Produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1989-2001 the R129 SL-Class was a sporty two-seater roadster built to rival the offerings from other manufacturers. Within the life span, Mercedes produced 213,000 SL’s in varying spec levels from the entry 2.8l inline-six to the crazy AMG 7.3L V12.

With this being a 1999 SL280 it benefits from a few distinctive facelift features, comprising of a few little updates inside and out to keep it current and up to date into the early noughties. These R129’s are now classed as modern classics and are a great entry-level sports roadster, popular among most car communities it is a great companion for anyone seeking the thrills of top-down motoring.

Leaving the Bremen factory in 1998 it arrived in the UK in February of the same year where it was delivered to the excited first owner. It would soon move on to the second owner who would then sell it to their relative so ownership would change but it would stay within the same household.

Since 2007 the current owner has been the custodian of the car, during their ownership, there have never really been any issues with either reliability or drivability with the car firing straight up after a long-extended trip overseas.

This SL has been the owner’s daily driver with many trips down the motorway to work and back with no major issues. Through changes of circumstances and the introduction of ULEZ, the owner has decided to move it on for it to start a new life and create many happy memories with the new owner.

The is a little bit of paperwork that comes with this SL including the V5C, a few MOT certificates (the current MOT runs until mid-July), and the original Mercedes literature still in its leather-bound folder. In the folder, you will also find the service book with genuine Mercedes dealer stamps up until 2013. After this the current owner got the car serviced locally by a mechanic friend who has kept this SL280 running perfectly.

The interior of this SL280 is presented in great condition, with the original leather, switchgear, and wooden accents all showing little signs of its 23 years on the road.

Fitted with beautifully comfortable electrically operated and heated leather seats, with all these added functions working well it makes this a comfortable cruiser for any type of trip you could go on. The only issue with these seats is that the front passenger seat seatbelt has broken so you cannot plug the seatbelt in. To match the seats that are in great condition the carpets are also in great condition, showing little signs of damage or wear.

Little details often overlooked on an interior like the door cards, headlining, sun visors, and central armrest are also in great condition. This is probably due to the lack of mileage and level of care that the current owner has lavished over it during their ownership.

With this being an SL you can have three roof options, hard-top, soft-top, or top-down. We can comment on the hard-top interior and say that it is in good condition with the process of unlatching and removing easily. After you have removed the roof the interior roll hoop does swing up and lock into place. However, we cannot comment on the interior condition of the fabric hood.

This is because on the day of the photoshoot it would not go up, however, you could hear it wanting to work. The current owner did say that since his ownership (2007 until now) they have not used this fabric roof, so it has probably just got a bit stiff though not being used.

Overall the interior condition of this SL280 is great, it will be a great place to sit back and relax as you munch miles on the way to your destination.

The exterior of any R129 SL Mercedes is instantly recognisable. With the simplistic aerodynamic lines now a timeless piece of design, the big bonnet that extends in front of you houses the Inline 6 2.8l engine that provides classic Mercedes bulletproof reliability.

This SL280 is presented in good exterior condition. All the body panels are straight and present with no major scratches, dents, or paint bubbling present. It could however do with a session with a detailer to get into all the nooks and crannies after this it’ll be bought back up to like-new condition.

One of the most obvious places on the exterior that needs some attention is the four alloys, all four could do with refurbishment. If you look at the spare in the boot you can see that once they are done, they look amazing.

The SL is famous for having 3 roof options, as has previously been explained, the hardtop metal roof is in good condition with all the locking points being straight and the roof easily locks into place. The fabric roof we can’t comment on the outer condition as it was not able to go up on the day of the photoshoot. The current owner does state that it is a nice blue colour that should complement the silver paintwork wonderfully.

With the car being design in Germany there is obviously a fail-safe/manual way to open this fabric roof. It involves undoing a couple of bolts found at the base of the electric roll over hoop, flipping the rear deck up, then manually unfolding the roof into place and finally clicking it into place. There are many videos out there on YouTube that should help a budding home mechanic. This is not a final solution into fixing the roof but it should allow the new owner to assess the condition of this fabric roof.

Once the hardtop is removed you unlock a whole new driving experience. Opening the cabin to the outside is what this whole car is all about. It lets a ton of light into the cabin making it feel like a different car.

Overall, the exterior of this R129 is in good condition with only a little TLC needed to bring the paintwork and alloys back to like new. The biggest issue that needs the be seen is the fabric folding roof that didn’t want to work, whether this is a simple issue or not, once it's sorted it will be a brilliant addition to the car.

Mercedes have always been known for their reliability and the R129 is also known for its bulletproof reliability. The current owner has used this car as a daily driver to go back and forward to work in this car in great comfort and with no mechanical issues.

Fitted with the smooth 2.8l inline-six and a 5-speed automatic gearbox this is a great motorway cruiser that has enough torque to pull you along in a swift fashion. The automatic gearbox is smooth and positive and isn’t one of these auto boxes that is slow and sloppy that you get annoyed with.

Whilst driving to the photoshoot location the car performed well, with no obvious knocking from the suspension, no pulling to the left or right under braking, and smooth changes from the gearbox.

With Mercedes service stamps up until 2013, it is clear that this car has been maintained well throughout its life. Since 2013 we are told that it has been serviced privately by a mechanic friend of the owner which would explain the lack of stamps from 2013 onwards.

With only 67,000 miles on the clock, this Mercedes is barely run in. It is ready for the next 67,000 wherever you may take it you shouldn’t have to worry about the mechanical aspects of this car.

Whether you are in the market for a stylish 2+2 hardtop roadster or soft-top roadster this car can do both effortlessly. With such a wide band of talents, this car offers brilliant value for money. These SL’s could now be classed as modern classics, a wonderful category within the market that now represents a time in motoring where manufacturers could afford to produce such wonderful cars. 

This car could be the key to unlocking many more happy memories for you. With the reliability, top-down ability, and performance it is the perfect companion to take anywhere you hear desires.