Highlights

• A nicely presented R129 having covered just 2,750 miles a year on average
• Entirely original and presenting in popular Brilliant Silver over perforated blue leather
• Maintained regardless of cost with a very active service record
  
  

The Appeal

The History and Paperwork

• This R129 is a UK supplied and specification model
• It was originally supplied via Croft and Blackburn Mercedes of Stockton-on-Tees
• The car was first registered in January 1995
• Five former owners covered the period up to 2019
• This included a lengthy period of tenure by the previous owner of 11 years
• The current owner bought the car at auction in 2019
• At that point the car had covered around 73,000 miles
• In his four-year period of ownership, the current owner has covered roughly 4,000 miles
• There is an instructive paperwork trail included with the car
• Firstly, there is the current V5 in the name of the owner
• The current MOT, valid until September 2023 is also present
• Numerous earlier MOTs are also on hand
• The original book pack and folder are included
• The original service book contains 10 main dealer stamps up to 36,500 miles
• The remainder of the archive consists of numerous maintenance and repair invoices
• These amount to more than £4,000 expenditure during the current ownership
  
  

The Interior

• The superb interior is predominantly finished in blue leather
• The front seats feature perforated centres with solid bolsters
• The front seats are fully electrically adjustable via controls in the doors
• There is some age-related patina and some damage to the driver’s seat and bolster
• The remaining seats present very well with no splits or tears
• The rear seats are of the very “occasional” variety
• They do fold, however, to provide a useful carpeted shelf for additional storage
• The condition of the rear seats can be considered as very good
• The complimentary blue woollen carpets appear to be in a good overall condition 
• The dashboard is finished in blue with carpeted lower sections
• The centre console is finished in dark walnut veneer
• The four-spoke wheel is finished in complimentary blue
• The familiar VDO, white on black gauge set sits in a hooded binnacle behind the wheel
• A Blaupunkt Memphis head unit is fitted
• Door cards are trimmed in blue leather and carpet with accents of dark wood veneer
• Both hood and hard top’s headlining looks to be in good order
• The hard top’s headlining has been reaffixed recently
• The boot is neatly carpeted in its original, cabin matching blue carpet set
• A full-sized spare is housed under the boot floor with tools
• The original, boot-lid mounted warning triangle is present
  
  

The Exterior

• This example is finished in the lovely, eye-catching and popular Brilliant Silver shade
• The paintwork presents in a fine, overall condition
• It exudes a deep and lustrous shine throughout
• The bodywork appears very straight and original too 
• There are a couple of very minor age-related marks and scratches
• These have been photographed for your review
• The 16-inch original “eight hole” alloy wheels are fitted
• There is some noted kerb-rash to nearside front wheel
• Some minor surface corrosion is also visible to the centres of two wheels
• The rims are shod in a mixed set of 225/55 tyres
• These were fitted new with the wheels and are in the correct 235/40 configuration
• Cabin glass and light lenses all appear to be in great condition and original
• The original hard top is included and is in a fine, overall condition in keeping with the car
  
  

The Mechanics

• This ultimate sports tourer is fitted with the well-proven M104 2.8L petrol engine
• This is a straight six engine with 24-valves and DOHC 
• This unit was originally rated 190bhp at 5,500 rpm
• Power is fed to the rear wheels via a smooth changing five speed automatic gearbox
• The under-bonnet presentation is in keeping with a well-maintained car
• Even the underside looks clean and straight for a car of this age and mileage
• Much mechanical maintenance has been lavished on the car throughout its history
• That has certainly been true of its current ownership with over £4,000 spent
• During our visit the SL fired up immediately despite having been standing for a few weeks
• It also ticked over smoothly and evenly for over an hour with no overheating
• No known mechanical issues were reported with the owner attending to anything needed
  
  

Summary