Mint: ’76 Mercedes Benz 230 Sedan

If you are a frequent reader of Mint, you know by now we have eclectic taste in cars. We are most impressed by low mileage survivors in immaculate condition. Anyone with money can buy a new car but a connoisseur finds an older one that is distinctive and perhaps better. Honestly, this is not our first choice for a great find category because it is really underpowered at somewhere around 85hp. That wouldn’t be bad in a little Fiat but this is a robust, medium-sized Mercedes-Benz sedan. But you want to know what? There is a place for slow, reliable sedans with extraordinary build quality. That’s why we would look at this green sedan with around 52,000 miles on it. You would be surprised how you can compensate for being a little sluggish. We managed to arrive at virtually the same time for lunch on a rally behind a 356 Carrera GT. Our point is, driving an extraordinary car at any speed is joy enough. The previous owner obviously felt that the additional time they spent in the car required a better radio. But they were smart enough to keep the factory Becker from 1976 and it is probably in perfect order. That tells us the rest of the car is also pretty darn good. And we do love the exterior and interior color combination. It has a sunroof, power steering/brakes and still has original paint. If it didn’t have DOT required bumpers it would be handsome. They are asking a premium for it at $15,000. You could buy a nice VW Rabbit with the same mileage for about the same price. Just don’t expect any thumbs up on the road. Click here for the listing.