1981 Mercedes-Benz SL 380

First supplied by Neyland Motors of Swansea in South Wales in January 1981, it left the showroom with a Signal Red body and a black hard top. The change in colour came about because a previous owner used the car in Spain for ten years, which might have preserved the metalwork but faded the red paintwork.

Its return to the UK saw a change of colour to the silver you see today – and while opinion varies as to the exact shade - some think it’s Mercedes-Benz Anthracite Grey Metallic, with others insist it’s a Range Rover paint code – few would quibble with the choice of hue. 

We also understand that conversion to the US-style quad headlamps was done around that time and, as you’d hope, both the hood and the interior are finished in black, with the latter being the two-seat option and trimmed with hide.

The previous owner fitted a new soft-top in at a cost of around £1,000 in January 2023 and four new Bilstein dampers plus a whole host of other bits and bobs including new window seals, and a new battery four months later.

Regardless of provenance, I think we can agree that the colour suits the R107’s iconic lines very well, especially as it blends so well with the (decent) chromework, giving it a hewn-from-solid look that reinforces the R107 rock-solid credentials.

And we love the yellow foglamps, which harmonise with the indicator lenses and bring a flash of colour to an otherwise monochrome palette. It’s a great look and one we’d like to see more of. 

The American-spec quad headlamps give another twist to an otherwise familiar recipe, and they, like all the lamp lenses, are in great shape. 

The 14-inch steel wheels are mission-perfect and in great shape. Enhanced with chrome and body-colour hubcaps, they’re also fitted with a matching set of Galaxy Vitour tyres, and because these were only fitted in 2019, they still have plenty of tread left on them.

We will never get tired of telling you that 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 it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The soft-top was retrimmed in January 2023, and the SL also comes with a decent body-coloured hard-top, which extends the car’s useability from summer-only to all year around.

As for flaws, there are some bubbles in the paintwork, most noticeably at the top of the driver’s door near the swageline and on the boot lid. The hard-top has an orange peel finish to it in places too, and if you poke about you can find traces of the original colour. The overall finish isn’t the best we’ve ever seen, but it looks very presentable as you walk up to it and could be improved as and when finances and motivation coincide.

As for the replacement soft-top, while it is in a very good cosmetic condition it is stuck at the bottom of the rear screen near the rear bulkhead, so that’ll need finessing free. There is also some rust around the hood compartment, which’ll need fixing.

Finally, the windscreen is scratched and delaminating.

The seats have that firm springiness that’s unique to the marque and which ensures long-distance comfort despite feeling a little hard initially. The covers are, as you can see, in great shape too with only light creasing to their surface. 

The area behind them has been fitted with a pair of speakers to play the music the modern Sony headunit sends them – and the Bluetooth connectivity it has also means you can channel your smartphone. 

The Mercedes Benz sports check fabric door cards lift the cabin a little – everything is solid black or grey otherwise – and they’re in a good condition.

We are told that the carpets were replaced fairly recently and have insulating foam underneath, although lifting the latter also reveals hints of the car’s original Signal Red colour.

The padded dash, which is topped with deformable safety foam, is in good condition and is free of sun damage. 

The instruments are a model of clarity and include a central speedometer, a rev counter and clock, and a multi-function dial that shows fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and economy. 

We believe all work with the exception of the odometer, which gave up the ghost in at least 2016 if the online MoT record is accurate.

As for other faults, the heather fan is stuck on permanently, the ‘eared’ driver’s headrest has a split seam, there’s some wear to the rear panels around the handles, the passenger’s vanity mirror in the sunvisor is foxed, and the ashtray is rusty.

Being a post-1980 facelift example, this 380SL is fitted with the desirable 3.8-litre V8 engine and four speed automatic gearbox combination, a set-up that probably best balances performance with reliability and fuel economy. 

As you can see, the V8 starts easily and revs well. It also shows good oil pressure and three-quarters of a tank of fuel, which is worth factoring in given the cost these days…

The custom Powerflow stainless-steel exhaust system gives a cracking exhaust note too, being nicely subdued at low engine revolutions but taking on a harder-edged crackle when you’re wringing the engine.

The engine bay is decent but would benefit from a clean, and while the underside has had some welding repairs in the past, it was also Waxoyl’d in 2017. 

However, we note the underseal is cracked and peeling in places, so it would be prudent to get the loose material removed, any underlying rust treated, and the car resealed.

As for faults, the transmission is slow and reluctant to change up. We tried to check the transmission fluid level, but the dipstick is stuck, so that’s another job for you.

The Mercedes doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the SL comes with the owner’s handbook, a stamped service history booklet, and a large number of old invoices and bills in addition to the with the build data card showing the factory options it was built with.

The Mercedes-Benz R107 is all but indestructible but while they 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

And this is one that’s had several thousand pounds spent on it in the past few years, leaving only modest fettling for the new owner to carry out.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.