2000 Mercedes-Benz SL 600

The seller describes ‘X1 OUF’ as “the ultimate sleeper” thanks to its six-litre V12 engine.

But there’s far more to this gorgeous Mercedes-Benz SL600 than mere power and torque because it’s also finished in Tanzanite Blue with a matching panoramic hardtop. The interior is trimmed in Java leather too, and the SL Shop gave it the onceover six months ago and said of it: “we found nothing to report, underlining the care and attention that has gone into this car in recent years.

This doesn’t surprise us because the seller spent well over £2,000 smartening up the cabin with just two pieces of trim. He also replaced the tyres six months ago because the ones that were on it were too old for his tastes (he’s an ex-racing driver and takes these things seriously…)

He also spent more than £4,000 with Riemans in June 2024, the respected independent Mercedes-Benz specialists, to get it “just so”, something the SL Shop’s comments confirm.

Why the sale then? He had intended to take it out to his place in Portugal but ended up buying a car there, leaving him with three here, which is “one too many”.

His loss could be your gain though, so read on to find out why your search for an SL600 could be at an end…

The bank-vault door construction of the R129 means that they tend to age well, and that well-deserved reputation is on display here with this impressive specimen.

Just look at the door shuts for example. And the alignment of the boot lid and bonnet. Even the fuel filler flap sits foursquare in its aperture.

It’s in great shape too with no ripples along its flanks, no dents or dinks on those long doors, or any scuffs and scrapes on the four corners.

It all adds up to one of the more impressive examples we’ve seen.

And that’s without addressing that wonderful Tanzanite Blue paintwork, which is sporting, elegant, and discreet. It too is in great shape, with our assessor rating it as “very good”, although harsh lighting does reveal some swirl marks and a few bird dropping stains. However, it’s not bad at all and we think a detailer could bring the paint back to a good standard given a day or so working on it.

The 18-inch, split-rim AMG alloy wheels are in fine fettle and, as we mentioned in the introduction, the matching Continental Conti Sport Contact 3 tyres were fitted within the past six months despite the old ones still having plenty of tread left on them.

#nuffsaid, eh because 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.

The two roofs, one solid and one not, are also impressively preserved and while the Tanzanite Blue hardtop might take two people to lift on and off, with it in place you’ve got complete protection against the elements along with a proper glass rear screen and a heated element with which to dispatch condensation and ice.

The blue hydraulically folding roof rises and falls as it should and makes a very impressive fist of protecting you from wind and rain too. It folds neatly down and out of the way when the sun shines and gives the SL a rakish side profile that still looks utterly contemporary, even after a quarter of a century.

It’s also in a fair condition with only a few light marks and the odd crease marring the fabric. Sadly there is a tear in the rear screen section that will require attention.

Not that the SL has escaped the passage of 25 years with complete impunity because both offside wheels have light kerbing marks to them, and the offside headlamp wiper doesn’t work.

The bodywork also has the usual chips and marks every car collects over the years, with the most noticeable being around the base of the hardtop, above the ‘SL600’ badge on the boot lid, and on the nearside front wheelarch.

More serious is the rust that is bubbling on the driver’s door, the roof above passenger door, and the base of the rear window.

Oh, and the stand for the hardtop is a bit wobbly and the wheels have worn, so care needs to be taken moving it around when it’s being used.

The well-stuffed Java leather front seats are as comfortable and supportive as you’d hope for in a car that can lap Silverstone as easily as it can dispatch Western Europe before lunch.

Plump and supremely comfortable, they’re free of any significant wear and tear with only slight colour loss and a few light creases betraying their age. They’re electrically adjustable too, with a three-position memory and heating elements in them for winter mornings.

The rear seats might not have much legroom but they’re useful in an emergency and give useful extra storage space the rest of the time. These are also in an even better condition than the front seats, largely thanks to their ability to fold down to protect the leather facings when they’re being used to accommodate luggage and coats.

The woodwork is both expansive and in great shape, partly thanks to the wood ‘n’ leather steering wheel having been replaced less than a year ago.

