The Daytona is not loved.

The Daytona was ground breaking in that it raised the bar for the combination of performance, refinement and all round ability.

 

Turn back to 1955 (I think) and just imagine the impact of the Gullwing. Sorry Mercedes raised the bar considerably. It must have been an unbelievable car back then.
Pete

 

Yes, I agree.

 

Couldn't agree more with that statement.

 

MB redesigned the rear suspension for the 300SL convertible recognizing it weaknesses.

 

Have we noticed that the direct injection design of the 300 SL has reappeared (in spark ignition cars; it has long been used in diesels) and is on its way to becoming the industry standard? It just took 60 years for the others to catch up.

 

I think you're being a bit harsh there, the return of DI was mandated by emission controls, not performance. Benz developed direct injection for the ME109, to solve the problem of fuel starvation in high-G turns. The principle was established for diesel engines, they designed injectors and a distribution pump that made it work for petrol.

Others later realised that positioning the injectors in the inlet tract reduced the need for metering precision and worked just as well. In fact the Hilborn injection on my Indy car doesn't meter the fuel at all, the injectors are about a foot away from the inlet valves and the air flow does the work. Consequently it is very reliable and easy to tune.

Injection pumps on early benz engines wear out fast and can be quite problematic, I assume they worked better in diesels because of the inherent lubricating properties of diesel oil.

 

£285,000 hammer price!!!

 

what is that in us$?

 

Approximately $460k

 

$460k.

Still.

By the time the next person answers, it may be more. At least, as a Daytona owner, I hope so.

 

wow, i would say the daytona is being shown some love. hopefully the prices will start to reflect the greatness of this icon.
ed

 

Bear in mind that it was an excellent early plexiglass car in original colors with original interior. The result will be difficult to repeat in a private transaction--especially with a US spec car--but it is a positive for the Daytona market. Rest of the sale was weak really, not a bullish signal.

 

With commission and conversion to USD, the sale price was $504,735 or so.

 

just for clarity, it was repainted, and interior redone(except for the leather). stainless steel exhaust, not ansa. surprised it got classiche cert with non orig exhaust.
engine compartment looks a little tired.
also, no manuals/pouch
ed

 

Agreed. IMO the early, lightweight plexiglass cars lead the market followed by the A-spec cars.

 

I just returned from the auction and sat about 5' from the new owner of that Daytona. It's a very nice car, but the oxblood interior really doesn't work with the blue exterior. (yeah, I know, some people like Chardonnay with steak.) Sorry, I don't know what the official color codes are, but they don't go all that well, IMHO.

The Ferrari of the night was clearly the gorgeous black/red Lusso, which didn't make reserve tho' bid to over $800K (USD).

 

Extremely high and further increasing classic Ferrari prices are only beneficial if you have one to sell and are never or not interested in buying another. Unless you are extremely wealthy I don't see how increasing prices past a certain point helps us life long enthusiasts in any way whatsoever. Even if you have a Ferrari that's gone up in value you will no doubt at some point want to upgrade it but in an increasing market the cost to change invariably becomes even more expensive and/or less attainable.

 

Being a life long enthusiast is irrelevant to market forces.....I know this cuz I want a gto
Ed

 

Me too, along with a P4, TdF, SWB, 250LM, 275GTB, Daytona, Boxer and a few others as well!!!

 

Steve,

I totally agree. I love the originality of the interior but think that the combination just doesn't work. If I bought the car I would remove and preserve the interior but change the color.

 

When I was in Italy, it was explained to me that the Italians like the contrasting color combos, whereas, the French prefer a smooth look.
Ed

 

Those wonky colors schemes aren't limited to the Italians (who'd drunk too much Chianti the night before!). I once owned a gorgeous "Petrol" blue (the color of water when oil has been poured on it) Porsche 930. Weirdly, the interior was a combination of chocolate brown and tan. s

 

I've owned a 250 GT PF, a 330GT and a 330 GTC. I've driven Daytonas. None compare to a 550, the true bargain of FV12s and even with 3700 made (same numbers as the Dino) its future as a collectible is, imho, inevitable. A good one is $75K to 85K. Drive one and you will see what I mean. Sorry for the sacriliage but a Daytona is a truck compared to a 550

 

I think it is nice that some of us loan cars to Museum EVEN with nothing in return, and even if this deprive us from driving them, hopefully for a short period of time. Still I believe it is nicer than having them sitting in a basement for the possessive compulsive pleasure of the owner and his private guests only. If I would own Mona Lisa ( la Gioconda in case some ask who she is) I still would leave her at the Louvre!