1981 Mercedes-Benz 380 SL

The first owner of this car had it for 17 years and the last-but-one for 15 (who has always garaged the car) – this 380SL has been well kept and yet both used and enjoyed daily. The history file with this SL is all photocopies of the original (no, we don't have the originals) however, it is vast and even includes copies of the original owner documents, two sets of keys and manuals not only for the car but also for its period Blaupunkt Cambridge code-controlled stereo. The factory supplied hardtop remains with the car and it even comes with an original and complete tool bag.

Maintained to a good mechanical standard, because of its regular use, it’s been treated to regular oil, coolant and brake fluid changes. The car does however exhibit signs of its age and 92k miles. The obvious exterior cosmetic blemishes won’t escape even a cursory inspection, though there’s also signs of moisture ingress to be aware of in both the boot and hood stowage areas. This car should still be categorised as an excellent rolling-restoration candidate.

Finished in a highly-attractive and fairly rare shade of Inca Red (581), this R107 certainly stands out from the crowd. We’re all too used to seeing silver or blue examples – they seem to have flooded the market. The colour makes a refreshing and period-perfect change. Alloy wheels seem in good order with only minor marks worth mentioning. Both bumpers however, are showing damage and corrosion.

The majority of the outer panels are exhibiting rust in varying orders of severity. Both front wings and the bonnet show holes to their leading edges (oddly), though there’s also signs (under the bonnet) that the wings have been replaced in the past. The localised corrosion and lack of the usual arch rot means that a skilful body shop might be able to salvage them. The same can’t be said of the rear wheel arches as both have rotted. The driver’s side is the worst offender. The good news is that the hard- and soft-tops both appear to be in great shape. The latter seems to have been replaced relatively recently, though we did notice some more rust in the deck area as we folded it away.

The cabin of this SL retains much of the subtle class and quality it was endowed with at the factory. There’s little damage to the dashboard, its top being free from the often-seen cracking. There’s a small fit issue where the centre console meets the dash on the driver’s side but other than this, it’s fit remains as it should. The plastics show minimal wear for the age and mileage and the wood work is in similarly fine condition. There is some cracking to the trim around the base of the handbrake handle, however. Another slight mark against this cabin is the missing grille from the dash, just behind the steering wheel. Though we’re pretty sure we saw it in the boot.

Seats appear to be trimmed in the hardwearing M-B Tex material rather than leather, the former lasts significantly longer. As a result, there’s only mild wear to the driver’s seat visible. Carpets appear in good shape and other than a little grime here and there, the interior largely remains presentable. There’s a little staining to the inner lining of the soft-top (perhaps from mould?) though the same lining of the hardtop remains very good. Similarly, the boot carpet is a bit stained and holed, lifting it and looking in the corners of the boot reveals yet more corrosion.

Its bay is business-like if a little dirty. It also exhibits signs of overspray (the bonnet hinge springs) proving that the front wings have been replaced at least once.

Underneath it’s generally good news with large sections of solid floors and subframes. Despite significant repairs over the years, there are still a few areas of rot starting to creep in again. The sills, both inner and outer have light corrosion to them and there’s the boot floor to deal with as well. The thickness of the underseal on these cars is likely to be hiding further corrosion so, as ever, we advise a personal inspection of this SL for maximum peace of mind.

The last MoT expired in Oct'21. It's (partial) MoT history goes back forty years and the aforementioned copies of history documents show this SL’s past is fairly easy to track. Having said this, there aren’t a lot of invoices prior to the Noughties. Though, beyond 20 years, it’s hardly relevant anyway.

The highlights from the past two decades are as follows; an indicator wiring fault fixed in 2019 by In Autos. Some welding repairs were carried out in 2008 for an MoT test pass with corrosion to the sills listed as an advisory since 2011. More welding repairs were carried out in 2015 by Elite Garages in West Sussex with a bill for £1,117.27. Further corrosion chasing is evident from repairs to floors, sills and wheel arches undertaken in 2018 by SVG Village Garage, East Grinstead.

Excessive oil burning cured in 2017 via a big bill for £2,106.57 with two new Vredestein tyres also fitted in 2017. New thermostat, water pump and coolant were added in 2011 (plus brake fluid) by Elite Garages. Another coolant and oil flush came in August 2021. A custom £749 Long-life stainless exhaust system was fitted in 2008 and a transmission service took place in 2014.

The invoice that you really need to pay attention to however, was a round of rolling restoration in 2016. An invoice for work to the brakes, welding, fuel pipes and various other bits of care came to a substantial £6,698.91. The most up-to-date invoice is for more welding and another brake and coolant service from 2020. The car’s current rather unique registration is, according to the vendor, available separately.

Though it’s clear there’s still plenty of work to do on this SL, it should also hopefully be apparent that a lot has been spent; especially on the mechanical side. The car starts and runs well, with the engine, gearbox and the automatic being all good and smooth. The remaining cosmetic work will be costly to put right but as far as project SLs go, this one’s a lot more up together than most. We’re nevertheless setting a sensible £5,000 - £8,000 guide. 

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and 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’.