1989 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

It’s never the general ‘well looked-after, always garaged’ information that makes you prick your ears up when you’re checking out a classic car, it’s the details, such as when David, the owner of this beautiful white-over-blue Mercedes SL said he’d changed the headlight reflectors because they were dirty. Proper Mercedes stock items as well. (And when you look at the car front on, they do look good). It’s that kind of fussiness that lets you know someone treats their car well.

David bought the car back in 2018, with the intention that he and his wife would go touring in France.

‘I didn’t want any chance of it breaking down miles from anywhere,’ he explains, ‘so I had anything done that I thought it needed.’

For the work, he took the three-litre convertible to Mercedes specialist (and marquee concours judge) Neville Wright at Diamond Garage in Bishop Awkland. ‘He went through it, front to back.’

You’ll see quite a few bills from that time, parts – all Mercedes-sourced – that include the aforementioned reflectors, plenty of renewable sundries, a new exhaust and a new rear valance. He also had a new soft top fitted (not OEM, but from a German specialist supplier). Within a couple of months, the white SL was probably fit to tour the globe.

Unfortunately, and for unrelated reasons, David and his wife weren’t able to make the trip. And, because of circumstances we are all too familiar with, it hasn’t done a lot of touring since. With a mere 1,000 on the clock since its fettling, the Mercedes remains eminently ready – with both hard and soft tops – to tour either the UK or Europe.

A Mercedes R107 SL really lets you know how good the chassis and frame are; all those straight lines (and actually quite a few very subtle curves) give the game away immediately. Looking down the flanks of this car – or along the tops – or back and front – you will see that all those lines add up very nicely. The strakes down the lower flanks, the combined rubber and chrome trim, and the shut lines all meet their neighbour exactly where they should. Also with the either roof in place, or soft top stowed under the steel tonneau, nothing upsets the silhouette that the designers intended.

The beautiful Polar White paintwork remains consistent across the car. The finish doesn’t fade in seams or below bumpers, and there are no worrying blemishes around wheel arches or headlights. The fuel filler cavity is very clean, while the paint around door edges and in hinge cavities is also very good. There is a trace of some sealant around the A-pillar seal in the driver’s door cavity.

All this gleaming white is complemented by excellent chrome work all round. The brightwork remains pretty much blemish or pitting free, save for some tiny specks, and and metal components fit snugly with rubber elements and the bodywork. It’s amazing just how black some of the trim has remained – the surrounds of the big mirrors for instance. Some, like the door handles are a little faded. (Minor, minor observation). Joins in the trim, windows and bumpers, remain straight and clean. That big trademark radiator grill with its three-pointed star is very straight. The finish on the hard top remains equally good (probably partly because, when stored, it has its own stand and cover). Its door seal on the driver’s side is a rather faded and worn.

Looking as good as it does, this Mercedes really does need to tour and be shown off.

The colour combinations on this car are so right, with the bodywork showing off, or being set off by the dark blue leather interior and the (new) blue soft top. Both of these elements look as good as the coachwork.

As well as being elegant and airy, Mercedes always made sure the interiors of its big roadster were made of pretty resilient materials, and the perforated leather upholstery is looking very good. (There’s a small scuff to the shoulder of the driver’s seat). By the way, this car has the folding rear seats – quite a costly option back in the day. (Actually; what Mercedes SL option wasn’t costly?). There are no serious blemishes in the hide to speak of. The seat cushions do have a fairly gentle creasing and patina, and all cushions and bolsters retain their shape. Similarly the door panel materials are in good shape without scratches, cracks or any signs of warping. The wood veneer – another complementing tone – retains a good grain and colour, with no sign of its lacquer peeling. Both the steering wheel and the gear selector are finished in smooth, tough leather and neither show scratches or signs of wear.

There are a couple of small cracks in the hand brake housing, but other than that, all the plastic and panelling around the cabin looks to be in very good shape. Again, there is perhaps the gentlest signs of handling or rounding of the odd edge, but this is a very smart cabin and a very pleasant space in which to go travelling. There is also a wind deflector with the car plus a spare radio.

The hard and soft tops maintain the ambience; the underside of the former is very straight and clean and the latter is of course new – and looks it.

I’m still looking at the blue against the white – very tasty.

Lifting the bonnet kind of tells you where things are at; look at the soundproofing – it is just sooo clean and neat. Granted, the motor itself isn’t that of a show queen – it’s a very tidy 100,000 miler – but it is very honest and very…well; tidy.

There is a little dust, a little oxidation, and a little= surface rust here and there, but everything appears robust and very serviceable. Hoses and wiring look ‘bedded in’, but nothing looks like it needs replacing imminently. And after reading the extensive service history, it seems that most of that has already been done. Remember – the radiator is new.

The paint around the engine bay – check out the wing seams and bolts – looks to be very good, as does the bulkhead. Fluid levels and colours look good.

While we’re checking out both ends, the boot space is predictably clean - just like the cabin carpets – and shows no signs of water ingress. The boot lid and its hinges are just as good as those of the bonnet.

Underneath, the Mercedes looks very sound. It has recently been weather-sealed, with the application looking very thorough.

The floors of the cabin look sound, and the larger structures of the underside; the spare wheel tub and the fuel tank appear very robust. There are no dents or signs of trauma. Understandably, many components show a light dusting of surface rust, though a couple of smaller brackets show heavier wear.

The suspension assemblies look very solid – wishbones, springs and dampers appear to be in good shape. The steering components too appear straight and very serviceable. The exhaust is new.

Tyres appear good and the 15-hole alloys look resplendent after a £250 polish, finishing the car off nicely.

The car comes with a very reassuring history, retaining all of its MOT certificates and sundry invoices from its life before David bought it. The new radiator is from that time – installed in 2014, by which time the car had covered over 90% of its miles driven.

A comprehensive set of invoices back up David’s claim to fettling the car. All those service components - and all fluids - are listed. There are quite a few (how much for wiper blades!?), as well as the bigger items such as the exhaust and the £750 soft top.

The Mercedes also retains its handbooks and leather folder to protect that very well stamped service book.

Not exactly service items, but the car also comes with an indoor cover and that hard stand and cover for the steel roof – never underestimate how useful those are.

All in all, reading through the paperwork gives you a lot of confidence as to the readiness of the car to go driving.

This is a very nice and well-sorted example of an evergreen classic. It’s in a great colour combination too. (I may have said that…several times.) And it’s a post 1986 car – so even better build quality/rustproofing too.

The only criticism one might level against it is that it isn’t a V8, but apart from the extra fuel consumption and slightly nose-heavy handling the (unburstable) straight-six version has everything you need to enjoy total SL motoring.

In this colour scheme and condition, this won’t be the chepest SL out there, but we think between £20,000 and £27,000 should be enough to buy a very stylish, elegant and practical classic.

There’s enough of the Summer left to really enjoy this car.

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this car is located at our headquarters near Abingdon in Oxfordshire; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.