Mercedes-Benz Classic Center Irvine (450SEL 6.9 for sale)

I would venture to guess that outside of Germany, there are few places that has as many classic Mercedes-Benzes as Southern California. With its mild weather, wealth, and obsession with cars, this is the perfect venue.

A few years ago, Mercedes-Benz opened a Classic Center in the Orange County city of Irvine. It is one of two places where one can buy a classic Mercedes from Mercedes-Benz (Fellbach, Germany, is the other place). The Center has virtually every part you need and will custom make a part if it is not available. The staff also performs appraisals. The gift shop has an impressive selection of model cars but has a less than stellar inventory of books and posters.

I arrived in the middle of the afternoon. The mercury said it was 83 degrees-- in February! I was so impressed with the cars in the parking lot that I started snapping away. The landscaping guys were nice enough to stop their work and get out of the way of my photographs. Gracias, amigos!

Here are two unmolested W201s. They were in pretty decent shape. The one on the left is a 2.5 and the one on the right is a 2.3-16 Cosworth.

This is a 1994 or 1995 E500 that was hand built by Porsche.

As you walk in, there are classics for sale to your left and right. In the back, a couple of dozen more classics are tightly packed and displayed.

This is a rear-engined 170H cabrio limo. I wonder if this idea was borrowed from Tatra, or vice versa?

C291 Group C racing car. Five were made in 1991. The 3.5 liter V12s produced 650 hp.

The keys to every car!

I never realized the 600s were so much larger than the W108s. This 600 is an SWB.

Old and new. The car in the foreground is a replica.

Three views of a cutaway M100 motor.

The 1957 300SL roadster in the foreground is exquisite but is it worth $825,000? Note the 6.9 in the background.

So this white 6.9 has 229 miles and has not been restored. Now I love these cars, but $175,000?! Apparently, the powers that be designated the W116 as worthy of "classic" status. We'll have to wait for a few more years before W126s will be displayed here.

EPA sticker that comes with the 6.9.

$125,000 for this 1967 250SL Pagoda. I must admit, these cars looked brand new.

If you are visiting Orange County or are commuting between LA and San Diego, this is definitely worth a visit. It is just east of the El Toro Y, where the 5 and the 405 converge. The address is 9 Whatney, Irvine. I would NOT advise flying here just to visit the center. As a museum/classic car collection, it's not that fantastic.