1980 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL

Christopher is the owner of this lovely 1980 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL. He purchased the car just under 12 months ago because it was in such a good restorative condition, and he didn't want to miss out on the rare opportunity of owning such a car with an extensive history.

The car was originally a UK car where it spent most of its life until the previous keeper emigrated to Cyprus, and the car went with him. The 350 spent around 5 years in the sunny climate of Cyprus and with no intention of coming back. The previous keeper then decided to have an extensive restoration carried out on the car. This work was entrusted to a local classic car specialist to get the car restored to its former glory, and the work was carried out from 2008 - 2010.  The vehicle has only covered circa 5,000 since the restoration.

Looking through the paperwork for the parts replaced,it is obvious that no expense was spared for the 350 SL. New wings, bulk head repairs, floor pan, boot floor left and right, spare wheel well, interior retrim, new roof, shock absorbers, and the underside has been epoxy coated to further protect it, plus lots of other work, all of which is detailed in the paperwork photos. The cost of all the work came in at over €29,000, which also reflects the amount of time taken to complete the job properly. In 2016 the then owner came back to the UK with the car and re-registered it. So on the log book the number of previous keepers is just 1 and the registration date is 10th July 2016.

Christopher has now decided to part with the 350 in a bid to reduce his classic car collection, as he says "It's a shame to leave them sitting there and not be used". This has given the opportunity for someone to buy a lovely 350SL.

Finished in Mercedes Anthracite Grey, paint code 172, the 350SL is extremely well presented. The front of the vehicle is in excellent condition, with no obvious stone chips that stand out. The lower front valance usually has some signs of rust from low down stone chips and damage, but we are pleased to say it's not the case with this 350. The lower lip spoiler is in place and is free from any noticeable scuffs. The chrome bumper with the rubber protector is in a nice bright condition with no tarnishing to the chrome and the same can be said for the grille. The lights to the front are all free from any cracks. It's nice to see the bonnet align well with the wing rails, especially when the wings have been replaced during the restoration project

Down the flanks of the Mercedes, these are nice and straight and the door gaps look to be equal on both sides. There is some paint which has chipped off on the front and rear edge of the door. The chrome around the windows is again nice and bright to the finish and the same goes for the door mirrors and door handles. The trim that runs along the boot where the mohair roof sits does have a split in it where the locating pin for the roof goes.

The 350 comes with a hard top which is in nice condition. The headlining is nice and clean and free from damage. There is a small split in the rear screen on the drivers side. When the hard top isn't in use, the option is there to use the mohair roof, which is in nice condition as it was replaced at the time of the restoration. There are a couple of scuffs to the fabric where it's been stowed away, but nothing that's broken through the fabric.

To the rear and the like the rest of the car the panel gap on the boot is nice and uniform.

The boot furniture is bright and clean as is the bumper. Classic Mercedes ribbed rear lights are free from any splits. A bit of trivia for you, the lights are designed like that with the idea being that when they are dirty the dirt won't cover the whole light as if it were smooth, therefore still offering good light output when dirty. Full of bright ideas these Germans are!

The 15 hole Mercedes wheels are all in excellent condition with no kerb marks or corrosion that we could see. These are fitted with four matching Michelin tyres which we would say are just under half worn.

Open the door and the interior is a lovely beige colour which compliments the Anthracite just perfectly. The seats were re-trimmed in beige leather with a perforated beige leather material to the centre panels. Again, all the trimming work was carried out at the time of the restoration. The door cards are in excellent condition with no damage to point out. Sitting in the driver’s seat, the instrument binnacle is all working as it should and with an odometer reading of 112,273. The top of the dashboard is free from any cracks, even after its time spent in the sun. The lower section of the dash does have some bits of trim that don't quite sit as well as they could, but this shouldn't take much to rectify.

The centre console looks to have been painted to match the rest of the trim. This does have some slight scuffs and some holes which look to be from the 80’s highflying businessman with his car phone. There are also some scuffs to the handbrake cover which is the same finish. The wood trim has been restored and the switches are all working as they should.

The optional rear seat is fitted and has been trimmed to match the front seats. Also fitted are some matching beige seat belts, both to the front and rear. The carpets have been replaced throughout and so are in excellent condition.

Into the boot, and again new carpet graces the luggage area. The spare wheel is missing, but there is a jack, wheel brace and a can of tyre foam in case of an emergency flat. Also a first aid kit is there, although the contents may be out of date.

The underside of the 350SL has seen some extensive work carried out during the restoration. New left and right floor pan sections, new boot floor, new jacking points, and front crossmember. All this along with the suspension arms has been coated in a sikaflex epoxy vehicle sealant to ensure a good level of protection for years to come.

The 350SL is fitted with the 3.5 litre Mercedes-Benz V8. This fires up straight away and sounds wonderful, you can't deny the sound of a V8 is just music to your ears.

The seller reports the car drives lovely and pulls through the rev range as it should. The automatic gearbox is nice and smooth on the change, with no noises there that shouldn't be.

On the suspension side, the dampers were replaced at the restoration and so have been on for around 11 years, but the car has only completed around five thousand miles since then. The car comes to a stop as well as it should. The seller did mention the lack of feel to the brakes, but he also said it’s most likely to be because he drives a modern car on a daily basis.

With a €29,000 restoration that took 2 years to complete, it's probably safe to say that this 350SL would be in a much better position than one with the same sort of miles and age that's not been restored.

There has been little in the way of the Mercedes needing anything since the restoration. Covering around 5,000 miles since 2010, it's still relatively fresh. There has been the regular service to keep things ticking over nicely. The last service was in March 2018 where it received spark plugs, air and oil filters, track rod ends, rear discs and pads, and some odd clamps. The bill came in at approximately £1,500, with the mileage on 111,500, a whole 800 miles ago from the current mileage.

The V5 is present and shows 1 previous keeper. The MOT is valid until the 21st October 2021.

The Mercedes has retained two of the original books showing service locations. There are also invoices for work carried out both here in the UK and Cyprus, both of which add up to a pretty penny.

When Mercedes-Benz designed the R107, they certainly put together what has become a timeless classic around the World. The Mercedes-Benz R107 is an excellent handling car with performance to match, thanks to the 3.5 litre V8. To top all this off, the build quality is exceptional, which is why they last.

As you’ve read, an extensive restoration and extremely well presented. The option of a hard top or you could just use the soft top with the ability to drop the roof as soon as the sun comes out. Are you ready for summer? This 350SL is.

We estimate this classic Benz will fetch in the region of £26,000 - £32,000.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this 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’.