1980 Mercedes-Benz 380SL

First registered in February 1981, this delightfully honest and original example has been with its current owner since 1986, during which time he has put more than 100,000 miles under its tyres, keeping it garaged when it wasn’t being used. Having only covered around 4,000 miles in the past 13 years, a lack of use is forcing its (hugely reluctant) sale.

How reluctant? Very; we talk to a lot of classic car owners but none have more demonstrated the emotional bond between this car and its equally delightful owner. Bought on impulse for £13,000 from a chap in a garage he stopped to ask directions of, he used it the very next day to tour France for three weeks – earning himself a port-side frisking on suspicion of car theft in the process – before going on to enjoy it for the next 32 years, primarily for golfing jaunts and road-trips; this is not a car that has been abused by being used for shopping runs and other journeys beneath its status…

(You will note that the V5 shows four previous owners. The reality is that it had one, titled previous keeper. If you win the auction, and talk nicely to the vendor, we’re sure he’ll explain its [unpublishable] history…)

Presented very much ‘as is’, the pale metallic blue/silver coachwork is nonetheless in very good condition with straight flanks, incredibly tight, even panel gaps, and a wondrous lustre to the paintwork. There is a small spot of rust on the boot, along with a scratch but that’s about the extent of the damage thanks to the professional replacement of both front and rear wings 15 years ago. (The eagle-eyed will spot a slight mismatch in colour on some of the panels…)

The chromework is nice and bright too with only a gentle patina to its lustre, but the owner is a chap with his eye fixed very firmly on enjoying rather than polishing it, so a couple of hours spent with an old rag and a bottle of Autosol would pay dividends.

The alloy wheels are also in good condition but would similarly benefit from a couple of hundred pounds’-worth of refurbishment. The tyres all have good tread but we’d be tempted to replace them on the grounds of age, if nothing else.

Rust has broken through the underside in a couple of places on the ends of the sills and this will need immediately attention, along with a couple of sections of the boot floor. This car is being kept with us at The Market: our inspection suggest that the main parts of the sills and the underneath generally are all solid – but please feel free to organise a trip to check for yourself before the auction ends. While your repairer is crawling about underneath the car you might like to ask him to take a look at the underseal, which is flaking in places and will need some scraping off and replacing to protect the car’s future structural integrity. After that, a weekend’s-worth of buffing and polishing and waxing would add significantly to the car’s appearance - and value.

The matching blue soft-top is in very good condition, remaining both water- and wind-tight and the owner tells us that the hardtop hasn’t been fitted in the past 20 years. Even better, it’s still in fabulous condition thanks to being carefully stored undercover during that time.

The interior is in fine condition and wearing its years well, being almost unworn bar a small hole on the driver’s side bolster. Whilst all the interior materials are obviously not new, the seat material is as tough as it is attractive as it has shrugged off 140,000 miles of buttock-polishing with impressive ease.

The same can be said of the wooden trim which is as good looking as it is extensive. On the downside, there is a scuff/rip to the blue vinyl in the rear compartment next to the roof handle, but that that is the extent of the concerns speaks volumes for the care it’s received under the previous owner as well as the integrity of Mercedes’ engineering.

It has been fitted with a more modern Kenwood radio/cassette player complete with a boot-mounted CD multichanger.

The V8 engine starts well and runs evenly and cleanly, as well it might after a lifetime of regular servicing (admittedly with few invoices to prove) in addition to a top-end rebuild in 2004 and a £1,600 service in 2016.

All the horses appear to be present and correct and it drives very nicely indeed. The engine bay itself is clean and neat and the visible chassis rails are free of rust and corrosion.

The owner tells us that it has been “bloody reliable” and has never let him down, despite being used to tour extensively. It has, he went on to say, “no secrets to tell or stories to hide” and has been “a damned good friend”.

His distress on having to sell it was obvious; while his sorrow was painful to hear, we couldn’t help but think we’d consider ourselves privileged to be able to shed tears over a car that we’ve owned – and loved - for more than three decades…

The online MOT history shows absolutely nothing of concern bar the underside rust that we’ve already mentioned. However, it does expire at the beginning of October 2018.

Supplied with its owner’s wallet including the owner’s handbook, service history book and miscellaneous booklets,

Please visit the documents section of the Gallery where you will find a number of old invoices, expired MOT certificates and other paperwork – including the current owner’s purchase invoice for £13,000! - to enable you to assess the car’s service history. Amongst the invoices is a 3-page item from Mercedes which will draw questions; the car was submitted for a trivial problem regarding the ignition barrel, but the service department took the ‘if it needs it, fix it’ request a bit too literally and ended up completely rebuilding the top of the engine… The current owner was a little ‘upset’ with this, and after firmly expressing his ‘upset’, the bill came back with the labour removed! Still a sore point with him, a big benefit for you.

The car’s owner would be the first to admit that he enjoys driving the car more than he does polishing it or retaining every last little receipt. As a result, while it is mechanically excellent it does offer the winning the bidder the opportunity to add value to what is an original, much-loved and honest car by sorting out the few little cosmetic niggles it displays. None are serious, but they do inevitably affect our valuation.

With the price of Mercedes SLs marching relentlessly upward, we expect this car to sell for between £8,000 and £10,000, which is remarkable value given the current market. And, as always, the reserve is even lower, which seems almost criminal to us.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at Patina HQ in 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.