• In current ownership for 24 years

• Recent injection system overhaul

• Runs and drives on the button!
• Excellent bodywork
• Current owner has had vehicle since 1997, and a member of the Mercedes Benz Club, for a total of 24 years

One of the most successful generations of car ever produced, the R107 generation of Mercedes-Benz SL roadsters and convertibles were in production for a mind-boggling 18 years, between 1971 and 1989 and resulting in a total of 237,287 cars built across all SL variants.

Impressively, despite the extended production run, the basic ‘recipe’ of the SL remained largely unchanged throughout this 18-year tenure, with only a number of engine changes and light ‘refresh’ programs carried out which seems worlds away from today’s expectations of major model facelifts every five-or-so years.

In total, over 14 different variants of the SL were offered throughout the lifespan of the R107, with everything from 2.8-litre inline-six engines up to a monstrous 5.6-litre V8 being available.

Marketed as a sports car but always seen to fit the long-distance GT role better, the SL is a car that continues to enjoy plenty of popularity to this day, with numerous owners and enthusiast clubs ensuring that knowledge is always readily available, and new specialist garages and engineering firms are still popping up, which is an excellent vote of confidence in the continued popularity of Mercedes-Benz’ SL Roadsters.

The 450 SL in particular balanced performance and comfort well, with its 4.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine producing wonderfully lazy torque and easy-going driving characteristics, yet could still sprint from 0-62 in around 10 seconds, and reach a top speed of 133mph should the opportunity present itself.

This particular 450 SL was first registered in May 1979, and has been in the care of the current owner since 1997, for a total of 24 years.

Prior to coming into the care of our vendor, the car had six former owners, making a total of seven over its 42-years of existence, which means seven wonderful ‘honeymoon’ periods of ownership.

Originally out-shopped in white, the car remained white for the first five ownership periods, before coming into care of the previous owner in 1986. This SL was then subjected to an extensive, in-depth bare metal restoration. 

The entire car was stripped back to metal, and had a number of new panels fitted, with any remaining corrosion either cut out or treated with Generalate and red oxide in order to stop any further spread. The car was then completely sprayed inside-and-out in Red, and the interior was completely re-trimmed and refreshed with new carpets, seat covers, panels and a rear seat conversion kit fitted.

Since coming into the care of our vendor in 1997, the car has been cherished and enjoyed, with a 6.5-year period in professional, secure climate-controlled storage between 1998 and 2005 due to the vendor working overseas in the United States.

The car has been serviced during the vendor’s tenure by a number of specialist garages, including Sunningdale Carriage Co, and subsequently by a mixture of experienced workshops.

Importantly, the car has had a recent full fuel injection system overhaul by a Bristol-based Bosch injection specialist, and the car has been kept out of the elements in a car port, under a custom-fit car cover.

The vendor purchased the car with registration number 8000 PK in 1997 and changed this to FNM 433 T later that year.

Included with the car is an impressive and in-depth history file, covering both the vendor’s 24 years with the car and the years prior to this.

From the previous owner, there is a large red folder containing numerous (now faded) invoices for the restoration and overhaul process, along with a fascinating photo album filled with Polaroid photographs of the restoration, detailing the work from the initial teardown to the final, finished car.

The vendor has also amassed an impressive number of invoices and other documents during their time with the car, with the most interesting of which pertaining to an extensive injection and fuel system overhaul by Bristol-based specialist Shaun Arkinstall Fuel Injection Services, who specialise in Bosch injection systems such as the one used on the 450 SL. This work amounted to over £2,500, but included a full assessment, new spark plugs, new injector sleeves and seals, distributor cap, genuine M-B thermostat and more.

In addition to this, there are also several invoices from local specialists, and the documentation declaring the car MOT exempt and registered as a historic vehicle, thereby avoiding the need for mandatory MOT testing and Road Fund license.

An extensive service history is present from 1979 to 1987, and from 1997 to date, with the first 60,000 miles covered in the official stamped service record.

Also of note is an insurance valuation by The Mercedes-Benz Club, which is dated 06 June 2021 and values the car at £25,000.

It is immediately clear that this 450SL has been cherished throughout its ownership, as the interior retains an impressive degree of ‘freshness’ and presents fantastically throughout, something not often seen on SLs of this vintage.

The leather seats are in excellent condition with no noted rips, tears or major scuffs, just the usual creases and light wear to the outer bolsters as expected. The rear seats, too, are in excellent shape still, though they do not appear to have been used too regularly.

The dashboard is in great shape, as is the centre console and shifter mechanism, though there is light wear noted around the handbrake mounting point which can be seen in the extensive gallery of photographs below.

Keen-eyed viewers will note the odometer reading is far lower than the total mileage of the car. This is due to the original clock - shown in the photographs - having been swapped out in June 1997 due to the speedometer mechanism breaking, with the new odometer starting at 0.

With regards to both the folding soft top and detachable hard-top, both are in excellent condition internally, with the hard top showing only light fraying and wear around the edges of the headliner along the A and B pillar areas.

Having benefited from a significant and in-depth restoration around 25 years ago, the exterior of this timeless SL remains in excellent condition throughout.

Looking along the flanks, the bodywork is wonderfully straight throughout with nice even panel lines and no sign of any impacts or dents. The paintwork itself remains in very good shape, showing only light wear that you’d expect from 11,000 miles and 24 years of cherished use.

The chrome details and window surrounds are all present, and show some light patina and pitting, but nothing more untoward. There is a light line in the front bumper above the number plate, whilst both front bumper corners have scuffs on the rubber inserts.

All four wheels are in good condition, but all have some combination of light grazes, paint chipping or pitting, which we’d recommend refurbishing to bring the wheels in line with the rest of the bodywork.

Both the folding soft-top and detachable hardtop are in great condition, with the former showing no sign of damage to the window but is slightly tight around the doors from lack of use, and the latter shows some light wear-and-tear, and some light delamination around the base of the rear window, all of which can be seen in the photos.

Potential bidders should note that the cracked front number plate in the photos has now been replaced, and a photograph of this replacement can be seen at the end of the gallery below.

During our photoshoot, the car started with ease and was happy to shuffle around, idle and showed no issues arising from repeated starting and stopping. The fuel injection system has been extensively refurbished as per the invoice shown in the paperwork file, and the vendor reports no known mechanical issues with the car

In the bay, the 4.5-litre V8 engine is a masterpiece of packaging, taking up almost every square inch of space available. The engine and its ancillaries would certainly benefit from a freshen up and extensive detailing, but the crucial thing is that all systems appear to be functioning correctly, and the vendor notes only a very light oil leak which is a common occurrence on cars of this era.

Interestingly, the Sigma alarm system that is fitted to the car still works, and should the next owner be mechanically minded, the Haynes workshop manual is also included in the sale of the car, along with the hardtop stand and custom-fit car cover.

Offering wonderfully laid-back summer driving with timeless styling and the support of a strong and dedicated enthusiast base, it’s no wonder that the R107-era SL is enjoying plenty of popularity at the moment.

This 1979-registered 450 SL is in very good condition throughout and is eminently usable, yet still retains the opportunity for the next owner to ‘take it up a notch’ with some light refurbishment and aesthetic improvements, whilst still being able to use the car as either a classic daily driver or wonderfully stylish weekend toy.