Description
Reborn 1987 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
Signal Red (568) with Beige Leather (275) and
Signal Red Hard Top (568) Black Fabric Soft Top (740)
The brief was simple… Build it better than new. Starting with a car that was already a very good example, the task was to deconstruct it completely and start again; to perfect the imperfections and aim for nothing less than factory fresh.
In the 1970s and 80s, ordering a brand-new Mercedes-Benz SL from the showroom was something rather special. These expensive, luxurious, powerful automobiles were a cut above the rest, standing loftily head and shoulders above any automotive equivalents. In terms of quality and capability, the SL has always set the benchmark that others follow.
As an established status symbol, the SL was the natural choice for the elite, for Hollywood and for the stars. How would it have felt to drive away from a Mercedes-Benz showroom in a brand new R107 SL, to drive down the road in a Signal Red roadster against the automotive backdrop of Cavaliers, Escorts, Cortinas and all manner of offerings from British Leyland?
The gentleman who commissioned the build of this stunning R107 never had the chance to experience his preferred generation of SL when it was new, and always dreamt of it.
Later in life, with an established business and a quest to right what he perceived as a wrong, he set out to do just that. This car arrived at SLSHOP with the simple brief to ‘make it as good as new, or better’.
Often with a restoration the subject car needs a great deal of work and preparation after years of hard use, taking a great deal of time and diligence to return the car to ‘ground
zero’ before the rebuild and restore can begin. The car you see here was different.
Starting as a low mileage and well cared for R107 SL, we approached this build as we would any other. Despite the good overall condition of the car, every nut and bolt was removed and refreshed before the body was sandblasted ready for a complete repaint in the original Signal Red. This was a car that had never been apart, never welded, never paneled. A superb car for an ‘as new’ build.
Once the project was complete and the car keys handed over, our client was overjoyed not just with the car, but the experience of owning it. It went on to be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Brooklands as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the R107 SL – a mark of a truly fine example.
Sitting in a private collection of superb Mercedes-Benz convertibles, the car took pride of place for the owner before the decision was made to allow someone else to enjoy this superb car.
With just 34, 000 miles showing and finished in the most iconic R107 color combination, this is an opportunity to acquire what is quite simply the best 300SL that we know of.
A brand new, thirty-year old R107 SL.
