1982 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL

Welcome to our latest auction listing, this time for a fabulous Mercedes-Benz 500SL. First registered on the 25th of October 1982, it comes to us direct from a well-known classic car dealer’s private collection.

Finished in Thistle Green Metallic (colour code 881) it is showing just under 80,000 miles and is supplied with both the fabric soft-top and the factory hard-top. With a full service history, there are no fewer than 14 documented services plus various bills and invoices for other maintenance and repairs over the years.

Bought by the vendor’s father-in-law on the 13th of July 2017 to turn into a historic rally car, he ended up changing his mind and using a vintage Bentley instead. This means that the SL has been stored inside for the three years he has owned it – and as you can see from the online MOT history, it has covered fewer than 100 miles in that time.

Now being sold to make some space, it is being offered with a very reasonable guide price and a reserve that reflects the challenging times we’re currently living in.

The Thistle Green coachwork is in a very good condition – and just look at the door alignment; they appear mm-perfect, the way it all fits together tells you everything you need to know about Mercedes’ reputation for over-engineering its cars back in the 1970s and 80s.

The paintwork is in a very good condition too, and the SL’s overall stance is fantastic. The chromework all looks good, as does the rubber boot and front valence spoilers.

The black folding roof is taut when it is up and folds away neatly when it is down. Free of holes, rips and tears, it is almost as weather-proof as the (very good) hardtop that will also be supplied.

The latter is painted in the same colour as the rest of the bodywork and adds a welcome extra layer of insulation for your annual skiing holiday. (Can you imagine how cool this would look with a set of winter tyres and skis strapped to the roof?) The inner headlining is clean and taut too, and the roof comes with a wheeled stand to keep it safely stored in your garage when it isn’t fitted.

The OE alloy wheels are in good shape, being free of chips, scuffs and scrapes. Almost certainly recently refurbished, they look terrific and are an integral part of the SL’s period appeal. They’re also shod with matching Michelin XWX tyres, all of which have good 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 vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The exterior specification includes 524 paint code preservation, 592 heat-insulating glass all round plus a heated rear window, 603 headlamp wipers, 613 LH traffic lamp unit, and 746 folding top fabric 8023.

Work to do? Well, we can see that the new owner might want to remove the ‘SL Shop’ stickers but other than the usual minor stonechips and marks that are part-and-parcel of running a classic, we can’t see anything that needs immediate attention bar a very small patch of rust on one inner corner of the hardtop.

If you were impressed with the outside, then wait until you see the cabin: Reeking of class, the tan leather interior is utterly sublime. The front leather seats are barely creased, and if we told you they were five years old rather than almost four decades we think you’d have no problem believing us.

And while the wooden trim isn’t the most convincing we’ve ever seen, it is in a very good condition and such an important part of the whole R107-vibe that anything more natural – like that used in contemporary Jaguars, for example - just wouldn’t look right.

Factory fitted options include 440 cruise control, 461 instruments with mileage reading in English, 505 electrically adjustable mirror left hand, and 682 fire extinguisher.

The boot is in a very good condition, and is neatly carpeted. It is also home to the factory tool kit, jack, warning triangle, an alloy spare wheel and the first aid kit.

Problems seem to be limited to the sun visors, which look a little wrinkly. But, the need to have these replaced is pretty much the very definition of a #FirstWorldProblem, isn’t it?

The car’s standard specification includes 470 anti-lock braking (ABS) and the 256 rear axle limited-slip differential (LSD).

The vendor tells us that the SL starts and drives well, and that the bulkhead, which fans of the marque will know is a notorious weakness on the model, has been checked by the SL Shop and given a clean bill of health.

The engine bay is neat and clean, and the presence of a genuine Mercedes-Benz battery impresses us greatly. The underside looks to be strong and neatly undersealed.

The SL’s MOT certificate expires in June 2021 and was gained with no advisories, something it’s been doing consistently for a few years now.

It also comes with 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.

It will also be supplied with a book pack that includes the service history booklet with 14 stamps in it, the owner’s manual and the radio handbook.

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 R107 Mercedes-Benz SL is a staple of the classic car world for many reasons, not least its durability and reliability. It’s relatively cheap and easy to service and maintain too, and the fact that it is so effortless elegant doesn’t harm its cause any.

And they’re still very reasonably priced.

Take this one, for example. In a beautiful condition and sporting a very attractive colour scheme, we think it will only sell for somewhere between £22,000 and £27,000, which is remarkable value given the current market.

And, while the price of good Mercedes R107s has yet to take off in the way some expected, we still think they should be a safe place to put your money in the medium- to long-term.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Shrewsbury; 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’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.