Perhaps one of the more famous badges in the Mercedes stable, the SL (officially meaning “Super Leicht”, or “super light”) has been with us since the 1950s and adorned many of the company's most desirable vehicles.
This fourth-generation R230 model made its debut in 2001 – in fact first appearing as a safety car in the 2001 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim – and, following a 2006 facelift, remained in production until 2010 before the R231 replaced it.
The SL350 here was first registered in July 2003, and seems to have spent all of its life in the north of England. Its original “NX” prefix plate marks it out as a citizen of the north, and every MOT has taken place at garages in the region – Carlisle, Stockton, and Newcastle.
At just over 56,000 miles from new, the SL has managed a modest 3,000 miles a year on average – up to 9,000 in its busiest year – so it has seen regular but sparing use.
The current owner is the car's eighth – equating to a little over two years per owner – having picked the SL up in November 2020 as a “treat” purchase. However he's finding little opportunity to drive it and is keen to see it move to an enthusiast.
Along with the original owner's handbook – which is a pretty weighty tome – the SL350 comes with a wallet folder of paperwork that covers roughly the last five years.
The folder contains MOT certificates across that time - although as the car's first test was in 2006, this is all available through the MOT check website – and a selection of satisfyingly small bills and receipts, suggesting that this once-£56,000 car isn't actually all that expensive to run.
There's no disguising that the SL is a big car, but it is a pure two-seat convertible on the inside – albeit quite a roomy one!
The two seats are in good condition, with the passenger seat the better of the two. There's only some superficial signs of wear on the driver's seat bolster, and no major marking, staining or tears to be concerned about. All the electric functions on both seats – located on the door panels – seem to operate as they ought.
There's good quality carpeting throughout, and it all looks to be in excellent condition, with AMG over-mats protecting them further – although these look to be similarly well preserved. Clearly the occupants have been diligent in wiping their feet before they get in!
Behind the front seats is a small storage area with a couple of pockets, one of which contains that classic piece of 00s infotainment: the CD multichanger. Like the glovebox and the door pockets, these are all suede-lined and all in very good condition.
Everything electronic that we poked and pressed looks in full working order, from the infotainment screen to the various heat and seater controls. We couldn't test the in-built phone system – a pleasingly executive addition! - as there's no phone attached, but otherwise everything works as it should.
The boot is spacious even when the roof is folded down; there's a moving protector which also serves as a guide for how much you can stow when the roof is off, and also a convenience function for moving the roof panel out of the way slightly for easier access when loading and unloading.
One additional note is the presence of the original first-aid kit, in the front storage space of the passenger seat.
On the outside, the Mercedes is in very impressive condition. The silver paintwork has benefitted from a recent machine polish and it's certainly come up a treat. You would be hard-pressed to say this is a car coming up on 20 years old.
The owner has recently also repainted the black panels either side of the rear screen, which had started to see some sun damage – not an unusual occurrence – so these are also back to their best. There's also an AMG car cover, so the new owner can keep everything in great condition.
One thing SL fans will spot is the front grille. This is the single-bar item from the SL55 model, rather than the four-bar SL350 version. The original is available with the car, although the fitted item adds a little more road presence.
All of the vehicle lighting seems to work as it should, and there's no damage to any of the glass elements or the windows.
The five-spoke wheels are all in generally good condition, but there is a small area on all four – around the wheel bolt recesses and centre caps – where some of the lacquer is coming away. All four tyres are in good condition, with the nearside front being a relatively newer item.
As you'll see quite readily, the car is on a private plate and this is included with the vehicle.
This pre-facelift SL350 comes with a 3.7-litre V6 mated to a six-speed automatic, and while the V8 might grab the headlines and make the best noises, it's still a decent and reliable unit – and not only more frugal at ~25mpg, but rated as the better-handling car even without the “ABC” air suspension option.
It also makes some pretty good noises itself. The SL350 starts up without a fuss and is both subtle at low speeds and plenty rorty enough when provoked into action!
The engine bay is pretty much clean enough to eat off, and there's no signs of fluid leaks anywhere; all signs under the bonnet point to a car that has been well kept and wanted for nothing.
