***Vendor supplied images***

Highlights

A lovely looking example in Aquamarine Blue over Cream Beige leather
Restored in a joint venture by Practical Classics Magazine and Amazon for a YouTube feature
Benefitting from many new parts including soft top and quality tyres

The Appeal

The R129 Mercedes Benz had huge, automotive shoes to fill when it was launched in 1989. It’s predecessor, the R107, had been a worldwide success and remained in production for over 17 years. Seemingly understanding what was at stake, Mercedes sensibly delegated development to design guru, Bruno Sacco.

Appropriate to the dawn of the internet age, the R129 was reassuringly packed to the gunwales with state-of-the-art electronic wizardry. Details such as the automatically deploying roll over hoop (in 0.3 seconds) and the seats which contained no less than 20 patented parts caught the imagination and encapsulated the zeitgeist of the changing times.

This example was bought to become the subject of a restoration collaboration between Practical Classics Magazine and Amazon for their “Fixing Up with Amazon” series. During this process many key parts were replaced, and various maintenance tasks were attended to. The car then became the subject of a free competition giveaway. The person who won the car is now looking to sell it, purely due to a lack of suitable storage.

The History and Paperwork

When bought, prior to the restoration, no paperwork was included with the car
What is present today is, consequently, minimal
What we do know is the car was first registered in December 1997
The car is known to have covered around 50,000 miles since 2006
This represents under 3,000 miles per year on average, during that period
In March 2022 the car was acquired for the “Fixing Up with Amazon” series
The team attended to numerous works at this stage
This included welding and paintwork, new hood, wheels and tyres
Routine maintenance was also attended to at this stage
Early in 2023 the car was given away in a free competition
The winner of the car is now looking to sell it due to lack of storage
The paperwork is limited to the current V5 in the name of the owner
The car holds an advisory free MoT until October 2023

The Interior

The superb interior is predominantly finished in “Beige / Cream” leather
The front seats feature perforated centres with solid bolsters
The front seats are fully electrically adjustable
The front seats are also electrically heated
There is some age-related patina to the driver’s seat and bolster
Given the car’s mileage, however, the seats present very well with no splits or tears
The rear seats are of the very “occasional” variety
They do fold to provide a useful carpeted shelf for additional storage
The condition of the rear seats can be considered as very good
The light brown carpets appear to be in a good condition but may benefit from a deep clean
The dashboard is finished in beige with carpeted lower sections
The centre console is finished in dark walnut veneer
The four spoke wheel is finished in light leather and dark wood veneer
The familiar VDO gauge set sits in a hooded binnacle behind the wheel
A contemporary Pioneer CD head unit is fitted
The hardtop’s beige flocked headlining appears to be in excellent condition
The boot is neatly carpeted in its original light brown carpet set
A full-sized spare is housed under the boot floor
A hard-top rack and cover are in the boot and understood to be included
The interior boot release switch is currently not working with key opening required
The nearside wing mirror switch is also currently inoperative

The Exterior

This example is finished in the lovely, eye-catching Aquamarine Blue (941) shade
The paintwork appears to be in a fine, overall condition
It exudes a deep and lustrous shine throughout
The bodywork appears very straight too
It is known that some welding and paintwork was undertaken during the restoration
The 18-inch split rim alloy wheels are known to have been fitted at this point too
They present in a very good condition with only the odd minor scratch in evidence
The rims are shod in a matching set of quality Continental Sport tyres
These were fitted new with the wheels and are in the correct 235/40 configuration
Cabin glass and light lenses all appear to be in great condition and likely original
Although not pictured, it is known that a new soft top was fitted during the restoration
Overall, the car looks great with only the odd minor scratch and scrape reported

The Mechanics

This ultimate sports tourer is fitted with the well-proven M112 E32 3.2L V6 petrol engine
Power is fed to the rear wheels via a smooth changing five speed automatic gearbox
Much mechanical attention was lavished on the SL during its “Fixing Up”
This includes new disks and pads all round
New oils and fluids together with the appropriate filters were added
A Noko Genius 2D battery charger and conditioner has been fitted
Given all this the owner reports the car starts and runs very well
No mechanical issues are reported, and the car is said to sound great too
The under-bonnet presentation is in keeping with a well-maintained car
Even the underside looks clean and straight for a car of this age and mileage

Summary

The R129 follows a long line of illustrious forebears that are already highly desirable and becoming increasingly valuable. In this context he R129 still represents incredible value, currently. This usually means that prices will continue to strengthen as time passes and the supply of good examples dwindles. Now represents a great time, then, to consider R129 ownership.

This is an interesting example which comes to market via an unusual route. It has clearly enjoyed the attentions of classic car specialists in its recent past and many of the potential problem areas have been attended to. Finally, these cars are built to last, and how! This is your opportunity to become an R129 owner before prices become less attainable and, ultimately, prohibitive for many.

Notice to bidders

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