Description
1997 Mercedes-Benz R129 SL320
Ex-SL Shop example
45, 000 miles
Just 3 former keepers
Full & continuous service history from new
Folder with all bills & receipts in chronological order
All original handbooks & tools
Original panoramic hardtop included
Cherished & garaged, only used on dry days in the summer months
You will not find a better example
MOT February 2027
I have owned the car for nearly 6 years and have maintained it regardless of cost as part of my small collection of classics. I’ve only used it on dry, sunny days in the summer months, otherwise it’s been stored and covered in my dry garage. It’s been serviced every year and there are all the stamps in two service books and bills & receipts, together with old MOTs, all filed chronologically in a folder. The car was purchased from the SL Shop by the second owner in 2013. It was then sold to a retired gentleman from Hampshire who was the third owner, then I bought it in 2020.
As a facelift R129 from 1997, this model does not suffer from the dreaded biodegradable wiring loom and it has the bulletproof straight six engine which has never required topping up with any fluids between services.
The car is presented in Mercedes Brilliant Silver (744) with a full blue (262) leather interior and a navy hood, which was replaced by me in 2023 at a cost of £1200. The car also has the rare and desirable panoramic hardtop, which is in excellent condition.
Bodywork/ glass/ hood
You will be hard pressed to find a mark on the car, the paintwork is immaculate and has benefitted from regular waxing including with Autoglym High Definition Wax. Last summer, I had the windscreen replaced as the original had cracked. As noted above, a new hood was professionally fitted in 2023 and it looks amazing. The original wind deflector is present.
Wheels/ tyres
When I bought the car, it was on (genuine) AMG split rim wheels, which, though rare and valuable, were not to my taste, so I purchased a set of 5 new Mercedes ‘Alamak’ 8-hole alloy wheels, which were originally fitted to the car when new and these were then fitted with a set of premium MO (Mercedes Original) Pirelli P7 tyres, including the spare, which is still unused. The car has covered about 3000 miles since then.
Engine and gearbox
The low mileage engine has no known faults and performs superbly. It uses no water or oil between services. The original radiator split after we toured France in the car in the summer of 2024 and as these are no longer available, I had a new aluminium radiator fitted so this will not give any trouble for the foreseeable future. The automatic gearbox changes smoothly and almost imperceptibly. I had the gearbox oil and filter changed in 2021.
Interior
The blue leather interior and walnut veneers are superb, with a small amount of patina to the seats. There are no rips or tears. The carpets are immaculate under the original Mercedes overmats. The car has the rear seat option. The air conditioning works, in fact everything works so I’ll leave it at that. I replaced the original Mercedes Audio 10 CD/ Radio with a retro looking Continental DAB/ Bluetooth unit. I still have the original Audio 10 as well, which could easily be refitted.
I am now selling the car as I have not used it much over the last two years as if it’s a dry day, I tend to use one of my older classics. I’ll be sorry to see it go.
For more details about the car, please give me a call. I find that serious buyers will telephone rather than text or email. If I don’t pick up, please leave a message and I’ll call you back. I am located in Somerset, near Weston-super-Mare, not far from junction 22 of the M5.
I won’t reply to ‘what’s your best price’ messages but I will have a small haggle with serious buyers once they have inspected the car and seen how nice it is. I believe it’s realistically priced for such a fantastic example, which requires nothing spending on it for the foreseeable future.
If you’re seriously looking for an R129, you will buy this one.
£12, 950
