enough. Usually those cars start dragging other cars down until they get scrapped, leaving only the good ones which will go up in value.

It's the circle of life Will.

There are some rough AMGs out there, and a few E55s will have gone the way you suggest but they just have just refused to budge below about £6/7k for the higher mileage/ropey examples or ones that need a bit of TLC etc. That has already happened as it does with all cars. You’re just wrong on the prices

Cheapest I can find on sale today in the UK is £9k, for a saloon with 136k miles as mentioned earlier. Not sure where you got your £2000 idea from even now?

I’m not sure that a typical 16/17 year old E55 would be popular with the sorts of people who’ll be parking them in council estate car parks. For £6/7k bottom end they could buy something more flash for their cash, or typically would more likely have something newer but more basic on finance etc. Or some flashy £50k motor

E55s are an enthusiast based car, supply and demand sets the prices over here (people actually buy them and sell them for the figures that have been mentioned on this thread)

The copy and paste of some auction text from the US may be interesting but has no bearing on values over here

 

[Deleted member 37751]

In true MBClub fashion we’ve veered from “how much will E55K’s be worth in the future” to “how much can Billy-Bob Crackensack III buy one for from Iowa Specialist Auction for in three years time”.

 

[Doodle]

A point of consideration is that many states in the US have little to no roadworthiness testing - hence you see some properly dangerous sh*theaps still being driven, and therefore of some perceived value.

In the UK, the MoT will catch almost all of these and see them scrapped, which means the bottom end of the market is set higher as a result.

 

[alabbasi]

A point of consideration is that many states in the US have little to no roadworthiness testing - hence you see some properly dangerous sh*theaps still being driven, and therefore of some perceived value.

In the UK, the MoT will catch almost all of these and see them scrapped, which means the bottom end of the market is set higher as a result.

Interesting part of that is the # of sh*theaps that get bought up in the US to be shipped back across the Atlantic. I have not really seen the trend going the other way.

You're right, the MOT is pretty rigorous. That's one of the points I was making earlier. A car won't be £6000 one year and worthless the next right? There will be advisories, resulting in failures and after a while, it becomes a toss up as to whether one should sink the money into it vs selling it for scrap or close to scrap with a short MOT to somebody as a fixer upper.

Why do I think that # is £2000? To me, it's the # that makes sense as the bottom dollar. Nobody will scrap a £6000 car because no scrappy will give that much for it. Very few people would put £3-4000 into a £6000 car with differed repairs so the floor can't be £6000.

If it makes anyone feel better, the E55's seem to be holding up better than E63's as can be seen by 2007 E63 sales recordings from the same auction company. How are W211 E63's doing in the UK?

 

[Vick N]

I hope they stay stable. I have seen the W210 prices shoot up over the past 2 years.

either way, I love my E55

 

[Doodle]

Why do I think that # is £2000? To me, it's the # that makes sense as the bottom dollar. Nobody will scrap a £6000 car because no scrappy will give that much for it. Very few people would put £3-4000 into a £6000 car with differed repairs so the floor can't be £6000.

But if the parts of the car have suitable value, then they would. I could easily see a parted out E55k making that figure - engine, gearbox and brakes alone would get you a significant part of the way there. I can't remember the last time I saw a 129 down at that level, even shabby non-runners in undesireable specs, for the same reasons.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

......
Why do I think that # is £2000? To me, it's the # that makes sense as the bottom dollar. Nobody will scrap a £6000 car because no scrappy will give that much for it. Very few people would put £3-4000 into a £6000 car with differed repairs so the floor can't be £6000.

If it makes anyone feel better, the E55's seem to be holding up better than E63's as can be seen by 2007 E63 sales recordings from the same auction company. How are W211 E63's doing in the UK?

From looking at what you have posted I'd guess they are salvage or breaker yard auctions.

Of course I may be wrong but you are being secretive for a reason.

 

[alabbasi]

From looking at what you have posted I'd guess they are salvage or breaker yard auctions.

Of course I may be wrong but you are being secretive for a reason.

No, it's a dealer auction and they are clean title cars. I'm not being secretive. The info is behind a user and password so I can't send anyone a link to look for themselves.

But if the parts of the car have suitable value, then they would. I could easily see a parted out E55k making that figure - engine, gearbox and brakes alone would get you a significant part of the way there. I can't remember the last time I saw a 129 down at that level, even shabby non-runners in undesireable specs, for the same reasons.

Yeah but breakers are businesses , not charities. They need to make money and won't buy a 6000gbp car to yield 6000gbp parts. There's another thread going on right now about scrap values. You're welcome to check in on it.