Combining glamorous looks, practicality and reliability with the thrills of top-down motoring, it’s perhaps no surprise that the R107 survived in the Mercedes line-up for as long as it did. Launched in 1971, the model survived in the Mercedes line-up until 1989 and the longer it stayed in the range, the more popular it became.
Numerous appearances in 1980s US TV dramas (Dallas, Hart to Hart, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files) undoubtedly helped to secure the model’s iconic status and desirability.
F 217 UOT is a particularly original example, in outstanding condition throughout, and must be one of the finest of its type.
• Original owner’s manual, service book, radio manual
According to the VDI check, the car came to mainland UK from Northern Ireland in 1998. (This is why the V5 shows the car as first registered in 1998, as it would previously have been under Northern Ireland’s then-separate system.) After passing MoTs for a number of years, with few miles between tests, the car was then placed in dry storage in around 2013, where it stayed for around seven years.
The service book and MoT history suggest that the car has covered only around 2000 miles since an MoT test and service in 2012. The vendor has had the car fully recommissioned in 2022, with a major mechanical overhaul, while retaining as many original aspects of the car as possible.
The original leather folder contains all the manuals, including that for the radio, as well as all the original paperwork, even the little card with an emergency breakdown number! The service record shows regular servicing from 1998 to 2012.
• Original toolkit, first-aid kit, warning triangle
The condition of the interior would seem to verify the vendor’s understanding that the car has been securely stored for a sizeable period of its life. There are virtually no giveaways of the car’s age and much of it looks as it would have done when almost new. The driver’s seat was fully retrimmed in 2022, at considerable expense, and yet looks no different to the passenger or rear seats.
The carpets are in extremely good condition, and a glance underneath those in the front reveals a clean and rust-free floorpan. The wood veneer on the dash is unmarked, the dials and switches are all in excellent condition and – unusually – everything works, right down to the courtesy lights which both come on when the doors are opened. The vendor is particularly keen to stress that the (factory-fitted) air-conditioning works perfectly, as this is virtually unheard-of.
In the boot, there is an original first-aid kit, apparently unused, along with the original warning triangle, jack, wheelbrace and spare wheel. The tool-roll, with tools is also there. The carpet in the boot is in remarkably good condition, suggesting the boot has been little-used.
It’s clear from even a cursory glance that this is a car in fantastic condition, again reflecting the vendor’s belief that the car was dry-stored for most of the last ten years. Since acquiring the car, the vendor has had the wheels completely refurbished and a few minor cosmetic issues addressed, but otherwise the car is extremely original.
The white paintwork looks superb, and the wheels reflect the standard of their refurbishment. You have to look hard to find any imperfections, but there are a couple of tiny retouched chips on the front wings, a slight patina on the chrome of the bootlid, and the 300 SL badge on the rear is a recent replacement. The soft-top has a tiny nick in one of the side windows (see pictures), where presumably it has been ‘pinched’ during folding, but is otherwise in excellent condition.
The hard-top looks as good as new, suggesting it has had very little use.
Since acquiring the car, the vendor has had the car thoroughly recommissioned and this included a major mechanical overhaul. Consequently, the car starts on first turn of the key, gear changes are smooth and quiet, and the engine sounds lovely.
The vendor assures us that it drives as well as it looks and, with the R107’s reputation for mechanical reliability, F 217 UOT should offer many more years of trouble-free motoring. The car has a centre-console mounted immobiliser, and comes with three keys and two immobiliser fobs.
Under the bonnet, everything looks in order and is largely original, the radiator is new (and is a Mercedes item) and the underneath the car, there is no evidence of leaks.
The R107 is a bona fide modern classic. For top-down motoring in style and comfort, there’s little to match it. Its looks are timeless and values continue to increase, especially as really good examples are now so hard to find. There’s really very little to fault on this one – it really is as fine a 300SL as you will find. With summer on its way, this excellent roadster has lots to recommend it.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
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1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (R107)
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