1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

Late R107s, such as this one, are starting to pull ahead of the rest of the pack when it comes to values; especially if they’re eight-cylinder powered. With good reason too, these later cars underwent huge amounts of work to keep them dynamically and technologically competitive. They might look like true classics but they drive far more like modern classics.

This 92k-mile example must be in the mix of the best currently on sale. The vendor bought this 300SL from internationally renowned Mercedes-Benz specialist The SL Shop. For those familiar with the quality of its cars, you’ll not need us to tell you that if it passes through the hands of The SL Shop, it’s well worth a boot full of anyone’s coin. The Warwickshire-based firm only sell SLs and only select the very best examples. This car is one such SL and still boasts the firm’s stickers and plates, front and rear.

A very well-presented example throughout, this SL’s Diamond Blue paintwork still gleams with the shine of a freshly-painted car. The wheels look just as fresh and are wrapped in a matching set of Firestone tyres; though it looks as though the nearside front is slightly underinflated.

No matter how much work has been carried out on an old car, there’s always a few little imperfections. There seems to be a little lacquer peel beginning just under the nearside rear lamp. There’s also a mark to the offside rear of the hardtop and a slight area that’s had some touch-up treatment to the very edge of the nearside front wing.

The windscreen and glass in general remain clear and chip-free with just the merest amount of moisture ingress visible to the top nearside corner of the rear glass in the hard-top. The soft-top isn’t quite as good as its rigid cousin though it’s still highly presentable. The most evident area of wear is to the lower edge at the rear. It appears there’s a small tear around the fixing so it can’t fit flush. Its fabric has also started to come away at the base of the rear plastic screen on the nearside. In essence, it’s starting to show its age but is still much better than most average examples. The chromework, on the other hand, appears to be in excellent condition throughout.

A few bits of tech on this SL mark it out from the crowd. Firstly, it has the highly desirable heated front seats; handy for year-round topless motoring. Then there’s the premium Blaupunkt Montreux RDR 49 stereo/cassette player; a period piece that adorned premium German machines from the likes of BMW, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.

Common late SL standard kit also makes this 300SL far more useable on a regular basis than its earlier siblings. The vastly improved four-speed automatic transmission has S (Standard) and E (economy) switchable modes, allowing drivers some degree of customisation to suit their driving style. Kit including electric windows, electric side-mirror control and revised switchgear and steering wheel, all of which appears to work just as Mercedes-Benz intended. The dashboard has also survived without the usual cracks to the top side or around the instruments.

Those leather-covered front seats are largely in fine order – the only marks seen are a couple of creases and light scuffs to the usual spot on the outer driver’s seat bolster. Some more cracks in the leather on the base can be dismissed as nice patina rather than an eye-sore. The wood veneer covering the centre console and shift surround has also held up well.

Now we’re being picky here, but the corners of the boot seal are starting to look a little tired and would likely benefit from being replaced. It might also explain some moisture we found in the spare wheel well, though the rest of the boot was dry, so it could have been simply due to condensation or a spare tyre that was put away wet. Further nit-picking reveals that the driver’s door pocket has pulled out of the door card at its bottom and there’s some staining to the hard-top’s headlining; probably from moisture during storage.

There’s not a great deal to report from our inspection under here. The general condition of the floor and chassis appears to be excellent for a car of this age. There’s evidence of care and servicing from a near-new looking fuel pump and filter, as well as an offside rear brake caliper.

The engine bay remains clean and tidy but hasn’t been detailed to hide anything. It appears that things have been well maintained but not over-restored by polishing or painting. The usual surface corrosion to bolts and fixings can be seen as you’d expect to find in a 30+ year old car. Some of the paint has flaked off the engine rocker cover but more importantly, a new radiator has been fitted very recently. It seems the wiring has been cut to the nearside washer jet – we’re not sure why.

The service history begins with a pre-delivery inspection in March 1988 by N. Thomas Continental Mercedes-Benz dealers in Plymouth. The car was returned to this supplying dealer for its first two services before it was handed over to Mercedes-Benz specialists, Autocraft, in November 1990.

Seven stamps to 1996 show considerable care lavished on the car, with maintenance and oil service intervals observed with a religious dedication. A single oil service by Elite Motorist Centre in Bedfordshire breaks up the long-term care from Autocraft. After this, servicing duties pass to Euro Car Care in Farcet, Peterborough who carried out a further three fluid swaps. In 2003 the same specialist replaced the exhaust and brakes.

There’s then a gap until 2014 when the SL Shop appears in the service schedule. Having thoroughly prepared the car and sold it on, a more general classic car garage takes over care. Woodpecker Farm Classic Car Services near Grantham work on this SL from 2015-2018 and fit a new fuel pump and filter plus replace a sticking rear brake caliper during this period. Both of which we confirmed by our visual inspection underneath.

Although the V8 SLs steal a lot of the limelight, the six-cylinder cars offer some key benefits. They’re easier and less expensive to maintain and run and have plenty of urge when you require. This later car’s M103 has silky-smooth 185bhp performance.

The SL Shop is the foremost SL specialist in the world and only retails the very best examples. If you see its name in the service history you know you’re looking at a good SL. This example might have passed through its hands back in 2014, but the car’s covered less than 4k miles since.

Mercedes-Benz didn’t make a large number of the 300SLs in the first place making examples in this condition rarer still. As a result, we’re confident that this car will easily meet its £22,000 - £30,000 estimate.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.