Highlights

• Enthusiast owned
• Presents wonderfully - cherished example
• Facelift model with associated upgrades

The Appeal

History/Paperwork

• V5 registered keepers document, showing just one former keeper
• Originally delivered to the channel islands, this SL500 is a UK-specification vehicle, fitted with a km odometer, though the speedometer and consumption readout have been converted to mph/mpg prior to the current owner’s tenure
• Face-lifted example with single-colour bodywork and the more desirable five-speed G-Tronic transmission
• Matching hard-top and wind deflector present
• Imported to the UK and registered here in 2009, purchased by the current owner in 2017
• During the current ownership, the front bumper has been resprayed, and the front wings replaced with genuine M-B items
• The vendor believes the front brakes have been upgraded to SL60 items with larger rotors
• The vendor notes that the vehicle had a light frontal impact prior to their ownership, which resulted in fitment of a new bumper and under-trays. When removing/replacing the front wings and bumper during his ownership (to tidy up the front end paintwork) the crash bar was inspected, and there is no signs of any distortion or damage to the bar, beam or chassis legs
• Recently, a full OE M-B exhaust has been fitted to the vehicle
• Full set of manuals and handbooks present
• Two keys
• Partial history from the car’s time in Europe, and some other miscellaneous history from the car’s time in the UK, with all invoices from the current ownership having been filed and documented
• Full documented history

The Interior

• Presents in great condition throughout, believed to be original
• Some light commensurate wear visible to the leather seats
• More noticeable wear on the outer driver’s seat bolster, offside A-pillar, driver’s door card top and passenger door card central leather areas.
• The vendor notes some minor hairline cracks on the centre console wood trim
• The heated seat on the driver’s side is inoperable, though there are no other known faults or issues with the cabin
• The hard and soft-top systems work as intended, with no hesitation or faults
• New hard-top headlining fitted this year, remaining in immaculate condition
• The inner lining of the soft-top is in good order with no rips or tears noted
• In the boot, the spare wheel is present and recently refurbished/fitted with a new tyre

The Exterior

• Schwarz paintwork in very good condition throughout, having been partially refurbished by the vendor with new front wings fitted and the front wings, both bumpers, rear nearside wing and hard-top resprayed in OE Schwarz 
• The front end and exposed areas such as the mirror caps wear light, commensurate imperfections such as stone chips and minor marks in keeping with the vehicle’s age and mileage
• There is no current bodywork damage visible or known to the vendor
• The matching hard-top is in excellent condition, whilst the folding soft-top remains water-tight, though the windows have clouded and faded over time
• All four wheels have been recently refurbished, with the vendor choosing to go for the OE ‘diamond-cut’ finish for added authenticity. All four tyres were newly fitted this year

The Mechanicals

• Full suspension and brake system refresh in recent years, including new discs and pads, new suspension arms, dampers, engine mounts and suspension linkages
• The vendor reports “there is no build-up of carbon in the engine, the coolant is clean, and the brake fluid is amber, rather than black”
• Serviced yearly in the current ownership
• No known mechanical faults or issues
• The engine bay presents well, with some commensurate wear and patina visible, as well as residue from a previous power steering pump leak
• Being super particular, the vendor notes that the rear subframe wears some surface corrosion, though this was not deemed worthy of mention by the MoT examiner, and most of the factory under-seal remains in-place underneath the vehicle
• Most recent MoT exam took place on 20 July 2022, resulting in a first-time pass with advisories for a corroded OSR brake pipe and slight play in the NSF wheel bearing

Summary