1992 Mercedes-Benz 300SL-24

First registered in 1992, this desirable 24-valve example of the R129 300SL is finished in the timeless and eye-catching colour combination of red bodywork over a tan/beige leather interior, offering plenty of head-turning capabilities despite being 30 years old this year.

A pre-facelift example, this R129 represents its first iteration in terms of aesthetics, with a mechanical odometer, ‘ginger’ front indicators, three-slot vents behind the front wheels, and non-body-coloured door handles.

Purchased by the vendor as a present for his wife, this SL300-24 has formed part of their impressive, yet highly-curated collection of classic and retro vehicles, ranging from SLs such as this, to a Lancia Fulvia and an E39 M5. As the vendor states, analogue is best, and so this era of Mercedes really is the most desirable of all to enthusiasts looking for “bombproof” build quality and timeless appeal.

Whilst in the care of the vendor and his wife, the car has been impeccably maintained by a handful of trained and trusted in-house engineers and specialist workshops, including regular under-body washes and being kept in a 10,000 sq ft heated and dry storage building as part of their refinery business, in order to preserve their condition.

Following purchase of the vehicle from auction, the car was given a thorough ‘going over’ by Websters independant Mercedes specialists, including fitment of a new water pump, new air-conditioning compressor, new transmission cooler pipes, service to full M-B specification including new belts, cylinder head gasket, cam cover gasket, a brake overhaul, new suspension bushes where needed and other miscellaneous works.

Regularly used for a number of years, in recent times the car has seen more limited use, and this - along with expansion of the business, which has to take priority - has resulted in this wonderful R129 coming up for sale.

Resprayed to a very high standard prior to the vendor’s purchase, the bodywork and paint on this R129 is generally in excellent condition throughout, with no signs of any impact damage other than a chunk out of the lower bumper ‘chin’ which was likely caused by a high kerb or speed bump.

Looking closer, there are a couple of areas of flat paintwork - most notably on the offside rear wing, and the nearside front wing, though a machine polish/paint correction may be able to rectify this. The good news, is that other than a few stone chips and light marks expected from an SL that is used and enjoyed, there are no signs of heavy wear, paintwork scuffs or accident damage.

Being particular - as we always try to be - the seals on the nearside headlight appear to have failed, as there is significant water ingress noted, though this shouldn’t be too difficult to rectify.

Up above, the colour-matched hard top is in very good condition with no unsightly marks or damage, whilst the folding soft-top is in decent shape, though there are some heavy creases noted due to spending long periods stowed away.

All four wheels are in very good condition, with no major kerb rash, heavy wear or markings to speak of.

Inside, the perforated leather interior has stood the test of time very well indeed, testament to Mercedes-Benz’ legendary build quality of the era. Presented in very good condition throughout, it has clearly been cherished and cosseted throughout its lifetime.

The seats, for example, are in excellent shape for their age, with only some scuffs to the outer driver seat bolster and a small .5cm puncture to the centre of the front passenger seat base cushion worthy of mention. The rest of the front seats and the rear passenger seats are in great condition, displaying only light creases as you’d expect from a 30-year-old vehicle.

Elsewhere, the dashboard remains in great shape and is free of any sun damage or cracking, the door cards are in very good order and the carpets, floor mats and rear passenger side trims are only lightly worn, and present very well indeed.

Up above, the headlining of the hard top is beginning to sag and has come away above the driver’s head, and would require rectifying. The folding soft-top is waterproof to the best of our knowledge and the vendor’s knowledge, though the inside lining is stained and shows some signs of damp, likely from being stored for long periods of time as previously mentioned.

Speaking of the roof, the hard-top disengaged as it should do with ease, with no issues noted. The folding soft-top, however, required some assistance to complete its cycle. Initially, the pop-up cover wouldn’t ‘pop’ as it should, though a couple of cycles of the button solved this issue. Next, the roof mechanism would get stuck half-way through its cycle - see the video below for a visual demonstration.

Giving the roof a little helping hand solved this, and - as you can see - the roof then engaged correctly and formed a good seal. Folding the soft-top back away revealed no issues, so this sticking mechanism is probably just needing a little more use and perhaps some lubrication.

The display for the stereo is damaged, but otherwise the dials, switches and instruments all appear to be working as they should.

Under the bonnet, the 24-valve, double-overhead-cam inline-six is presented in very good order, and looks as if it would be impressively easy to work on for a competent home mechanic, given how much space and access there is within the engine bay.

As far as we could see, everything looks to be in its right and proper place, and there are no concerning visual signs to speak of.

Out on the road, the car struggled a little to start a couple of times, but would then settle into a wonderfully smooth idle as you’d expect from a Mercedes-Benz inline-six engine. The steering and braking systems show no issues, and only a slight ‘clunk’ is noted from the transmission when shifting into D or R.

Unfortunately, it would appear that the engine has developed an intermittent misfire. During our photoshoot / test drive, if you applied more than 20-30% throttle, the engine would not rev above 2,000rpm, and a noticeable stutter/shaking is experienced.

Initially, transmission/clutch issues were suspected, but the conditions also occurred whilst in park. This problem is not consistently present, however, as during the video below, the car fired up with ease, and then drove with no issues back to our HQ. We’d suggest a quick once-over, though this may simply be a symptom of having not been used regularly in recent months, as our vendor said.

Included with the car is the V5 showing eight former keepers, one set of keys, numerous MoT certificates, the invoice for the post-purchased check-over and associated works, and a couple of older invoices from the 1990s and early 2000s.

The most recent MoT exam - dated 08 December 2021 - shows a first-time pass with advisories for worn front brake discs and corroded rear brake pipes.

Timelessly styled and famed for its legendary build quality, the R129 era of SL’s enjoys extensive aftermarket and enthusiast support, making it a wonderful proposition as a first foray into the world of modern classics, or an excellent addition to any collection of cars.

This desirable 24-valve SL300 is offered in very good condition throughout, requiring only some minor mechanical attention (or perhaps even just some more regular use) before it is ready to drive and enjoy throughout the wonderful spring and summer weather we’ll hopefully experience this year.

Offered with NO RESERVE and an estimate of £7,000 to £11,000, this SL300-24 could be your ideal summer toy. Go on, you know you want to!

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; 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’