• Dry stored vehicle in excellent condition • Hardtop included • Lovely two-tone green paintwork
THE BACKGROUND
Mercedes W113 series SL is a legendary car. Replacing it in 1971 must have been a real headache for Mercedes’ engineers. But they did it, and in some style, with the R107. Offering a range of smooth and powerful 6 and 8 cylinder engines, class-leading luxury and the kind of build quality usually reserved for stately homes, it was a huge success commercially and critically.
To this day, it remains a sought-after and highly desirable classic car – one that can easily be used on a daily basis.
First registered on 4th May 1984, this SL was bought by the present lady owner in September 2000.
The car joined a family of car enthusiasts, sharing a garage with a Ferrari, a Porsche Targa and other classics. The SL was mainly kept at the family’s summer retreat in rural France. Here it was dry-stored in a garage and kept in pristine, dehumidified condition in a Cair-O-Port car storage tent which is also included in the sale.
During all this time, the car was connected to a trickle charger, and in the entire 21 years the car has never failed to start, even after over-wintering in France. Over the years that the current keeper has owned the car, it has covered less than 12,000 miles and remained in fine condition. Following the sale of the family retreat, and with the current owner owning another convertible, the SL finds itself on the market.
It was retained on English plates and periodically returned to the UK for servicing by a former Mercedes Benz technician. In March of this year a full service, inspection and MOT was carried out. The MOT had no advisories and runs until April 2022.
The car comes with a V5, recent service receipt, current MOT and a large number of previous MOT certificates that confirm the car’s mileage to be genuine. The seller tells us that the car has a full Mercedes Benz service history under previous owners.
Please note, the reg plate described on the paperwork is a private registration belonging to the seller and is not included in the sale. The vehicle will be on registration A819BHE for the new owner. The seller has advised there is a V5 reflecting this.
Mercedes cars from this era had incredibly well designed and substantially built interiors, and this is no different. The cream leather and walnut veneer trim are in excellent condition – the seats and centre console having been retrimmed in fresh leather by the current owner.
The owner put the car through a full inspection in March of this year, and at this point the paperwork confirms that all the vehicle’s controls and switchgear are in perfect working order. It has also been fitted with high quality Clarion speakers and a modern CD/Radio with Bluetooth phone and music connectivity. All in all, the cabin appears to be in extremely good condition.
Externally the car is in very good condition, with no damage or significant age-related wear evident. The panels are straight and nicely gaped, the brightwork all in excellent condition, and the striking green paintwork looks suitably elegant. The owner had the car resprayed in its original colour a few years back, and so the car wears its years extremely well. The fact that it has been kept dry-stored and in a humidity-controlled tent has clearly done the bodywork the world of good.
The fabric roof is brown and looks to be in excellent condition - the current owner tells us they can’t remember the last time it was used before the photographs were taken. It also comes with a hardtop, which is a great option to have, turning the car into a proper all-weather, continent-crossing GT.
In March this year, the owner had the vehicle fully inspected, and at the same time had the complete underside and inner wheel arches coated in underseal to add a further layer of protection.
We are assured by the owner that the car drives exceptionally smoothly, and runs with no issues at all. Having just had a full service and inspection carried out by an ex-Mercedes technician, any buyer can have confidence that they are purchasing a car in very good mechanical condition.
The smooth and torque-laden 3,839cc V8 is mated to an automatic gearbox for swift and effortless cruising. It’s an acclaimed engine, and one with a reputation for unburstable ability.
The R107 SL hails from a period when Mercedes Benz built beautiful cars to a level of quality and detail that was almost unheard of. If you’re after a classy, timeless GT car, nothing comes close to the desirability and practicality of a classic SL.
This model is a great buy too, the previous generation (W113) are reaching stratospheric values these days, so now is the perfect time to get one of these on your driveway before they become prohibitively expensive. They’re great-looking, as reliable as the sun and ridiculously well-engineered. We can’t think of many classic cars that are such a wise buy, whether you’re looking for a car to use regularly or something for sunny days and as a bit of an investment.
This particular car is straight, genuine and original. Finding one in such good condition, that’s been regularly serviced, dry-stored and kept in a humidity-controlled environment for many years, is very unusual. The current owner has clearly lavished care on the car, retrimming the leather interior and having the paintwork resprayed in its original green. It’s a fantastic colour scheme, the cream leather and walnut trim complementing the metallic green paintwork beautifully.
Coming as it does with the original factory-option hardtop, it’s a classic you could genuinely use on a daily basis and even take long trips and tours in. For us, it would have to be a European tour - down to the south of France, over into the Italian Lakes, maybe down the Amalfi coast with the top down and Mediterranean wind ruffling our hair… Okay, so we may have put quite a lot of thought into this. But it’s that kind of car, the sort that makes you dream of sunny days, smooth tarmac and mountain passes.
We’re struggling to think of anything from the period that can go toe-to-toe with the SL. What else offers such timeless style, peerless reliability and effortless ability? Very few modern cars do, let alone contemporaries. It’s pretty, reliable and we’re sure that, if cared for, it’ll only ever go up in value (after all, they’re not making any more of them).
This is definitely one of those purchases you can make with your head and your heart. And how often can you honestly say that?
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.
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1984 Mercedes-Benz 380SL
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