Renowned as one of the finest saloon cars ever made, the W108 is an elegant and beautifully styled car that benefitted from very well engineered drivetrains and the kind of reputation most manufacturers would die for.
This particular model has spent all of its life in the dry South African climate, being imported into the UK in 2021. Looking to be in very original condition and coming with an extensive history file, it’s a great way into classic Mercedes ownership, or to expand an existing collection.
One of the most appealing aspects of this vehicle is how original and genuine it appears to be. We believe that the leather upholstery is original and unrestored. The door cards are in nice condition, with just a couple of minor tears and a little bagging. Otherwise the material looks to be holding up well.
Similarly, the seats appear to be solid and firm, with good cushioning. The rear bench particularly looks to have had the least wear and presents well. In both the front and the rear there are retractable armrests that are likewise in fine condition, with no damage we could see. As the seats themselves appear to be original, the leather does have quite a lot of wear, with a number of splits and tears both to the front seats and the rear bench.
Throughout the main cabin there is black carpet, which appears to be in fine condition, with similarly nice dark grey carpet adorning the boot area.
At the front the dashboard looks in lovely condition, with a wood veneer fascia that has no cracks, warping or delamination that we could see. It also benefits from padded black vinyl upholstery to the upper and lower portions, which presents very well with no notable damage or significant wear.
All of the controls and instruments present well, with a nice level of patina and some minor blemishes, but remain very legible and clear. We’re informed by the vendor that everything works as it should, and they do not report any issues.
Original 14” ‘Mexican hat’ alloys with whitewall tyres
Offering a fine contrast to the red and black interior, this car’s smart off-white paintwork presents in very good condition. We are unable to ascertain whether the vehicle has been resprayed at some point, but one thing is for certain - the dry South African climate has been exceptionally kind to the bodywork of this W108.
The paintwork looks to be nicely finished, glossy and has no major blemishes or damage. There is a slight crack in the paint by the near-side rear light cluster, but otherwise we couldn’t identify any notable issues. As far as we can see there is no corrosion to note, and all of the panels look to be straight and in fine fettle.
Likewise the external trim and brightwork is complete and looks to be in an excellent state. Looking at the brightwork and badging, it appears to be well preserved, with only minor blemishes and light pitting in some areas to report. The windows and light lenses are without cracks or chips.
Looking under the car, everything we could see appears to be solid, clean and undamaged. Again, we believe the environment the car has been kept in has done much to preserve it in a fine state. There is some very light surface corrosion evident on some of the drivetrain elements, as you’d expect from a 52 year old car, but overall the underside appears to be excellent.
Mercedes’ venerable inline-six is a legendarily reliable engine. Robust but characterful with an evocative exhaust note, it’s the perfect powerplant for this timeless saloon. Twinned with the column-shift gearbox, it allows the driver to simply relax into the experience of cruising along in luxury and absolute comfort.
The fact that the car comes with a comprehensive service history and file replete with maintenance invoices shows that previous owners have truly cherished this lovely car. There’s a reason these vehicles remain so popular in Africa – when properly cared for they can easily cover hundreds of thousands of miles.
Looking under the bonnet, the engine bay itself is very clean and tidy, with no evidence of damage, leaks or overheating issues. It appears to us as if many of the hoses and rubber items have been replaced fairly recently, as much of it looks to be quite new, although we cannot confirm this.mc5X8lle5XNp0MbqbYbVLkTcM8gbVcVsMonV1ARq.jpeg215.28 KB
Summary
We think this suave and subtly styled saloon is a brilliant purchase. With a great history, fine bodywork and that legendary Mercedes straight-six, there’s an awful lot to love here.
With a little work to the upholstery of the seats to bring the interior up to the standard of the exterior, this could soon be an absolute show-stopper. Whether you're after a reliable daily classic or something special for the weekends, there’s little else that offers such a complete package as the Mercedes W108.
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