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Library / Mercedes-Benz 230/250/280SL Pagoda (W113)

Restoration economics rarely break even

Mercedes-Benz 230/250/280SL Pagoda (W113) · market

A recurring theme is that full restorations seldom recoup their cost, and even the $445k BAT world-record car was framed as selling for less than the build cost. Restoration budgets are described as six figures and 'always 30-40 percent more than expected,' which underpins the community's preference for buying already-sorted cars.