NMNA "1966" 230SL in Fukuoka, Japan

[Jack the Knife]

https://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/MERCEDES_BENZ/SL/700080229630220711001/index.html

From time to time, I like to browse for interesting European or American cars in Japan. During my stays there in the past, I'd often find unusual cars sitting in junkyards over there -- everything from Alpina BMWs to once a 190SL to Mustangs...

Clean old American or European cars often go for quite a bit of money over there so long as they pass inspection. With the yen doing poorly, ¥18.5mn is approximately $135k.

Looks like there have been a few modifications to this. A little light to keep the plate illuminated, and of course that VIN installed by "Western Automobile Co. Ltd." of Tokyo. WAC was a distributor, like Yanase, though I think WAC was a little bit before Yanase in getting into very fine automobiles. Here's an example of a 600 sold on BaT last year from them: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1966-mercedes-benz-600-5/ Plenty of their cars can be found floating around the internet, and often they are specced interestingly. I believe WAC was based in the UK, and had a little side business exporting UK cars to Japan. Anyway, check out that McIntosh sound system. Curiously, it looks like the door handle on the passenger side was removed to match the driver side. Nice little charging dock there in the middle tray with what may be controls for heated seats? The amp on the shelf in the back was done in a way better way than the first owner of my car did it -- he just drilled two Boston speakers right into the shelf. The vertical spare seems to indicate this is an earlier car than '66.

Interesting car.

[Jonny B]

Interesting mods indeed.

I think the switches are for power windows.

There is sure a lot of plumbing under the hood for the A/C.

[Garry]

Interesting also that it was a Japanese car but in LHD??  At the time I don’t think they allowed such vehicles to operate there in LHD, just like Australia at that time. Only changed the rules in the last 20 or so years to allow import of earlier cars

[Jack the Knife]

Interesting also that it was a Japanese car but in LHD??  At the time I don’t think they allowed such vehicles to operate there in LHD, just like Australia at that time. Only changed the rules in the last 20 or so years to allow import of earlier cars

I wonder. I saw a LHD BMW E9 that had sold new over there (included all the BMW of Tokyo documentation) for sale in California some time ago. Maybe they didn't care for low volume cars? Most nice old European cars I have seen over there were LHD.

[Merc_Girl]

I’ve been told, by a reliable source, that Japan is a chrysalis for stolen cars to be imported to other countries to unsuspecting customers.

I went to see a Japanese import a few years back where I was told it was an auction car from a barn find. When I couldn’t find the VIN plate I was informed that the Japanese authorities remove these and replace with their own!?!?

Suffice to say I didn’t purchase it!

[sully]

Personally i have bought at list 30 cars from Japans auctions since 2015 all cars been as describe and solid,they have much more tough MOTs there.
But recentley they have got very exspencive to buy.

Sully

[lowpad]

There is no particular issue with LHD cars in Japan, unlike other RHD markets, like Australia. At one point, it was considered somewhat prestigious to have a LHD car there. When I worked for GM in Asia, we exported numerous vehicles to Japan in LHD. But recently GM finally relented and developed a RHD version of the new C8 Corvette.