Highlights
- One of the last R107 350SLs manufactured
- Presented in highly original condition
- Recommissioned in 2016 and lightly used since
The Appeal
A combination of timeless styling and mechanical durability destined the R107 Mercedes SL for a long production life, from 1971 to 1989. It now ranks among the most popular classic grand tourers around, thanks to its appealing combination of luxury, power, solidity and dependability. All that, with the addition of excellent spares support, ensures that a very large proportion of the 300,000 SLs and SLCs originally built remain in regular use.
When new, the crisp styling, clearly evolved from the Pagoda SLs of the 1960s, made the R107 particularly appealing to a sort of moneyed, high-society customer who might want one as a second car for leisure use, and in that role they were especially popular in North America, where they displaced British sports-cars and American ‘personal luxury’ cars. The 3½-litre, V8-powered 350SL might be thought of as the ‘original’ R107, being the only model available in Europe until it was joined by the 450SL and 280SL in 1973 and 1974 respectively.
Production of the 350SL ended in 1980, however, when it was superseded by the 380SL, placing this one among the last of the 15,304 built. With a top speed of 132 mph and a very luxurious specification, the design hasn’t dated at all, and this example is as practical and useable as any classic sports-car gets. Unused for several years until 2016 and only lightly driven since, it appears in a very original, well-preserved and lightly patinated condition that positively abounds with charm.
The History and Paperwork
- Originally registered in Swindon in January 1980
- Earliest history records it being in the ownership of Mr. Duncan Litchfield of Hemyock, Devon, as of 1996
- Acquired by the vendor in 2019 and reluctantly for sale due to a house move
- Sold with the current and historic logbooks, MoT certificates back to the 1990s, original Mercedes-Benz literature including the Owner’s Manual, and various recent invoices for maintenance
The Interior
- Presented in very original condition
- Fitted with a more modern radio-cassette player
- Spare wheel in good condition
For anyone who appreciates originality, this 350SL represents a most attractive prospect. The interior appears to be more or less totally original and unrestored and has clearly been well cared for over the years. Of course, it is a 43-year-old car and does show a few signs of age but it is, for the most part, in very good condition.
The leather and cloth upholstery has mellowed nicely and gained rather an alluring patina, with the passenger seat appearing in excellent condition while the driver’s seat presents well but has a few small tears in the leather and evidence of a repair where one of the cloth panels has been damaged. Aside from that, it is very difficult to find fault. There are some light marks on the carpets and the sun visors, and some small holes in the trim on the offside sill, but fundamentally it all presents very well. The dash, centre console, steering wheel and door trim are all in good condition, and the interior’s stylish design and high standard of fit and finish make it a very pleasant place to be.
It is, of course, a luxurious car for 1980, boasting a heater and air-conditioning, plus electric windows. The windows are all fully operational. The radio-cassette player has been replaced at some point, probably in the 1990s.
Opening the boot reveals a clean luggage area which, aside from some marks on the carpet, is in superb order. The carpet lifts to reveal a spare wheel in excellent condition.
The Exterior
- Believed to wear its original Signal Red paint
- Complete with detachable hardtop
- Wheels and brightwork in very good order
We do not believe this 350SL has received any restoration over the course of its life, which would make it a highly original and well-preserved survivor. A light patina across the car gives it a rather charming character, but from underneath you would never guess that it’s 43 years old; we could see no evidence of any advanced corrosion so we suspect it must have been garaged for most of its life.
As far as the paint goes, there are some minor cosmetic blemishes which give away its age, but nothing serious – only a few small scratches, chips and dimples here and there. We did notice one very small instance of bubbling near the base of the hardtop on the nearside, and there is also a very subtle dent in its roof. A small patch at the offside front corner of the hardtop appears to have received some touch-up paint in the past.
The brightwork and plastic trim is generally in good condition with just a superficial patina which complements the rest of the car, and the alloy wheels stand out as being especially good. They have some superficial marks but there is no obvious evidence of the scuffing which afflicts so many alloys.
As we said, underneath this appears to be extremely solid, so we might venture to suggest it’s the perfect R107 for anyone with a penchant for originality and a spot of patina.
The Mechanics
- Recommissioned in 2016
- Only 1,600 miles covered following recommissioning
- Four-speed manual gearbox
- Starts on the button and drives beautifully
Few cars have a reputation for engineering and build quality quite like the Mercedes of the 1980s, which explains why so many are still going strong today. It’s no surprise, therefore, that this 350SL seems to be in a superb state of health. When inspected, it started on the button, idled evenly with a deep, unobtrusive burble, and pulled away very smoothly.
While the car has not been submitted for an MoT since 2019, as it is now exempt from testing, from our own observations it seems that the brakes and steering are working just as they should. With power steering as standard, it’s a very easy car to live with in towns and cities. Many Mercedes of this period have automatic gearboxes, but this one boasts a four-speed manual, a most desirable specification in our view which the driving enthusiast should find very rewarding.
Bidders will note that the Mercedes was SORNed for several years before being put back on the road in 2016, so it will have received some recommissioning around that time. Since then it has been very lightly used, only covering a shade over 1,600 miles. While there is not a vast collection of invoices to accompany the car, there is evidence that it had a new fuel pump in 2016 and has recently had a new timing chain fitted. Being so lightly used, it has not needed a great amount of maintenance, but the vendor has taken care to keep on top of it all.
The Summary
Handsome, luxurious and sophisticated, R107s are such appealing cars as they perfectly combine the character of classic cars with the convenience of modern ones. Versatile and easy to live with, they’re probably the perfect year-round classic sports-car. This one is particularly charming, being so original and well-preserved. While there is some scope for cosmetic improvement if you prefer a car to look immaculate, it does not appear to want for anything mechanically or structurally so we would consider it all ready to enjoy, and we think it possesses considerable charm just the way it is.
Notice to bidders
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