September Market Report: Recovery After the Summer Dip
September Market Overview
The normalisation we anticipated in the August report has arrived - and faster than expected. With the holiday season over, the market has contracted noticeably: the W140 drops from 118 to 88 listings, the W124 from 117 to 86, the W210 from 99 to 69, and the R107 even from 95 to 51. The flood of affordable driver-condition cars that weighed on the averages in high summer has largely been sold off or withdrawn from the market - and that is precisely why the averages are now firming across the board.
At Mercedes, all six core models are in the black, led by the W210 at +30.3%. The BMW compacts E46 (+20.2%) and E36 (+9.9%) as well as the E30 (+13.7%) also swing firmly upwards. Against the trend, it is the business sedans of all things that are getting cheaper: the E38 eases 9.6% to €15,019, the E39 6.3% to €7,254. For buyers, the window is shifting: the broad summer choice is gone, but for the big sedans, autumn is only just opening the door.
The tables below show current average prices (as of early September 2026) and the change versus our August report.
BMW Market Report
BMW shows the most unusual picture of the three brands - the compacts and classics rise while the big sedans fall:
| Model | Average | Trend | Min | Max | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E38 7 Series | €15,019 | ↓ -9.6% | €2,500 | €39,900 | 85 |
| E39 5 Series | €7,254 | ↓ -6.3% | €1,200 | €24,990 | 86 |
| E46 3 Series | €9,094 | ↑ +20.2% | €1,300 | €25,800 | 49 |
| E36 3 Series | €10,548 | ↑ +9.9% | €1,990 | €27,990 | 59 |
| E30 3 Series | €20,631 | ↑ +13.7% | €1,599 | €69,999 | 58 |
| Z3 | €15,665 | → -0.6% | €3,750 | €52,750 | 90 |
| E39 M5 | €36,485 | ↓ -3.0% | €23,000 | €42,000 | 10 |
The E46 more than recovers its August correction: +20.2% to €9,094 - though with only 49 listings instead of 65. The thinner supply once again consists more of well-kept examples, which lifts the average. The E30 follows a similar pattern: +13.7% to €20,631, with a top listing of €69,999 pulling the average up further. The E38, by contrast, continues its downward move (-9.6% to €15,019) and remains superbly available with 85 listings - the flagship is now cheaper than it has been in months. The E39 also gets more affordable (-6.3% to €7,254) on a stable 86 listings. The Z3 holds its level (-0.6% to €15,665), remarkable at the end of the season: entry has risen from €2,500 to €3,750 - the cheapest summer offers are gone. The E39 M5 hovers around its level on a thin 10 listings (-3.0% to €36,485).
Mercedes-Benz Market Report
Mercedes delivers the strongest recovery of the month - all six core models are in the black, alongside markedly reduced supply:
| Model | Average | Trend | Min | Max | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W124 E-Class | €12,283 | ↑ +10.4% | €1,690 | €44,990 | 86 |
| W140 S-Class | €15,641 | ↑ +10.3% | €1,850 | €45,000 | 88 |
| W210 E-Class | €5,578 | ↑ +30.3% | €1,200 | €22,500 | 69 |
| W126 S-Class | €20,247 | ↑ +6.4% | €2,400 | €49,900 | 70 |
| R107 SL | €33,152 | ↑ +7.7% | €6,550 | €58,950 | 51 |
| R129 SL | €25,201 | ↑ +8.5% | €7,000 | €55,000 | 69 |
August’s loser is September’s winner: the W210 gains 30.3% to €5,578. The details explain the move: only 69 cars are now listed instead of 99, and the most expensive listing sits at €22,500 again instead of €14,500 - the wave of cheap everyday examples has sold through, and better cars are shaping the average once more. The W124 (+10.4% to €12,283) and W140 (+10.3% to €15,641) recover almost in lockstep. The two SLs stand out: on the R107, entry has jumped from €3,990 to €6,550 - the summer’s project cars are off the market and supply has nearly halved (51 listings instead of 95). The R129 firms to €25,201 (+8.5%), and here too the cheapest listing starts at €7,000. So as the season ends, the roadsters are not getting cheaper - the supply is thinning out. Anyone hoping for bargains will have to wait for the winter months.