The seller also had a new dashboard shell fitted at the same time. The total cost, including the steering wheel, was £2,226.

This was a significant investment, but it did smarten the interior up nicely. However, the panel to the right of the steering wheel, which contains the light switch, is still the original brown one as new ones simply aren’t available.

We didn’t notice this, and we doubt most folk would either, but the fact the seller was keen to bring it to your attention speaks volumes as to his fastidiousness and honesty.

The SL Shop also supplied a new Blaupunkt Bremen headunit in July 2023. The bill might have been a little over £900 but we think it was worth every penny because it both looks the part and sounds magnificent.

The cubby hole on the transmission tunnel is protected by a tambour door, which slides open to reveal a series of CD holders as well as a cigarette light point.

Other interior niceties include adjustable suspension damping, power windows, mirrors, and roof, central locking, and air-conditioning.

The hardtop’s panoramic glass roof has twin sunblinds to cut the sun’s glare, while the inner headlining of the folding roof is taut, clean, and free of damage.

The boot is as nicely presented as everywhere else and in addition to the usual spare wheel, warning triangle, and tool kit also contains an indoor car cover, the old steering wheel and headunit, and a few spares.

As for faults, the heater blower doesn’t work, both door cards have lifted near the glass, the fabric covering the speakers in the driver’s door are frayed and marked, there’s some glue residue at the top of the driver’s door card, and the wooden veneer panel on the transmission tunnel in front of the armrest has a few light cracks to the finish.

The seller says the first three of these are new faults that appeared within the past six months after he’d stopped using it and if he’d been aware of them, he’d have sorted them out.

Recent service work includes:

• 21.11.2018 and 51,811 miles – service by Monarch Independent
• 06.07.2021 and 52,753 miles – service by Monarch Independent
• 08.07.2022 and 53,279 miles – service by ACMS Mercedes
• 07.06.2024 and circa 55,060 miles – service by Riemans including a new fuel pump and filter, rectifying an engine oil leak, fitting new lower suspension arms, anti-roll bar bushes, and wheel bearings, and changing the brake fluid, sparkplugs and wiper blades. All-in, the work cost the owner in excess of £4,000

Our in-house assessor says, “it drives really well!” and yes, the exclamation mark is all his – and coming from him means a lot.

As you can see in the video the V12 engine sparks into life and idles without fuss. It also revs very nicely with a suitably resolute exhaust note.

The engine and underbonnet area are both very nicely detailed and a credit to the owner.

The underside still looks nicely protected by what seems to be the factory underseal supplemented in places. As for its solidity, it looks good to us and no MoT test has ever mentioned anything about structural corrosion.

In fact, the only advisories the SL has ever had since 2006 are for tyres (in 2012 and 2013) and an oil leak (2013), which is very reassuring, isn’t it?

While we are on the subject, the SL’s MoT certificate, which is valid until May 2025, was issued without any advisories something it’s been doing since 2013.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the SL comes with two key fobs.

The SL’s history file contains the Mercedes-Benz book pack and wallet, invoices for the routine servicing and maintenance it’s benefited from, and some expired MoT certificates and tax discs.

Wonderfully, it also contains the original bill of sale from Mercedes-Benz that shows the first owner forked out nearly a quarter of a million Deutsche Marks when he collected it from the factory in Stuttgart.

We doubt there is a better example of a multipurpose car than this: with the hardtop on you’ve got a weather-sealed coupé to whuffle your way to your Swiss ski chalet in complete comfort – and with the roof down you’ve got a four-seater convertible to purr your way along the French Riviera, drawing nothing but admiring glances in your wake.

The V12 engine also gives all the motive thrust any sane driver would ever need and it does so with a beguiling combination of finesse, dependability, and zeal.

The R129 as a whole also has a stellar reputation for reliability, with the SL600 being especially highly sought-after.

All of which should add up to far more than our estimate of between £25,000 and £30,000 – and we suspect it won’t be long before we’re all ruing the day we turned down cars like this for so little money.

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