McCartney Times

This one’ll cost you more than a Penny Lane

Editor’s note: The ClassicCars.com Journal will be covering all of the action during Arizona Auction Week in Scottsdale, Arizona. Check out our other coverage here.

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A 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL roadster once owned by Beatles legend John Lennon will be offered for sale during the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona this weekend.

The car’s listing said it was delivered new to England, where it was bought and registered by Lennon with registration plate GCP 196C. Lennon is thought to have sold the car before his untimely death and it passed through various owners before the consignor acquired it 20 years ago. The car has been in the owner’s museum in Florida.

“Carrying wonderful early provenance, remaining faithful to its original specifications, and offered from a well-cared-for museum collection, the John Lennon 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL is a thrilling find and a wonderful piece of automotive and cultural history,” the Barrett-Jackson listing read.

The 230SL will be sold with a large amount of documentation. The seller still has the original U.K. registration bearing Lennon’s signature, and multiple photos of the car that feature fellow Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr, along with Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia.

The roadster is painted blue and has a gray interior, both of which appear to be in great condition.

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Inspectors found the Mercedes-Benz retains its original numbers-matching engine, chassis plate, transmission and rear differential. The engine is a 2.3-liter inline-6 cylinder with Bosch mechanical fuel injection and automatic transmission — one of the earliest cars to be so equipped.

It’s difficult to tell what the car will fetch at the hammer. Hagerty’s valuation puts a similar car in concours condition above the $100,000 mark, while one in excellent condition should bring in about $61,000.

However, those were not owned by one of the most iconic musicians of the 1960s. Lennon’s former car is scheduled to hit the block on Saturday.

Source: Mercedes-Benz roadster once owned by John Lennon on Barrett-Jackson docket