1997 Mercedes-Benz SL320

On sale here is a 1997 320SL, arguably the best model on the range. Powerful enough to provide good performance, yet frugal enough not to put too much of a dent in your wallet.

The good news keeps coming as the car is presented in Azurite Blue, which contrasts nicely with the Mushroom leather interior – a desirable combination.

Despite being in its 25th year, the SL has travelled just 65,000 miles in the hands of five owners, so barely run in then!

The car is complete with both a soft top for easy roof down frolics and the desirable hardtop, for cocooned winter motoring. It’s the panoramic hardtop too, making the interior lovely and bright and airy even on the gloomiest of days. There’s a proper stand for it too.

Our seller bought the car in late summer and soon after took it to Classics on the Common in Harpenden in early September, an excellent event, the car drawing many admiring glances.

The car has then been used to enjoy the last days of summer and the bright days of autumn, but now’s the time for our trader seller to find a new long-term owner for her.

And just to make sure this lovely SL is fit and raring to go, he is taking her to independent Mercedes-Benz specialist, Stevensons in Maidstone, for a service and MoT.

Mercedes-Benz make hugely desirable cars, of that there is no doubt. However, many are painted in rather dull shades of grey, silver and black, all very Germanic.

In our eyes this makes this 320SL all the more special being adorned with a lovely Azurite Blue paint finish.

Not unexpectedly for such a lovely cruiser, there are some stone chips to the paint, most noticeably on the car’s nose and there are some minor cosmetic marks here and there too.

There is a tiny dent just below the passenger door handle, but you’ll have to squint hard to see it. There is also some deterioration to the lacquer around the side repeater in the nearside front wing. A small surface scratch on the rear offside wind can be seen but may well polish out.

The hardtop is in excellent condition, save for some damage to the paint on the rear edges, presumably from when it has been stored.  It does however look oh so smart when fitted to the car.

The soft top, electrically powered of course and working well, is somewhat creased, the car being stored for long periods with the top folded away. There is also some damage to the outer skin at the rear. The plastic rear window looks good though.

The smart alloy wheels look to have been well looked after and tyres, Chinese in origin, were replaced less than a year ago.

We should also mention that our seller had the paintwork fully detailed soon after he purchased the car, the cost being around £1,000. It was undoubtedly worth doing.

Back in the ‘90s, Mercedes-Benz build quality was the envy of the world before the cost cutters got their way. This is reflected in the way everything in this SL works, from the reassuring clunk when you close the doors, to the sturdy and precise feel of the switchgear.

The vast front seats will accommodate comfortably all shapes and sizes and there are two rear seats, ideal for kiddies or more likely as an overflow area for the boot.

The mushroom leather looks very smart, though we do note the usual wear to the driver’s seat bolster. We suspect a treatment with a quality hide cleaner may well improve this area. There are also some marks on the backrest of the nearside rear passenger seat.

Carpet, toning in nicely look to be in good condition, as are the door cards.

The high specification includes electric front seats, cruise control and electric windows.

There are two wind deflectors included in the sale, one the original supplied with the car and one purchased last year. The oldie is a little holey, the newbie perfect. When fitted they stop that unpleasant backdraft that spoils a high-speed cruise with the roof down.

In the boot, a decent size, there is fitted CD autochanger which combines well with the factory fitted Becker radio/tape player. Also housed is the usual Merc warning triangle, a first aid kit and most importantly a full size alloy spare wheel with Pirelli P6000 tyre fitted.

As we always do, our picture gallery contains plenty of photographs of the SL’s hard to inspect underside. There is visible surface rust to some of the components as well as the expected road dirt. Some time with a wire brush and some quality underseal would doubtless make a huge difference.

The undertray is scratched, possibly from an altercation with a speed bump or two.

We cannot see any signs of incontinence, the SL seemingly wanting to keep a proper grip on all its fluids.

The engine bay is in good order, as befits a car that has been loved and cherished by its previous owners.

Our seller reports that the car drives well, the automatic gearbox changing smoothly and precisely as one would expect from a Mercedes-Benz.

The car won’t win any traffic light sprints, but if wafting about in the sunshine is what appeals, then the 320SL will not disappoint.

The SL will be sold with a full 12-month MoT. There is a collection of old certificates in amongst the paperwork which help to corroborate the car’s low mileage. The recent test history shows nothing untoward, with just a few advisories for tyres nearing the end of their life and worn brake discs.

As mentioned, the car is also being serviced and checked over by a specialist in the next few days.

Other paperwork confirms recent servicing and maintenance with specialists such as the SL Shop, with a 2018 invoice for £1,330 there to be seen.

Also, that year, the lower ball joints were replaced, and three new tyres fitted.

This lovely Mercedes-Benz SL 320 comes from a time when the German manufacturer’s build quality was top notch. As such, it comes as no surprise to us to find this car to be in such good order, clearly helped by careful ownership over the years.

The refined engine mated to a smooth automatic gearbox make this an ideal car for long distance touring and there’s plenty of space for luggage too.

With good R107s starting to become unaffordable, we do expect prices of R129s to rise over the coming years, so now is likely to be a good time to buy.

So, get bidding without delay. Oh, and if you want to know what we think the SL will fetch, we estimate £12,000 to £18,000. Better than money in the bank!

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located with the vendor in South-East London and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’