The Mercedes R107 SL has become something of a legend, as the company’s second longest running production model after the G-class. There’s good reason for that too – they’re stylish, beautifully built and offer a wealth of drivetrain and specification options. 

Here we have a very nice example of a 280SL, presented in original, unrestored condition and with an excellent colour scheme. With a solid history of servicing and maintenance to back it up, this SL offers an awful lot of car for the money.

While the paintwork may appear to be gold, it is in fact ‘473 Champagne’. It presents very well, having clearly been cared for over the years. In 2016 the owner had new rear arches, lower doors and a new offside wing fitted and the paint was refreshed. In fact, all the body panels look nice and straight, with no signs of corrosion and we could see no evidence  of damage. The work has clearly been carried out to a good standard. Of course, there is the odd blemish in the paint as you’d expect from a 38-year-old car, but overall the bodywork is in excellent condition.

The car is riding on traditional 14” steel wheels, capped with chrome and body-coloured wheel covers and shod with brand new Dunlop tyres. The tyres obviously are in excellent condition. The wheel covers are in good condition, with some scuffs and scratches particularly at the edges, but otherwise looking good.

One real highlight of this car is the fact it has had a new fabric hood fitted. Needless to say, it is in excellent condition, with no signs of damage, tears or UV damage. The fitment looks to be superb, and should give many years of service to its new owner. The car also comes with the removable SL hardtop, a fantastic extra to have that gives the vehicle real “all weather” ability, perfect for long-distance journeys. Like the main bodywork, this roof is in fine condition, with good paint and no signs of damage we can see, either to the metal or the rear screen. The brightwork that adorns it looks to be in a similarly excellent state.

Like all SLs of this vintage, the car is liberally sprinkled with brightwork, all of which is in fine, original, unrestored condition. Generally, the chrome is in very good condition throughout the vehicle, with only a few minor signs of age and wear. There is some minor pitting to the chrome on the rear of the bootlid, but nothing that would raise any concern for us. The rest of the trim, glass and light lenses is are similarly good condition and complete. The only trim piece we could see was missing is the black plastic grille that sits in the lower front valance, but this should still be relatively easy to acquire.

Underneath, the vehicle confutes its age, with the floor pans, sills, chassis and drivetrain elements all looking very clean, straight and in fine condition. There was no damage we could see, and certainly no corrosion that would concern us. There is small amount of surface corrosion on the seam of the OS sill at one end, but otherwise the underside of the car is much better than you could expect from a car of this age and mileage.

We’ve always loved the driving environment in the R107 SL – it’s an open, airy and very comfortable place to be, with well laid out controls. Here the dashboard is in fine condition, finished with a padded vinyl upper surface and wood veneer trim, it’s an elegant design. There are no cracks or significant wear evident on the dashboard, and no evidence of warping or UV damage. Similarly, the wood veneer looks in very nice condition, with a nice lustre and no signs of cracking or chipping we could see. 

The only issue with the internal trim we could see is where something has previously been attached to the plastic trim in the passenger side footwell – there are now a number of screw holes there. All of the switchgear and instrumentation looks to be in excellent condition, with no significant wear. The vendor assures us that all of the cabin’s features work just as you’d expect.

One upgrade that has been made to the interior is the fitment of a retro-styled modern stereo. It certainly looks the part, fitting right in with the R107’s aesthetic, and offers multiple options for connectivity including Bluetooth, USB, SD card and Aux port.

The upholstery is the original cream leather, which runs across all of the seating and the door cards. It presents well, in good condition, with just a few abrasions and scuff marks commensurate with the age and mileage of the vehicle. In particular, the back seat is in very nice condition, with the fronts displaying a little more wear. One issue to note is that the driver’s seat has significantly more wear than the other seats, including some heavier wear to the outer bolster. There are no rips or tears in the leather, although it could do with a good valet to bring it back to its best.

Through the cabin oatmeal carpets are fitted, with complementary over-mats. These are in good condition, with no signs of significant wear or damage.

The boot area of the vehicle presents well, lined with oatmeal carpets to match the cabin. Under the carpet, the floor looks clean and straight, with no evidence of corrosion or accident damage. There is a full-size spare wheel included, as well as a fire extinguisher and first aid kit.

Mercedes’ inline-six engines are the stuff of legend, and the lovely 2.8 DOHC unit found in this SL is no different. They’re a powerful and torquey unit, offering 182bhp to the rear wheels. With a brilliant engine note and relaxing character, especially when mated to the automatic transmission of this model, they make for the perfect drivetrain in a luxury roadster.

Here the engine and mechanicals are in good condition, with the owner telling us that the car drives “perfectly”. Certainly, the engine bay itself is very well presented, clean and straight with no evidence of leaks or corrosion. With the wealth of maintenance receipts and long initial service history, we’ve no doubt that this classy convertible has many journeys left yet.

There’s a reason the SL remains a popular classic car – they work, and they do so beautifully. With plenty of power for modern roads, a wonderfully compliant ride, bombproof build quality and the kind of elegant styling most car designers strive their entire careers to achieve, they make complete sense as a modern classic.

This is very nice example too, with excellent bodywork in a great colour, an original interior and a good history of maintenance, it’s ideal for anyone looking for a handsome, usable and sophisticated daily classic.