Our beloved 2001 Mercedes-Benz R129 is now live on Bring a Trailer. Dean Laumbach found this unusual car back in 2016. I will never forget how it went down. I was riding my motorcycle across Cuba with a group of friends and clients. There were only a few places that had reliable internet access on Castro’s crumbling island paradise. While at an “upscale” hotel at the Bay of Pigs I received a text from Dean saying that he had found the most extraordinary car and that I should buy it. Images of the SL slowly trickled down on my iPhone through the weak internet connection. It only took a few message exchanges to decide what to do. With Dean you don’t even have to think. I told him to buy the car.
You can read more about the car in a prior TG blog post here.
The car was a 040 black 2001 SL600 with 165 original miles. It was bought new at Contemporary Motor Cars in Little Silver New Jersey. Contemporary was just sold a few weeks ago, but the prior owner Scott Coleman has been a lifelong friend of my family. So the car got really interesting. It was a very desireable final year V12 R129. It was sold new by Scott. It was in PERFECT condition. It was priced right. We pulled the trigger.
I have owned the car for almost ten years. It was serviced regularly by me via Contemporary Motor Cars—the dealer that sold it new. It lived most of its life on my lift in Turtle Garage. The headboard of my bedroom above the garage bays is a pane of glass that looks out onto the lift. For almost a decade I went to bed looking at the illuminated R129 SL.
Life moves on. I got married. I have accumulated several cars and managing it all has become more work than fun. Tough decisions had to be made. It is time for somebody else to enjoy this incredible museum piece of German craftsmanship.
The car went live on BaT yesterday and within a few minutes the SL reached six-figures. This outcome even stunned Dean. It will be an interesting countdown to the final hammer!
As they say in BaT speak, GLWTA!
Here is what The Daily Vroom posted about the auction today:
| Holy grail doesn’t begin to describe it. The automotive world just stopped spinning. Legendary collector car hunter Dean Laumbach has just unveiled what might be the most significant R129 Mercedes discovery of all time – a 2001 SL600 with an earth-shattering 187 original miles, yes you read that right!! Let that sink in. This isn’t just rare – it’s practically impossible. |
| Picture this: It’s 2001. The first iPod just launched. And somewhere, someone parked this V12 masterpiece… and simply walked away. For 23 years, this German thoroughbred sat dormant, preserving every single new-car detail in amber. The factory-fresh leather still releases that intoxicating new Mercedes aroma. The paint hasn’t seen rain. The engine – Mercedes’ legendary M120 V12 producing 389 thundering horsepower – has barely whispered its first notes. |
| But here’s where it gets insane: This unicorn is NO RESERVE. You read that correctly. The ultimate time-capsule Mercedes flagship, equipped with the coveted SL2 Sport Package (those iconic AMG Monoblock wheels!), could be yours if you swing hard enough. |
| The specs read like automotive poetry: |
|
| Bidding has already exploded past $185,000 in the first few hours. You can guarantee this will be a record R129 sale. |
| This isn’t just a car – it’s a museum piece, a time machine, and the crown jewel of Mercedes’ V12 golden age all rolled into one. |
| The countdown is on. History is being made. Mercedes themselves should be calling their accountants – because opportunities like this come once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky. |
| This isn’t just the best R129 SL600 in existence. It might be the best one that will ever exist. |
No comments yet.