On the road the SL's suspension and brakes all appear entirely capable of dealing with the not inconsiderable weight of the big coupe, with no complaints or untoward noises, and the gearbox operates smoothly in all forward gears and reverse.
It's also worth noting that the rear battery – the R320 has two, with the rear one responsible for cabin electronics – has recently been replaced.
Although the last of this generation of SL left the factory a decade ago, the design has remained pretty fresh. It's a big, chic coupe that will fit in just about anywhere it goes, and the “Vario Roof” gives it a stylish approach to all-weather motoring.
With the more sensible V6 under the nose, the SL350 is the wise choice for someone who wants a car equally at home cruising around city streets as it is on a cross-continent jaunt.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
Il modo più sicuro per acquistare un'auto d'epoca online
Il sistema di pagamento sicuro di Car & Classic protegge acquirenti e venditori. Al termine dell'asta, l'offerente vincente trasferisce il pagamento su un conto vincolato di terzi. Una volta completato il trasferimento del veicolo, entrambe le parti confermano di essere soddisfatte della vendita e il denaro viene rilasciato al venditore.
Maggiori informazioni su come acquistare con noi
2003 Mercedes-Benz SL350
Come funzionano le offerte massime
Il processo di offerta massima ti permette di fare offerte senza preoccupazioni.
Inserisci la tua offerta massima e il sistema farà offerte automaticamente per assicurarsi che tu sia il miglior offerente - fino all'ammontare da te stabilito come tetto massimo.
Anti-sniping
Car & Classic contrasta il fenomeno dello “sniping”, ovvero il fenomeno dei rilanci all'ultimo secondo per vincere l'asta.
Se viene fatta un'offerta nei 3 minuti prima della chiusura dell'asta, la scadenza di questa viene automaticamente estesa di 2 minuti per permettere agli altri offerenti di reagire e, se lo desiderano, di rilanciare.
Incrementi di offerta automatica
Se la sua offerta massima è uguale o inferiore al prezzo di riserva, la sua offerta massima sarà applicata per intero se lei è il miglior offerente.
Se siete il miglior offerente e fate un'offerta massima superiore a quella di riserva, la riserva verrà automaticamente inserita come prima offerta.
Una volta raggiunta la riserva, Car & Classic si assicurerà che tu sia il miglior offerente utilizzando solo gli incrementi di offerta indicati di seguito.
Vi terremo in testa fino alla vostra offerta massima O all'incremento più vicino alla vostra offerta massima, a condizione che la vostra offerta massima sia sufficiente a coprire il valore dell'incremento.
Ammontare dell'offerta
Incremento
Da £0 a £9,999
£100.00
Da £10,000 a £49,999
£250.00
Da £50,000 a £99,999
£500.00
£100,000 +
£1,000.00
Superamento immediato dell'offerta
Quando piazzi un'offerta massima e questa viene immediatamente superata, questo significa che un altro offerente ha impostato una soglia di offerta massima superiore alla tua.
Puoi fare nuovamente un'offerta o impostare una soglia più alta di offerta massima e il nostro sistema rilancerà fino alla nuova soglia, cercando di portarti a essere il miglior offerente.
Offerte massime di pari ammontare
Quando ci sono due offerte massime di pari ammontare, quella impostata per prima è quella che viene considerata “migliore offerta”.
Pre-autorizzazione
Potremmo trattenere un piccolo importo di pre-autorizzazione sulla tua carta fino alla fine dell'asta, quando quest'ultimo verrà poi stornato. Se vinci, verrà prelevata una caparra che verrà detratta dal pagamento del prezzo di vendita per il veicolo e non comporta costi aggiuntivi per te.
Cosa sono le Offerte pre-asta?
Offerte pre-asta significa che avete la possibilità di fare offerte prima dell'inizio ufficiale dell'asta.
Verrà comunicato se si è il miglior offerente o meno all'inizio dell'asta.
Problema con l'offerta
Le offerte sono contrattualmente vincolanti. Per tutelare l'utente, sono previste alcune regole nel caso in cui si ritenga che sia stato digitato in modo errato. Si prega di controllare e modificare quanto inserito.
