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 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 420SL – which replaced the 380SL in 1985 to become the ‘baby’ V8, with a still fairly impressive 216bhp. The engine was a revised and uprated unit, giving a top speed of 132 mph and a respectable 0-60 mph time of 8.5 seconds.

The current owner of the SL is a North London-based car collector who has owned several R107s over the years, this one being a fairly recent acquisition that he purchased for its rarity – most V8s are 500s, and thanks to a relatively short production run the 420 is a rare thing. 

It has covered 167,754 miles so is no low-mileage show pony, but the condition of the car is astonishing and reflects a lifetime of careful maintenance. The previous owner certainly cherished the car, only using it occasionally but ensuring it was always tested.

 The MOT history shows that it has covered just over 1,000 miles in the past decade, so it has been used regularly but sparingly. 

The car has just been returned to the road after being laid up for a year, with a new MOT and a full service.

There isn't a huge amount of paperwork supplied with the car, though it does have a V5C in the name of the vendor and an MOT certificate valid until January 2023. 

Sadly there are no bills to back up the car’s history. The vendor bought the car from a long term owner who unfortunately has been unable to find the car’s history file since moving house – a shame, as he said it had a fairly extensive service record beforehand. The condition certainly backs up a life of care and good maintenance. 

E814 KDP is in extremely good overall condition, with no visible corrosion other than a tiny bubble at the bottom of one wheel arch. The underside appears to be very solid with no areas of concern, and while it had welding carried out 10 years ago during an MOT test it hasn’t needed any since. 

At the recent MOT inspection, the tester remarked that it was in exceptional order underneath. 

The original Diamond Blue paintwork is in very smart order and retains a good shine. It’s a 35-year old car, so there’s a chance it has had some paintwork in the past, but if it has then the job is of exceptional quality. 

The vendor also has the chrome trims for the join between the headlights and the wings – they’re not on the car as they’re a well-known R107 moisture trap, but can be fitted if requested. Many owners choose not to. 

The 15-inch alloy wheels are all in good order, including the spare, and all of the chrome and trim is in good order, with no notable damage or deterioration.

The car is supplied fitted with its factory hardtop which matches the Diamond Blue paint scheme of the exterior. The top is free of any rust, even on the notoriously fragile underside, while the roof aperture in which the soft-top sits is also rot-free.

The canvas roof isn’t perfect, but it’s weatherproof and the blue canvas is in decent order. There’s a small nick on the rear panel and the back window has gone cloudy. But SLs are never best enjoyed with the roof up – they work best with it stashed beneath the metal tonneau, or as a hardtop coupé.

At first glance, the interior of this car is really good, and as a regular use classic it’s more than serviceable – everything works, the carpets and door trims are excellent and it has a modern upgraded stereo, meaning you can enjoy it as a regular cruiser. 

Look more closely and there are a couple of things you might want to improve. There’s a small hole in the back seat, and a pull on the passenger seat base, while the wood trim on the centre console and above the glove box has sustained lacquer damage. The wood itself is fine, but will need relacquering to be perfect.

The 4,196cc V8 starts well from cold and sounds fabulous, with no excessive smoke or untoward noises. It is well-presented, with all of the fluids at their specified levels and no signs of any leaks.

It’s a strong unit, which holds good oil pressure and idles smoothly. The vendor reports that the car drives really well, and that the four-speed automatic gearbox works as it should, and that the steering, suspension components and brakes all appear to be in good order, as backed up by the recent MOT test. 

R107s are commanding strong money at the moment and their popularity is only going to get even greater as they get older.

But that's hardly surprising. There are few cars, if any, that can match their wonderful build quality, cruising comfort and all-round style. It's a timeless design and one that, if anything, just gets richer and better with age.

This is a really smart, presentable and clearly very original car and because it’s not a micro-mileage concours car you can jump in, drive it, enjoy it and look very, very cool indeed. It’s a lovely car with bags of appeal.