1988 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

The 300SL we are offering for sale is from the second to last year of production and has been enjoyed by five different owners during its 34-year life.

Our seller acquired the car back in 2018 with the intention of long-term ownership. It was sourced from a good friend who also happened to be Scott James, a respected car dealer from Lytham. He specializes in supplying prestige, sports, and performance cars throughout the UK

Sadly, our seller lives in Central London and as the 300SL is not ULEZ compliant, he has made the decision to sell the car.

He has used the car at weekends only ensuring it was safely garaged when not in use.

He reports that the car drives well and that everything functions correctly.

A raft of paperwork accompanies the car, including the original service book, full of lovely stamps.

We are pleased to report that the hard top is with the car, though our seller recommends fitting a hoist in your garage to aid removal. Otherwise, it is definitely a two-man job.

Yes, this is a London car, but one that has been cared for and kept off the busy streets when not in use.

The silver paintwork has a deep lustre to it and positively sparkles. It defies its years. We suspect it may be all original but offer no guarantees.

We do notice a small area on the soft top cover where the paint is slightly marked and there is the smallest of dents. We suspect this is from the removal and fitting of the heavy hard top.

There is also some paint bubbling to the leading edge of the bonnet on the left-hand side and you will find some small stone chips in places.

The substantial hardtop looks in decent nick so must have been properly stored when not in use. They can be easily damaged, so care must be taken.

The soft top does show some signs of age in places. There are some small holes and some general creasing, usually caused by being folded away for long periods when the hardtop is fitted.

The alloy wheels look to be in good order and our seller fitted a set of Nexen tyres in 2020. They still have most of their tread remaining.

We would ask you to inspect the panel gaps and shut lines on the SL. Many modern manufacturers would be pleased to be able to emulate them today, but 30 + years on and still looking good is deeply impressive.

The seats and door cards look barely worn and will almost certainly be the original items. You see, it’s that Mercedes-Benz build quality again. Built to last and they did.

Some may crave full leather seats, but we beg to differ. With a grey sports check fabric on the seats of this SL, not only are they much warmer in winter, but they will also hold you better in place when pressing on.

Behind the rear seats is a useful space, ideal for an overflow of luggage.

Lovely clear instrumentation is a joy to behold, with gauges for fuel level, oil pressure and coolant temperature. There is even an economy meter, a tad unnecessary in this type of car…

The wood veneer on the dash looks fine, the car no doubt always being garaged when not in use and kept out of bright sunshine.

A Blaupunkt radio/cassette player provides the music and is mated to an electric aerial.

We do notice a bit of damage to the plastic, surrounding the hand brake.

The driving position is excellent, the view down the bonnet imperious. Fire up the silky smooth six-cylinder engine, slip the gear lever into drive and waft down the road.

The boot is a good size on the SL, ideal for shopping trips and weekends away. There is a proper full-sized alloy spare wheel too, with a Michelin tyre fitted. Tools, first aid kit, all present and correct.

In our photo gallery you will find a selection of photographs of the SL’s underside. Pause a while a take it all in. For a 34-year-old car, it all looks pretty good to us. A little surface corrosion is visible in places.

The engine bay looks clean and tidy with two caveats. The sound deadening material fitted to the underside of the bonnet is missing. Sourcing a replacement should not prove too challenging or indeed expensive. More significant, though not noted on the MOT, is the corrosion around the near side suspension turret, which in our opinion, would need professional attention in the near future.

Our seller tells us that the car drives well and attracts admiring glances on his travels through the Capital.

As previously mentioned, the SL comes with its original service book, full of lovely stamps, a sight to behold.

Accompanying the book are a multitude of invoices detailing the servicing and maintenance carried out and when.

Our seller had the car fully serviced in July 2019 and at the same time new brake pads were fitted all round. The brake fluid was changed at the same time. Cost £784.28.

The new Nexen tyres were fitted in July 2020.

A vast array of old MoT certificates is in amongst the paperwork. The latest test was carried out in July of this year, with four advisories noted.

Our seller has done just 3,000 miles or so during his four years of ownership, modest by modern standards. We do think a service would now be appropriate.

We are big fans of the Mercedes-Benz SL and we do think this is one of the nicest R107s we have seen in a while. It presents well and appears to have been looked after by caring owners.

It is a car we would have no hesitation in jumping in and heading off to the South of France for the weekend. What an appealing thought! We would avoid the motorways and instead amble along the Route Nationales, Raybans on, wind in our hair, destination St Tropez.

The SL would be right at home, and we guarantee would attract far more attention than the millionaire’s playthings which now line the streets. It’s classy and shows impeccable taste.

We can see you are tempted now, so place your bids right away.

We estimate the car will sell for between £25,000 and £30,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.