2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500

With just five previous keepers, little is known of the car prior to its time with its current owner as it had been stored in an underground car-park for four years prior to him buying it. He had long admired it there, and set about the task of tracing its owner, then persuading him to sell it to him, and then finally having it recommissioned and a new MOT issued.

It is excitingly being offered No Reserve and available from the first bid.

The lack of history means that you are bidding on a car on the basis of its current condition only, and we would welcome you here to The Market HQ in Abingdon should you want to inspect the car for yourself prior to placing a bid.

The bodywork presents well; it’s not concours, but it is tidy and shines well. The panel fit is good, and the flanks are free of ripples and are in great shape. All those years being carefully stored have clearly reaped dividends.

The doors open and close with the sort of heft and precision we’ve come to expect of Mercedes, and the folding roof operates as it should, although it sometimes needs a bit of a helping hand. This might just be because it hasn’t been used for a while and it may free itself off with some more use.

The alloy wheels are looking good too, and the four tyres all have good tread.

The other problems we have noticed seem to be limited to slight rust starting to develop on the rear wings above the bumper (the offside is worse than the nearside) and a cracked nearside rear light lens.

The cream leather interior is a real highlight of the car and it still looks fresh and modern even after 17 years. Quality will out, as they say, and this is a very high quality interior indeed.

The seats are especially good; after almost two decades and 90,000 miles of being polished by a series of well-heeled backsides, they show only the very gentlest of creasing. Again, the four years it spent not being used and stored safely out of the sun’s rays have clearly helped preserve it better than that of most of the examples you see being offered.

The driver’s seat is a little more worn than the passenger’s but that is only to be expected and some TLC should bring it back very nicely as the marks on it are only minor; what will be left would be only the very gentlest of patination and nothing more.

The wood and leather steering wheel is in great shape, as are the carpets and door cards. The dashboard is good too, as is the extensive wooden veneer, which is glossy and free of cracks and other damage. Again, those four years in storage, plus quality materials and original design, have left it all looking terrific.

Problems seem to be limited to a dirty driver’s seatbelt and a slightly worn gearknob. That’s not a bad list of jobs to do in there, is it?

The car starts and runs well, although we did notice a bit of juddering through the pedal when braking. And the front battery seems to be a bit weak too.

On the positive side, the PSE pump, a well-known weakness, is good and operating as it should.

Otherwise, there was nothing particular to report from the brief test-drive, all the main functions worked as they should and there were no warning lights.

While the online MOT history check shows no problems of note, it does record the Mercedes as having no MOT. However this is only because the recent MOT was completed in Northern Ireland and these are not recorded on the main government database. If you are not familiar, these are fully recognised in the UK mainland, and are actually a much more through test which checks over a much greater list of criteria. It expires in July 2020 and was gained with no advisories.

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

This is an honestly presented Mercedes-Benz SL500. It’s not perfect, but what faults there are out in the open and visible to all; the faults also mean that it will be cheaper than a perfect one would be, and a competent home mechanic has the chance to add value as they rectify its few faults.

As to price, we think it will sell for between £6,000 and £8,000, which seems like fine value to us given the car’s performance and premium status. It is of course, No Reserve so sells from the first bid.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in 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, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this by coming to see it in person.

That said, 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 those formed as a result of a long test drive.

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.