1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL

First registered on the 31st December 1985, this wonderfully presented Nautical Blue metallic Mercedes-Benz 380SL has a fresh MOT and is showing just 146,000 miles on the clock.

Recently recommissioned after coming from a multi-millionaire’s collection of 80+ cars, it has an almost unmarked body and excellent chromework in addition to a very good interior.

Running and driving very well, it also has the optional hard-top, which makes its guide price seem all the more remarkable…

The R107 SL is a stately old thing anyway but never more so than when finished in a dark blue, a colour that suits its lines perfectly. This one’s Nautical Blue metallic coachwork is excellent with barely a mark to mar it, almost certainly courtesy of its pampered life in an extensive collection of classic cars.

It’s got great panel alignment and shutlines too, plus an absence of the sort of dinks and ripples that carelessly curated cars collect. The light lenses are good too, as are the badges and the glass.

The chromework is another highlight, being only very lightly pitted in places – and what pitting there is should mostly polish out without too much effort. Other details include matching MB mudflaps, a pair of front fog-lights, and headlamp wipers.

The optional hardtop is just as nice as the rest of the exterior. Finished in the same colour as the body panels it is weathertight and free of obvious damage. The blue folding soft-top, on the other hand, has seen better days. It has quite a few rips in it and someone has tried to repair the bigger and more obvious ones with gaffer tape in an attempt to keep out the elements. It does still furl and unfurl easily though, tucking away neatly under the body-coloured tonneau cover, so at least you know the hood frame is okay.

On the other hand, the 15-inch Mercedes-Benz alloy wheels are in great shape with only a few very light scuffs to their outer edges. These are minor and in no way detract from the car’s overall presentation although we can see that a fastidious owner might want to have them refurbished to bring them up to the same high standard as the rest of the vehicle.

They are also fitted with matching 195/65 Michelin tyres, all of which have great tread. As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the seller would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Problems? Well, apart from a few minor stonechips and the odd barely discernible mark, there’s nothing there to worry about at all.

The MB-Tex and cloth interior is question rather good. We’re well used to how impressively R107’s shrug off their years but this is an especially good example of the breed.

The seats are still firm and springy, and the carpets, door cards and dashboard are just as good as the seats; even the extensive wooden veneer is terrific, being glossy and free of peeling lacquer and chips to its finish.

The hard-top’s cream-coloured headlining is in great shape being free of damage and marks. That of the soft-top is pretty scabby, not that you care because you’ll be replacing the whole lot anyway…

The interior has a very nice analogue VDO gauge that shows both the interior and exterior temperatures, which isn’t something we’ve ever seen before and is something we’re told was an optional extra when the car was new. The front seats are heated and there’s a very nice head unit in the dashboard and a pair of Alpine speakers in the rear quarter panels.

The boot is pretty good, and while the carpet is a bit grubby and coming away in a couple of places the floor is solid and it is home to an alloy spare wheel.

The interior is not flawless. There’s a small crack starting on the dashboard top at the base of the instrument binnacle, for example, as well as another from the air vent to the windscreen. This is a common issue and if it bothers you then sourcing and fitting a replacement is a well-trodden path.

Otherwise that’s the extent of the issues bar the need for a decent valet to freshen up some of the carpets and seat cover material.

Comprehensively serviced in October last year, the work included new filters, spark plugs, HT leads and even a new fuel pump. There’s a well-stamped service history book with the car too plus plenty of old bills and invoice spanning the past 30+ years.

We’ve driven it and can endorse the vendor’s claim that it “drives really well” and no obvious faults manifested themselves during our brief test drive.

The underbonnet area is neat without being prissy, and if you’d like to bring it up a notch or two then we only envy the weekend of fun that lies ahead; few jobs are as instantly gratifying as detailing an engine and the good order of this one gives you a head start on the usual corroded and rusty offerings you generally find under an R107’s bonnet.

The underside is very strong and tidy. Free of obvious rust and corrosion, it’s in need of nothing other than regular inspections to ensure it continues to look this good.

Faults? Well, while the car itself drives very well the brake warning light is on the dashboard. Mind you, that’s all we have found to criticise is very good news indeed.

The SL’s MoT certificate, which is valid until September 2021, was gained without a single advisory point.

It has a number of expired MoT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years plus its original maintenance booklet with 16 stamps in it.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

The Mercedes-Benz R107 is all but indestructible but while they will solider on for decades with only minimal servicing, good ones are getting harder and harder to find. We attribute this the fact that while we love ‘em, the market has yet to put them where we think they’ll eventually sit in terms of value, which means some folk are reluctant to spend the appropriate amount of money to keep them looking good and running properly.

But, this dilemma also means that when you do find a good one it isn’t going to cost you a fortune. This one, for example, will probably only sell for somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000 – and that’s a pitifully small sum to pay for such a beautifully engineered convertible sportscar.

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’.

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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and an array of regional providers for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that any vehicle could have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.