1983 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL W107

This very smart 1983 280SL is being offered for sale in Waregem, Belgium. It sports a manual transmission to make the most of the 183bhp on offer from its M110 2.8-litre engine. Naturally, its left-hand drive and its speedo reads in KMs. On that subject, the odometer is showing just 85k of them which the vendor believes to be correct.

There’s certainly plenty of metal on an R107 that can corrode and turn this finely-styled sports car into a shabby old mess, but we’re happy to report that this one appears to still be in tip-top shape. Its Astral Silver paint (code 735) is gleaming with a deep finish that could nearly pass for the fresh original coating, 38 years ago. The usual SL rust traps appear free and clear with the wheel arches and jacking points looking crisp, clean and tidy. Even a peek into the arches doesn’t show any signs of corrosion or muck. The vendor has clearly spent plenty of time and money looking after this SL and its condition today reflects this.

The original alloy wheels have very small blemishes here and there, but are otherwise in excellent order. The tyres adorning them aren’t a premium brand but have plenty of remaining tread and are a matching set. Glass and plastics surrounding the vehicle on the headlights, rear lenses etc. all appear in excellent order without any cracks or chips. There’s really very little to find fault with on this near 40-year-old Mercedes-Benz. Though we did spot a tiny scuff to the passenger corner of the rear bumper.

Silver exterior is contrasted beautifully with a very period-correct blue cabin. The seats sport the usual Mercedes-Benz chequered pattern, stitched fabric centres with hard-wearing MB Tex vinyl to their outer edges. The dashboard and door cards are also finished in blue and all appear to be in very fine order. There’s no cracking to the dashtop to worry about or any significant damage to either door cards, carpets or trim in general. There’s the benefit of a useful and pretty discreet aftermarket wind-deflector fitted to the back of the front seats.

We looked pretty long and hard in here and could really only find anything other than the odd trivial mark. The carpet lining the rear bulkhead (cabin side under the rear fold-down seats) has been slightly moth-eaten and there are a few very light scuffs to the bottom of the passenger door pocket, though we’re really being pedantic here.

Though we weren’t able to get an extensive look underneath, we saw enough to gauge that this SL has spent plenty of time in a dry storage. There appears to be very little corrosion evident anywhere, even surface rot is hard to locate. The underseal is largely all still in place and doesn’t appear to have been topped up too often in an attempt to mask anything, quite the opposite in fact; it’s all here to see and what we saw we liked.

There doesn’t appear to be any fluid leaks to worry about from the engine’s sump, block or head and both the bottoms of the engine and transmission looked clean. It’s a similar story with the steering and suspension components; these don’t appear to have seen too much road muck or oil and grime in recent years (if ever). The engine bay is a delight to behold with a similar clean and tidy aspect. There seems to be a smattering of new fixtures, bolts and washers throughout, suggesting constant care.

There’s an owner’s book pack with the car and a Belgian document (certificate of registration).  The vendor has confirmed that he does have further invoices which will be added to the listing shortly.

This appears to be an extremely presentable example of an early-1980s SL. It’s all here and in great shape. It appears to run well (as evidenced by the video) and has clearly seen at least one or more conscientious owners. It might not be one of the most desirable V8 models, but an SL should be bought on condition and this one appears to up there with the best. That’s why we’ve little doubt in placing a reserve of between €30,000 – €40,000.

Viewing is always encouraged and this car is located at Waregem, Belgium and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’