Interested parties should know that the private plate has been taken off the car and its original registration number of N203 NGP has been reinstated
Highlights
• Used sparingly, resulting in very low mileage
• Stored in heated, carpeted garage
• Ready for summer and with a hard top for winter
The Background
Launched in 1989, Mercedes’ R129 SL was an engineering tour de force with sharp styling and extensive use of technology. All were accompanied by a removable hard top which is electrically locked into place and creates what is effectively a GT coupe for the winter months. But they were really designed to be enjoyed with the roof down and with Mercedes’ focus on safety at the time, following extensive research, it was the first car to feature a pop up rollover bar which, when combined with the strengthened A pillar structure, created what was claimed to be the world’s safest soft-top.
It was available with a wide range of straight six, V6 and V8 engines and all provided more than enough shove. The 280 seen here is a double overhead cam, 4 valves per cylinder straight six driving the rear wheels through a five speed automatic gearbox. Build quality was famously robust and to this day, they remain a discerning choice as a stylish, luxury GT roadster.
The vendor sets a high bar for husbands everywhere as this example was bought when the car was just a few years old as a birthday present for his wife. Stored in a heated, carpeted garage, it’s been used for high days and holidays only and as a result has covered just six thousand miles in the last fourteen years and thirty thousand in total.
It has a full main dealer history for its first few years and eighteen thousand miles and thereafter has seen such low usage that it’s just had periodic oil and filter changes and a couple of MOT items attended to, with the current advisory-free ticket expiring on 30 January 2022.
In more recent years the title was transferred to another family member to allow him to insure it but he’s now moved abroad and now, lacking the space to store it, the owner has decided to let someone else enjoy it.
The V5 is present with the original number plate N203 NGP, as the current private plate will be retained by the owner.
The original Mercedes document folder contains the owner’s manual and a service booked stamped up to 1999 and 17,987 miles (though in the first couple of entries, whoever completed the service book seems to have missed a decimal point in the mileage).
Thereafter the minor servicing work is not documented, though the condition of the car speaks for itself.
Right from when you open the solidly built door and survey the magnesium-framed seats with built in seatbelts (a first at the time), you can see and feel the quality of the engineering that goes into an SL.
The light grey colour scheme makes a great compliment to the silver paintwork and the interior shows predictably little wear, given the mileage.
There are a few clues as to the car’s age: the driver’s seat, notably the outer bolster, has some patina, there are four screw holes on the passenger side of the transmission tunnel from a classic mobile phone installation and the pop up lid to the sunglasses holder in the centre of the dashboard is quite sticky, but aside from that the interior is essentially as new.
The boot is clean and tidy with an unused wind deflector stored behind its cover and original first aid kit, warning triangle and spare wheel all in place. All the buttons and switches in the cabin function as intended and the seats are supremely comfortable; it’s easy to imagine covering big mileages, even if that’s something that the car has so far failed to do!
Clearly it’s a matter of opinion, but to our eyes the design of the R129 SL has aged beautifully, whether top down or indeed with the hard top on.
The exterior condition is much as you would expect of a car that’s spent most of its life in a heated garage with carpet underfoot which is to say that the bodywork is in fine fettle but with a couple of marks from passing pedestrian traffic: a small dent on the passenger side wing at the rear, a few scuffs to the lower front bumper and a slight bash on the badge on the front grille. However, none of this detracts from a very straight and well-presented car.
The hard top, which comes with a stand for when it’s not in use, is likewise in great condition with unmarked headlining and the fabric roof also has a hardly used look with only a few signs of age on the plastic windows. The wheels, meanwhile, are all in good condition aside from some slight bubbling around the centres while they all wear tyres with a good level of tread.
Underneath there’s some slight surface corrosion but nothing that looks like it will trouble an MOT tester any time soon. In all, it still cuts an elegant dash and will surely make its next owner proud.
The engine bay is very original and, sporting a recent new battery, and the car fires up first time to a smooth and creamy idle. It pulls away almost silently and will cruise along very serenely, seemingly oblivious to potholes. That’s not to say that this is an open top limo though.
Prod the accelerator and she picks up in a very lively fashion with a lovely straight six soundtrack, and the roadholding is very much in line with its more sporting aspirations. A large roundabout taken at pace is ample demonstration of the surefooted nature of the chassis and the brakes are reassuringly effective.
The gearbox is consistently smooth up and down the gears and if there were any untoward noises, they’d be easy to hear given the remarkable level of refinement. Thankfully there are none and, although the car has had a light touch approach to maintenance in line with its usage, it seems ready to be fully enjoyed.
The R129 is a car that appeals on many levels. The obvious quality of the engineering is a draw in and as of itself but then it’s also hugely versatile; the extra usability afforded by the hard top means that this can be an all year round GT as well as a roadster. The market recognises this too: while used car prices in general are rising at the moment, the R129 SL looks to be outpacing the overall trend.
This example is one of the lowest mileage examples you will find and, having led a low-stress life, will surely have many more miles and years of enjoyment to offer. While the fun doesn’t stop in the winter, the best time to enjoy a car like this is clearly in the summer. Best get in quick while there’s some left!
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