2005 Mercedes-Benz SL500

First registered on the 11th January 2005, this wonderful Mercedes-Benz 500SL is still showing just 36,432 miles on the clock. Finished in Obsidian Black over black leather and fitted with the desirable panoramic roof, it has a full service history and comes with the original Mercedes book pack and two keys.

The vendor is only the car’s second owner, the first being a lady who owned it for 14 years and the first 31,000 miles of its life. As a mid-production run car, the Mercedes assembly line had got its eye in by the time they built this one and that experience certainly shows here.

Only for sale because he just isn’t using it as much as he thought he might due to COVID, it’s being offered with a very sensible guide price and a ridiculously low reserve, making this your chance to buy one of the very best R230 Mercedes on offer today for less than you might imagine.

The Obsidian Black coachwork looks stunning – and that’s taking into account the fact that black is the Jack Reacher of colours (“never forgive, never forget”): If there is a problem, then black is going to highlight it – but it doesn’t, because there isn’t.

The absence of dents, dinks and other damage is good news too, and the tight shutlines, ripple-free flanks, and gorgeous panel alignment tell an even better story – and when you’re considering buying a car like the Mercedes SL500 there is absolutely no need to buy anything but the very best as prices are still low, having yet to reach the levels we think they eventually will.

The clever folding roof still furls and unfurls as it should, sealing tightly when it is up and tucking away snugly when it is down. It really is a fantastically clever design and one that makes the R230 a genuine all year-round proposition.

The panoramic glass roof, which floods the interior with light when the roof is up, is clean and unmarked and the internal rollerblinds work as they should.

The five-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels are immaculate too, and show none of the kerbing you’ll find on other, less well maintained, examples. They’re shod with matching Pirelli P-Zero tyres, too, 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 it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The light lenses, brightwork and glazing is all excellent. Heck, it’s even still wearing it’s Sheldrake & Wells front numberplate.

Problems are remarkably few. Aside from the usual minor stonechips and the odd small mark, the owner points out that it's missing a little plastic flap on the driver’s side that usually hides the arm when the roof is lowered.

The interior could well belong to a car with a couple of years under its belt rather than one that’ll never see 15 again. Still utterly immaculate, even the driver’s seat shows only very light creasing and no wear whatsoever. Still as firm and supportive as they were when they left the factory, the seats work as they should, adjusting smoothly and heating up to order.

Lacking rear seats, the space where they might be is taken up by a very sensible luggage space that includes two cubbyholes, one of which is home to the Mercedes-Benz CD multi-changer.

The wooden veneer is bright and fresh and free of chips, cracks, and peeling lacquer. The door cards are similarly good, as are the carpets, dashboard, dials and controls; it really is a revelation and puts paid to the theory that MB quality had started to slip by the time the R230 broke cover.

Everything works too, but then you wouldn’t expect nothing less of a car with this providence and maintenance history, would you?

The MB wind deflector is still in its original plastic wrapping having never been used. The first aid kit still lives under the passenger seat, too.

The boot, which is home to the second battery, tool kit, compressor, and the space-saver spare wheel, has a good carpet and trim. Lifting it all out shows only solid, rust-free metal. True, it needs a vacuum but that that is the extent of its problems speaks volumes as to its care over the past decade and a half.

Problems? None that we can find.

The SL’s service history is wonderful and recorded as follows:

• 06.07.2006 and 4,256 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• Unknown date and mileage – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• 11.08.2009 and 11,989 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• 11.11.2011 and 14,414 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• 14.03.2012 and 17,909 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• 12.06.2013 and 20,442 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• 11.08.2015 and 24,713 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• 08.08.2016 and 26,372 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• 17.07.2017 and 28,442 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Ipswich

• 05.07.2019 and 31,739 miles – service by Glover Bros, Motor Engineers

• 06.07.2020 and 35,417 miles – oil service by Mercury Car Centre Ltd, an independent Mercedes-Benz specialist

The engine bay is very clean and well-ordered. As you can see in the video, it starts promptly, ticks over evenly, and revs beautifully. It also drives well, but then you’d guessed that, hadn’t you?

The underside is solid and free of rust. However, the underseal is cracking and peeling in a few areas, so a prudent owner might like to get that touched up before a cosmetic problem becomes something more serious.

We include an online HPI report run at the auction start which shows no finance outstanding and no insurance markers for theft or damage.

The SL’s MOT certificate, which is valid until July 2021, was gained without a single advisory point, a feat it’s no stranger to having racked up 11 in total over the years.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a couple of old invoices and bills. It also still has its original owner’s handbook, stamped service history, book pack, and storage wallet.

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 original bill of sale comes with the car – and it’s interesting to note that this shows an all-in price of £62,900 when it was new, or around £95,000 in today’s money.

Which makes our guide price of between £10,000 and £15,000 seem like a bit of a bargain. Only this cheap because the market has yet to recognize the R230 for the modern classic it is, this is your passport to the multi-role, all-weather sportscar you’ve been promising yourself for years.

And given the 0.1% most of us are earning on our money, isn’t the loss of £10-15 in interest a year a small price to pay to own a V8-powered convertible that’s built like a tank and goes like an Exocet?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near 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’.