When this car was new, it would have set its owner back over £100,000.
Even without options, the 476bhp SL55 AMG was an extremely expensive car, retailing at over £95,000. As soon as you touched the options list, it was very easy to tip this over £100k, and this one has quite a few goodies.
A 2003 example, it has covered less than 69,000 miles from new and has been impeccably well maintained, with a stamped service book. This is a great candidate for future investment, or as a high-speed grand tourer with near-supercar performance.SL-7988.jpg7.92 MB
Aside from a small amount of seat bolster wear and a tiny amount of wear to the leather on the gear selector, where you’ll find the starter button, everything is in superb condition. The air conditioning works, as does the Mercedes-Benz COMAND interface/infotainment centre and multi-way electric seat adjustment. The seats themselves are dark grey, offset by lighter grey highlights across the cabin. It’s a smart look.
This is an incredibly well-equipped car and it brings with it a sense of occasion, through details such as the AMG badges woven into the seat fabric and set into the dials.
The automatic roof is operated by a central switch, which can raise or lower the roof in less than 30 seconds. The roof is a masterpiece of engineering and is still in perfect working order. SL-8047.jpg13.31 MB
THE EXTERIOR
Designo-Brilliant Schwarz paintwork
20-spoke option AMG alloys
Goodyear Eagle tyres
Extremely well-presented
Finished in Designo-Brilliant Schwarz, the SL is a fabulous and stealthy-looking thing. Being an AMG, there are some delightful details, such as the chrome AMG-branded exhaust tips, silver side strakes and the 20-spoke alloy wheels, which were a factory option.
All of the paintwork is exceptional and there are no scuffs, marks or dents. Indeed, it has all the hallmarks of a car that had been properly looked after throughout its life. There are no visible signs of corrosion on top or underneath the car and it still looks bright and clean despite being over 19 years old. SL-8001.jpg9.86 MB
THE MECHANICS
5.5-litre supercharged V8
Automatic transmission
476bhp supercharged performance
Drives and runs very well
The highlight of this car is of course its 5.5-litre supercharged V8 engine, which looks almost as fantastic as it sounds.
Careful and regular servicing has ensured that the unit is still in very good health. It starts on the button, idles smoothly and sounds terrific, especially with the induction shriek from the supercharger.
The Active Body Control system doesn’t show up any faults – one of the first check to make when buying an SL of this era – and it drives exactly as it should with no warning lights on the dashboard.
The vendor describes the performance as exhilarating and the car has been comprehensively well-maintained by its previous owner.SL-8100.jpg14.84 MB
SUMMARY
This is a fabulous machine, with incredible performance and looks that are ageing beautifully as it approaches its 20th birthday. It’s in great condition, has a sensibly low mileage and is sold with no known issues and in very good condition throughout.
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