Introduced in 1972, the classic R107 SL was one of the most stylish cars of the 1970s and 1980s – a symbol of wealth and good taste and one of the most aspirational cars money could buy, finding favour among the rich and famous.
In the UK, it survived the economic strife of the Seventies to end its life as a symbol of Eighties extravagance – a definition of the Yuppie Years that defined a decade. It was a popular car, not least for its handsome styling (the work of Joseph Gallitzendörfer, who was a senior stylist with Mercedes-Benz for over 30 years). Its comfort, solidity, sturdiness and mechanical longevity also helped it enjoy an 18-year sales run.
It had a very advanced roof system for its era, whereby the retractable soft top could be folded down and stored under a body-coloured tonneau cover and the hardtop fitted on top for use over winter, which in many ways made the SL one of the first-ever coupé-cabriolets.
This example is a 500SL, which is the most desirable of the standard SLs. That means it gets a 230bhp 4,973cc V8 and automatic transmission. It’s a 1985 model direct from a private collection where it has been stored for the past seven years. It comes with a full service history and lots of old invoices.sVWRGdYOZik9OxinS4hDJlt8Q9iG5MJ2a6oThNzr.jpeg2.05 MB
The History and Paperwork
Fully stamped service book
Original manuals and papers
Recent invoices for mechanical work
Old MOT certificates
The current owner has had the Mercedes in his collection since 2015, during which time it has been kept in secure, dry storage and run up occasionally and kept ready for when he needs it. He has spent a fair amount on the SL including a recent refurbishment of the iconic ‘Mexican Hat’ alloy wheels.
This is a smart car from all angles and the interior is largely very good, with none of the cracks often seen on an R107 dashboard.
The doors, headlining (in the hardtop) and carpets are in sound order, while the seats are in serviceable, quite tidy condition but show signs of cracks and splits from ageing and would benefit from a refurb. Similarly, the door cards are presentable but not perfect. It’s a car you can use “as is” perfectly happily, or you could improve the interior and take it to the next level.6RWS71O5RxA5B7WdUtPv8yGzk78xYfZRmPkHMEOc.jpeg1 MB
The Exterior
Diamond White
Very smart condition
Newly refurbished alloys
Sound overall
Finished in striking Diamond White, the SL presents very smarty indeed with only a few very minor cosmetic flaws, notably some bubbles under the paint on the leading edge of the nearside front wing and one door bottom, and some light surface corrosion to the inner arches.
Underneath it has seen some rectification work in the past, carried out to a good standard, and it still appears quite solid, though there’s one are of corrosion at the trailing edge of the offside rear sill that will require attention sooner rather than later.
The 4,973cc V8 engine starts well and appears to run fine, holding excellent oil pressure. It ran beautifully during our photoshoot and engaged both forward and reverse gears smoothly and with no jerkiness. The vendor describes it as a pleasure to drive with no known mechanical faults. DxbP0ayNKPyTYiedusNTH5UTTF7mqHvsEt7Aw6GD.jpeg929.57 KB
Summary
R107s have been on the up and up over recent years and this one is a great spec – a late pre-facelift 500 SL, which is the best of both worlds - the prettiest example and also the best engine. It’s in one of the best colours and has an impressive history behind it.
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