1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

This very good Mercedes Benz 300 SL is a 1988 R107 model and so comes with the reassurance of a galvanised body.  

Evidence of the car’s diligent curation and fastidious care is evident in the way it starts, runs, drives and stops.

It does all of those things with plenty of confidence-inspiring competence and capability.

The vendor has owned the car since 2022.

Today, the odometer reads 113,000 miles.

In 2006, the figure was 101,000 so, as you can see, it has been leading a fairly quiet life over the last two decades but has been used regularly and maintained accordingly.

The car is Signal Red with Sports Check upholstery front and rear, and comes with a black fabric soft-top and a factory hard-top to match the body colour.
 

Viewed from a few metres away, this splendid 300 SL presents very handsomely and has a simple purity of line and an uncluttered silhouette that perfectly capture the enduring, timeless appeal of the R107.

Get a little closer and the same holds true.

It’s really very good in most places.

There is a little bubbling making itself known at the rearward base of the o/s/f wheel arch, a couple of dinks to the chrome three-pointed star on the front grille, and a few stone chips atop the n/s/f wing.

The hard-top is in fine fettle, bar the odd minor scratch here and small scuff there.

So, too, is the new black fabric soft-top, which is taut, fits snugly, goes up and down with a minimum of fuss, and is bereft of any holes, nicks or tears that we can see.

There is a short strip of rubber trim that needs reattaching to the side of the hood, and some of the trim around the hood frame is worn away in places.

The car’s shut-lines and panel gaps are as crisp and consistent as we’ve come to expect of Sindelfingen offerings of this era, and the doors still close with plenty of Teutonic heft and authority.

The chrome work is strong and has fended off any tarnishing foxing or pitting. The only exception being some splits and bubbling to the chrome plating on the bumper trim that wraps around the o/s/r wing.

All five of the car’s ‘manhole cover’ wheels are in decent nick, bar a few minor scuffs here and there, and the road wheels are shod in matching Pirelli P6000 rubber that appears to have plenty of life left in it.
 

The interior is so good, by which we mean original, authentic and well preserved, that the only real flaw is hard to miss: namely, the worn-out patch of fabric on the driver’s seat squab. 

Replacing the squab panel should be a simple task – R107 parts and expertise are in very good supply.

Elsewhere, the seats are in fine condition, front and back, and are as comfortable as they are supportive.

The door cards are solid and untroubled by either time or use. 

So, too, are the hard-top and soft-top roof linings, and the carpets and mats.

The black plastics around the dashboard and centre console are free of any cracks or fading that we can see, which is nearly always the case with these cars. 

Mercedes-Benz used the best materials and expected them to last for decades. 

The various wood veneer inserts are also good and have not succumbed to any splitting or fading that we can see.

All controls, dials, gauges, switches, knobs, levers and buttons look to be in very decent condition and, as far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s supposed to do.

The boot is as good as the rest of it and contains a full-sized spare wheel and what looks like it might be the car’s original first-aid kit.

Mechanically the car has wanted for nothing and still runs and drives extremely well with a comfortable ride.

The vendor has a collection of cars and employs an expert and trusted mechanic to keep them in first-class mechanical and dynamic condition.

The engine bay is impressively full of tried and tested Teutonic over-engineering. 

Everything is notably dry, clean, orderly and tidy.

Being a post-1985 facelift car, this 300SL features the sought-after 3.0L straight six engine. This 2962cc OHC unit was fitted with Bosch KE III-Jetronic fuel injection and mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox. 

This unit produced 188bhp at 5700rpm and 192lb ft of torque at 4400rpm. Configured more for spirited and refined touring, this was sufficient for a 130mph top speed. 

Many a purist values the straight-six cars above other bigger-engined configurations. 

Arguably, they provide the optimal balance of performance, economy and agile handling. 

The undersides of the car look sound and solid to us and we’ve seen nothing to make us question the car’s structural integrity, honesty or character.
 

The car’s service book is fair bristling with service stamps, all from main dealers until 2000, and from known marque specialists thereafter.

There are various bills, invoices and receipts attesting to work carried out throughout the years.

The original dealer wallet is still present along with the owner’s hand book, both keys and the instructions for the Alpine CD player, complete with electric aerial.

It has a recent HPI report, a V5C and an MoT certificate, with no advisories whatsoever, that’s valid until 6th August 2026.
 

We keep saying it, but it’s really only in the UK that cars with mileages north of 100,000 are treated with largely misplaced suspicion.

Our fellow motorists in Europe or the USA, where continental scale means people have to drive further to get anywhere, don’t regard mileages like this with the same irrational suspicion as we do in the UK.

In any case, this particular car is an R107 Mercedes-Benz SL.

That means it’s been obsessively over-engineered and built-to-the-hilt by Gunther, Wolfgang and the other Meister Technikers of Sindelfingen.

A well looked-after R107 with the right service history and diligent curation is as safe a bet as you can get in the world of classic cars.

This one ticks all the right boxes for us, and we have every reason to believe that it should provide its next owner with many years and miles of pedigree motoring pleasure.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £17,000 - £22,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.