Highlights
- Excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition
- Large history file
- MoT until June 2023
- Under 200 miles covered since 2018
The Appeal
A combination of timeless styling and outstanding mechanical durability meant the R107 Mercedes SL was destined for a long production life, being built from 1971 to 1989. The later models are among the most popular classic grand tourers around, thanks to their appealing combination of luxury, power, solidity and durability. All that, with the addition of excellent spares support, ensures that a very large proportion of the 300,000 originally built is still in regular use today.
When new, the crisp styling, clearly evolved from the Pagoda SLs of the 1960s, made the SLs particularly appealing to a sort of moneyed, high-society customer who might want one as a second car for leisure use, and in that role they were especially popular in North America, where they displaced British sports cars and American ‘personal luxury’ cars. Made 1985 to 1989, the 300SL had the smallest engine offered in an SL at the time, but would still hit 130mph while returning the most favourable fuel economy at 19.5mpg.
This 300SL has all everything you’d want from a modern grand-tourer, and presents in exceedingly good condition for a 35-year-old car. The paintwork and interior are outstanding, the engine and gearbox provide a brilliantly smooth ride, and it passed its MoT in June with no advisories. A large paperwork file details much of this car’s history, from its first owner to recent maintenance, so if you’re looking for an R107, you’ll not find many as good as this.
The History and Paperwork
- Registered on 16th April 1987 and sold new through Rivervale Mercedes-Benz of Reading to Mrs. P. Gibbons of Pangbourne, Berkshire
- Spent some time in Spain from c.2012, but was reimported into Britain in 2017
- Acquired by the 14th and present owner in June 2022
Paperwork includes the most recent V5, the original owner’s manual and service book, MoT certificates back to 1998, a vehicle identification sheet detailing its original specification, an original Mercedes-Benz 300SL/420SL/500SL sales brochure, Spanish and British import and registration documents, and a collection of recent invoices from Mercedes-Benz of Newcastle upon Tyne and the SL Shop
The Interior
- Originally upholstered with Stoff Champignon (Mushroom cloth) but has been reupholstered with leather
- Extremely luxurious, with adjustable seats and well-stocked fascia
- All presented in spectacularly good condition
The 300SL’s marketing literature boasted of ‘Concentration without stress, the comprehensive driver information system’ and ‘Sports-car atmosphere. Exclusive styling. Superb space and comfort’. What that means is a car that satisfies all your needs; assuming you’re the sort of driver who pays attention to your car, the well-stocked dash will inform you when the brake pads are worn, and whether any of your lights are defective; there are indicators monitoring your oil, coolant and screen-wash levels, and a buzzer sounds if you leave the lights on when you turn the car off. That’s in addition, of course, to all the things that make the ride a pleasure, from air-conditioning to power windows and an aftermarket Sony radio-CD player.
Essentially, it’s part car and part faithful servant, and this one, at 35 years old, has clearly been treated very well. The data sheet informs us that it originally had cloth upholstery, so the leather is obviously the result of a retrim. We cannot say exactly when it took place, but its superb condition suggests it’s fairly recent. The leather is just starting to mellow, but it is still in fantastic condition all-over and we really cannot find fault.
The same may be said of virtually everything else. The carpets are beautiful, and it is not unlikely that they might have been refurbished or renewed at some stage. The plastic steering wheel and dash are superb, while the walnut, which has been employed with tasteful restraint, exhibits just the lightest patina. There are a few very light marks on the door cards, but generally speaking they are in excellent condition, having received some repair work from the SL Shop in 2011.
The boot is beautifully presented, containing a spare wheel in very good condition and an outdoor cover for the car.
The Exterior
- Partially refurbished in 2019 and 2020
- Presented in its original colour of Pajett Red
- Outstanding condition all-round
With its rich metallic lustre and absence of any obvious flaws, we can scarcely believe that the paint on this car can possibly be more than a few years old. While there is no evidence that it has been repainted among the invoices, apart from some touch-up work in 2011, its condition is so exceptionally good that we suspect it has been repainted at some point in the recent past. Either way, it retains its beautiful original colour of Pajett Red, so it’s all still very correct.
Invoices from 2019 and 2020 show that new bumpers and some items of trim were purchased for it, which explains why much of the chrome looks very much like new. There are a few barely perceptible marks on the chrome grille surround which, to the best of our knowledge, was not renewed, and the windscreen frame displays some light, localised patina, but the general appearance of such things is phenomenal. Take a good look at the bumpers and the badges, because it really isn’t often that you find them looking this good.
The alloy wheels are most impressive. We did not observe any marks or scuffs on them, and so either this car has always been driven exceedingly carefully, or else they have been replaced or refurbished at some stage. The tyres, likewise, are in very good condition.
One of the most appealing characteristics of the R107 is that it’s a car you really can enjoy all year round, thanks to it coming equipped with both a folding soft-top and a removable hardtop. The hardtop is especially lovely, presenting as well as the rest of the car. The soft-top may very well be original and, while it still functions very well, it does display some patina in keeping with its age.
The Mechanics
- The most economical SL engine
- Serviced at regular intervals
- Invoices for recent maintenance
- MoT with no advisories until June 2023
As we said earlier, this car behaves very much in the manner of a faithful servant. It fires up on the button, quietly and efficiently, and when driving it dutifully responds to every command, without making a sound besides the politely subdued purr of the engine. With power steering and an automatic gearbox, the car wants to do all the work for you and really goes out of its way to make the driving as relaxed and trouble-free as it can possibly be.
It’s no surprise that the car still behaves so well when it’s evidently been meticulously cared for. The original service book shows that it has received servicing at regular intervals, and a few minor repair jobs were completed by the SL Shop in 2011.
As you can see, it’s impressed us, and we’re not the only ones. The MoT tester gave it a clean bill of health when it was examined in June, so you can take to the road straight away and feel confident that this is a car which should give good service for a very long time.
The Summary
Lauded for both its style and its mechanical longevity, the R107 Mercedes is one of the most popular classic cars today, and also one of the best for regular use. As one of the later models, the 300SL shows the R107 at its most refined, and is particularly desirable in these present times on account of it returning the best fuel consumption of all the R107 models, while still capable of 130mph.
This example has been looked after superbly. Wearing its original Pajett Red, it is close to flawless in most respects and, mechanically, it appears to want for nothing. The current MoT found no faults, so what are you waiting for? You might not find another as good as this…
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