Audi Market Report
Audi looks stable to friendly - the moves remain moderate:
| Model | Average | Trend | Min | Max | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C4 A6 | €9,131 | ↑ +5.0% | €1,600 | €29,000 | 47 |
| C6 A6 | €5,081 | ↑ +4.2% | €1,700 | €9,999 | 28 |
| D2 A8 | €9,064 | → -1.2% | €2,000 | €34,990 | 33 |
| 8N TT | €7,798 | ↓ -3.2% | €1,990 | €21,850 | 27 |
| RS4 B5 | €47,886 | ↑ +3.0% | €18,500 | €82,500 | 23 |
| RS2 | €56,999 | ↑ +2.2% | €3,489 | €100,000 | 34 |
The C4 A6 approaches the €10,000 mark again at +5.0% to €9,131, though on tighter supply (47 listings instead of 58). The C6 A6 remains the value tip for high-mileage drivers: €5,081 on average and no listing above €9,999 - but the odometers show close to 300,000 km on average. The D2 A8 holds practically unchanged below the €10,000 mark (€9,064, -1.2%). The 8N TT eases slightly as the roadster season closes (-3.2% to €7,798), making it the only entry in this report that follows the classic autumn pattern for open-top cars. The investment tier stays firm: the RS4 B5 rises to €47,886 (+3.0%) and the RS2 to €56,999 (+2.2%) - both models sat out the summer correction entirely.
Seasonal Patterns and Mileage
This month’s pattern is the unwinding of summer: the holiday-season supply expansion that pushed the averages down in August is running out. Across almost all models, listing counts have fallen by 20 to 45 percent, and as the lower price bracket sells through, the averages are firming again - most strongly where the summer effect was largest (W210, E46, W124). This is not a sudden demand surge, but a return to the market’s normal composition.
Mileage figures continue to show clear patterns:
- Classics and roadsters: well below everyday levels thanks to enthusiast preservation (R107 ~117,000 km, E30 ~134,000 km, R129 ~137,000 km, Z3 ~139,000 km)
- Youngtimer sedans: a normal usage profile at 165,000-215,000 km (W210 ~166,000 km, E38 ~210,000 km, E39 ~211,000 km)
- The high-mileage exception: the C6 A6 at ~297,000 km - the long-distance diesel character of the series shows in full
Price spreads remain enormous: W124 supply ranges from €1,690 to €44,990, and the E30 from €1,599 to €69,999 - condition still decides value more than the model does.
Outlook for October
For October we expect:
- Emerging roadster weakness: with the season definitively over, the Z3, R107, R129 and 8N traditionally come under pressure - the current SL premiums are unlikely to survive autumn unscathed
- Continued autumn demand for sedans: the E38, E39 and W140 historically benefit from the post-holiday return; the low E38/E39 prices should attract buyers
- Investment prices staying firm (RS2, RS4 B5, E39 M5) on small volumes - there is simply not enough supply for prices to fall
If you are after an open-top car, the weakest price phase still lies ahead. If you are after a big sedan, right now it is unusually cheap.
Buy, Wait or Watch?
Buy now if you…
- Want an E38: €15,019 on average (-9.6%) across 85 listings - the flagship has fallen against the market trend and is widely available
- Are looking for an E39 as an everyday youngtimer: €7,254 (-6.3%) across 86 listings - the best price-to-choice ratio in this report
- Have a D2 A8 in your sights: stable below €10,000 while the Mercedes competition is already firming again
Wait until…
- The roadster season is truly over: the Z3, R107, R129 and 8N TT typically get cheaper than they are now in late autumn and winter
- The W210 shows broader supply again - if you missed the August low of €4,282, do not chase the current €5,578
Watch…
- The E46: after -12.4% in August and +20.2% now, it is the most volatile entry in the portfolio - October will show where the fair price lies
- The E30: the €69,999 top listing skews the average upwards; the base is moving less than the +13.7% suggests
- The E39 M5: 10 listings remain too few for reliable price discovery
September rewards contrarians: the broad summer choice is history, but anyone targeting the big sedans now is buying at the cheapest point in months - while the rest of the market is already getting more expensive again.