Produced by Mercedes from 1971 to 1989 it became the second-longest single production run that Mercedes has ever done. Coming in many different variants ranging from the 280 SL up to the crazy 560 SL it was a very successful run and cemented the SL name in automotive history, a name that still lives on to this day.

In the 18-year production run, only 237,000 SLs were built making them a rare sight on UK roads today. With the brilliant design, this automobile will age gracefully unlike so many of its counterparts from that period. Throughout this car's life, it has been looked after properly with many loving owners resulting in the perfect example of a sleek Mercedes roadster.

With this R107 280sl, we were fortunate enough to see all the historical paperwork that will come with the car, with all this information the history of this SL is easily plottable.

Leaving the factory in ‘Signal Red’ towards the end of 1985 it went to start its life out in Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury. Looking at the Mercedes service stamps from the time it may have stayed with the first owner until around 1998 and 61,000 miles, we cannot say this for certain but between 1985-98 it is serviced at the same Mercedes garage.

From 1998 onwards it moves forwards from the Aylesbury area into London where it has a few owners, but these owners are good with their record keeping. They have had the hindsight to keep many of the invoices for the works that were completed throughout these ownerships. If the new owner would want to spend a fun-filled afternoon piecing together the history of this car the paperwork is there to help them.

The current owner purchased this car back in 2017 after there was some recommissioning work that had been completed, there are photos that document this process. Within their ownership, this SL has been flawless undertaking many long trips down to the Cornish coast with ease. Recently some welding work has been complete, to the tune of around £4,000, meaning the new owner should not have to worry about the dreaded tin worm.

There is a mountain of paperwork that will come with this car. From original Mercedes literature to older invoices that document works that have been completed to this car over the past 35 plus years. From a vast collection of modern and old-style MOT certificates to a few assorted tax discs and the all-important V5c allowing a swift and easy change of ownership avoiding lengthy delays at the DVLA.

Over the current ownership, this car has not needed that much to keep her going, the usual servicing seems to be about the only mechanical attention it has needed. On the body side, this car has received a fair amount of welding recently, reportedly around £4,000 worth of work, this should now see this SL by for the next 35+ years of its life.

An important part of this Mercedes’ paperwork dossier is the service book, take a flick through and you are met with a lot of stamps, with the earliest being in 1985 where it had 595 miles on the clock to the most recent stamp in 2008 where it was at 90,000 miles. Although this is where the stamps stop, the current owner did assure us that the car has been through several services during their ownership.

The interior of this SL is in remarkable condition. Almost all the interior shows little signs about the age some small details like the dashboard are presented with no cracks and there is also modern radio. Which is perfect should you choose to take this SL on a longer trip.

The biggest component in the interior, the seats, are in great condition with no rips or tears to the material. Being finished in a beautiful two-tone leather they are a lovely place to sit whilst you cruise to your destination. The carpets, which are colour coded to the darker half of the seats, are in great condition showing no signs of wear and tear.

Even the mat that covers the floor on the driver’s side is in great condition with no holes in the material.

Within the interior, many other little elements help bring it together as one of those iconic pieces of Mercedes design. The wood-finished center console is in great condition with no delamination visible. Alongside the wood are many metallic accents like the most notable one on the side of the seats, these parts are all in great condition within the interior of this SL.

Mercedes hit onto a winner with the previous generation ‘Pagoda’ SL, like the Pagoda the R107 was also equipped with the same system of a soft and hard top configuration. With the hardtop anchored into place, the interior becomes a purposeful driving zone, you feel like you are driving something sporty.

When you have had enough of the hardtop you can remove it all together and use the fabric roof which folds into place quickly and easily, once this fabric roof is up it transforms the interior into a softer environment, and you know within seconds you can drop the roof and turn it into a full convertible.

The final element of the three roof options being no roof at all is really what the SL is about. Once the fabric roof is stowed neatly within the rear deck it floods the interior with light and once again changes the feel of the interior.

The only issue with the interior of this SL is that the 1980s aircon does not work, the new owner will probably have to look into getting a new compressor. However, with this being a convertible who needs aircon anyway, should you get hot just retract the roof and put the windows down, this is a much more stylish answer to English weather than aircon.

Whatever the weather is the SL has an interior that can suit them all. With the interior of this R107 being in such great condition, it will be a great place to sit and enjoy those sunny trips down some brilliant English B-roads to the beach.

The simple straight lines of an R107 SL are a timeless piece of automotive design, the R129 generation that followed would grow and altogether look a bit more bulbous. This R107 is present in excellent exterior condition, much like the interior, this car has been looked after.

All the panels and lines on this car are extremely straight, with only one small piece of damage on the driver’s door. Apart from this small detail, there is no other obvious damage to the exterior.

Having a look at this SL’s fabric black fabric roof it is in great condition and there is an invoice that would refer to the fact that this was replaced in 2016 to the tune of almost £1,000 so the new owner will not have to worry about replacing it any time soon. With the fabric stowed away neatly underneath the rear deck we are then able to attach the hardtop, this colour matching hard top fastens securely to its mounting points using one of the two ‘keys’ available.

Should you want either a hardtop or soft-top roadster then the R107 Mercedes SL is the perfect option, it offers brilliant looks at an excellent price point. With this SL being in such amazing condition it is the perfect companion for the upcoming road trip season.

Like both the exterior and interior conditions, the mechanical elements of this SL are also in great condition. One key factor of an older Mercedes-Benz is that the engines are usually as bulletproof as you can get and with just a fraction over 100,000 miles it is sure to live on long into the future.

This SL has multiple stamps in its service book and a lot of paperwork that reference the fact that a lot of mechanical work has been undertaken to keep her on the road. In the current ownership, this car has not needed any major works with only the regular servicing being completed, the only modification that the current owner has fitted is a battery isolator switch. This is to help protect the battery when the car is parked up and not in use.

With this being the 280SL it is fitted with a 2.8L inline 6 producing just shy of 200hp this power is fed through a 4-speed automatic gearbox to the rear wheels. All of these elements lead to an excellent driving experience whether you’re popping to the shops or going on a road trip. The next owner will be getting a car that is almost perfect and ready for any adventure that they may want to do with it.

 The way this SL looks and performs it is the perfect addition to your garage for the upcoming spring and summer. If you can’t make up your mind to whether you want a soft-top or a hard-top for the warmer weather then why not just get a car that can do both without compromising.

 With all of the mechanical, interior, and exterior elements being in great condition this is one of the best out there and ready for anything you may want to throw at it. Don’t miss out on a perfect car for the summer!


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