1975 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL

First registered in March 1975, this 350SL is a UK market right-hand-drive example with a 3-speed automatic gearbox.

Little is known of the car’s early history, but from 1987 until 2017, it was in single ownership by a couple who lived in the West Yorkshire area and judging by the amount of main dealer invoices, looked after the car very diligently and without thought to expense. It seems that they moved to Weston-Super-Mare in the nineties, when the car appeared to go off the road for a number of years until the next change of ownership.

Our vendors - another couple - acquired the car from them in 2017, having the car serviced, inspected and tidied up by a mechanic friend who restores classic cars. Their intention was to use the car extensively and have some fun with it. Instead they caught the travel bug and tucked the car away in the garage. Pandemic aside - they have spent most of their time since travelling and so, with very little use, they decided that it is best to sell the SL.

Signal Red has to be one of the most popular and desirable paint colours for an R107 SL - partly thanks to the TV series Dallas, where Bobby Ewing drove a US-spec red 380SL. When he wasn’t in the shower of course (Google it!).

From a short distance away, the paint on this 350SL looks reasonably good but up close there are a number of areas where it could be improved, notably around the leading edges of the front wings above the headlamps and on the rear deck where the hardtop covers. It also looks a little bumpy at the rearward end of the sills in the grooved section and around the jacking points.

In terms of the bodywork, there doesn’t appear to be any damage or missing trim and the panel gaps and shut lines look straight and even - with maybe a very slight misalignment on the driver door.

The black mohair folding hood is unlikely to be the original as it looks in a fairly good condition, fitting well with just a few wrinkles in the rear plastic window as you’d expect if it has been stored folded, but with no obvious creasing or cracks. The inside is a bit soiled at the sides where it folds around the bare metal frame - not unusual - but the rest of the lining looks clean and taut.

The hood stowage compartment in the rear deck looks clean and free of rust, the roof folds away neatly and is secured by the metal tonneau cover.

The hardtop is body coloured - as it was when it left the factory - and appears in a good condition, equal to or better than the rest of the car. Given that for many years most of these cars are only driven on dry days, the hard tops sometimes get tucked away, neglected and even forgotten about. This one appears to have been well looked after, has shiny brightwork and a good headlining, and comes complete with its wheeled storage frame.

The black rubber boot spoiler was only introduced to V8 models from September 1977, so this one has obviously been retro-fitted. It looks to have been well done but removal back to the original look would involve filling some holes and repainting.

The SL sits on 14-inch light alloy wheels, which present in a largely good condition with just a few scuffs and nicks here and there. These popular Fuchs-made wheels have a number of nicknames including Mexican Hats, Bundt Cakes, Premiere and - officially - Baroque.

Judging by the data plate on the slam panel, these light alloys are not original to this car but they were available as an option in period and to many buyers are more desirable than the steel wheels with body-coloured hubcaps that were standard fit.

The front wheels are fitted with Semperit Hi-Speed tyres, which look relatively recent, and the rears are shod with older-looking Michelin rubber. If you’re not familiar with Semperit they’re an Austrian brand dating back to the early 20th century, now owned by Continental.

The interior of the SL is upholstered in black MB Tex, which is one of the best looking and hardest wearing of the vinyl-based faux leathers. It has been used extensively by Mercedes since the early ‘60s and is still used today.

Consequently, the condition of the seats and door cards is very good, with no undue wear and no obvious damage - even on the driver’s seat. The dash top doesn’t appear to have suffered any cracking and the steering wheel is in good order if a little burnished through use. The carpeting and floor mats look in good order in both footwells and also behind the seats.

According to the data plate, the first buyer of this car ticked the “inertia reel seatbelt delete” box (they weren’t legally required back then), but it seems to have been retro-fitted with Britax inertia reel belts not long after - probably in time for the January 1983 law change.

Although the interior appears largely original, a more modern Kenwood radio cassette player with detachable faceplate is fitted in the centre console above a keypad. We assume this links to the vintage car phone installed between the seats. This Securicor Communications “Go Phone” dates from the early years of car phones in the mid-to-late ‘80s and would have connected to the long since defunct first generation (1G) Cellnet network. This retro phone is now a different kind of conversation starter.

Under the bonnet, the engine bay looks tidy, if a little neglected of late but there are no signs of any rust down the scuttle drains or bulkhead. The V8 engine starts well, runs a little rough initially when cold perhaps, but smoothly after half a minute once warm.

The wheel arches, chassis structures and most of the floor pans show a liberal coating of Waxoyl or similar, which we understand was applied in 2017 before the car was put away. Elsewhere, there is a good deal of surface rust on steering and suspension components and on many of the fixings like the coolant hose clips, which suggests that the mechanicals would benefit from a thorough check over and recommissioning.

The boot has black painted sides and rubber matting on the floor, which looks in reasonable condition. The jack, tool roll and a warning triangle are stowed to the right hand side and under the floor is a full size alloy wheel, fitted with a Trisun tyre. There is a small patch of surface rust on an upper edge of the wheel well but this doesn’t extend any further. The boot lid itself looks in good order with no obvious rust, although the strut doesn’t hold it open very well.

The R107’s last MOT expired in June 2018 - which is around the time that historic vehicles like this were exempted from annual safety testing. That said, we’d always encourage classic car owners to get an independent assessment of roadworthiness each year - it’s a small amount of money to have written proof if ever you were required to provide it.

That test in June 2017 is the only one on record, which suggests that the car was off the road for at least 10 years prior to that.

The history file contains numerous invoices from main dealers and specialists in Yorkshire - notably Derwent Mercedes-Benz of Leeds - for parts, servicing, repair and refurbishment. Mostly these cover the period from the mid-eighties to the end of the nineties, which we believe was the last ownership prior to our vendor.

It’s last known service was reportedly in June 2017 at the time that our vendor acquired the car. The mileage then was 91,550 and with only 91,667 showing now, it clearly hasn’t been driven a great deal since.

As an historic vehicle, the SL is also eligible to wear the white on black number plates but also included are modern style yellow and white ones.

The Mercedes-Benz R107 SL is a stalwart of the classic car scene. Alongside the MGB it is probably the make and model of car that we see most of coming through The Market. And for good reason; they are a well made, stylish and comfortable classic cruiser with timeless appeal.

Values of R107s vary hugely, from several thousand for a project up to high five figures for one that’s been well sorted and restored from nose to tail by a specialist.

We think this relatively early and very usable 350SL R107 will sell for between £12,000 and £15,000 - at which price you’ve got some headroom to improve the paintwork and tinker as necessary to gradually add value.

Viewing is always encouraged, 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’.