1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500

The vendor has owned this Mercedes-Benz since 2015 and, by his own admission, he’s hardly used it since then.

The mileage today is 79,562.

On the occasion of its 2013 MoT a decade ago, the figure stood at 67,206 miles.

It is in very decent overall condition that far better reflects its low mileage and sparing use than its age.

It comes with the desirable Pano hard top roof and the hardtop storage trolley and is an unusual shade of Grünschwarz metallic, which means it’s a very dark (almost black) shade of green.

It also comes with adjustable height suspension.

It has all the right invoices, bills and receipts to attest to proper, diligent maintenance and a life well lived and managed.

The vendor is only selling because of a lifestyle change and the fact that he rarely has the opportunity to enjoy it these days.

We have driven the car and can state with confidence that it has retained all the tangible build quality for which these models are rightly famous.

It starts, goes and stops as you would hope and there’s enough power in that big 5 litre V8 to propel the car along with an impressive turn of speed and surprising levels of agility.

The bodywork is very good all round and the shut-lines and panel gaps are as crisp and consistent as you could wish.

There are no dinks, dents or creases of any consequence anywhere that we can see.

The black fabric hood is also in fine fettle and just has an entirely normal amount of creasing here and there.

It was fitted new in 2015 to replace the original ‘Mineral Green’ item.

The removable hard top has some bubbling at the base at the rear on both sides.

There are a few scratches on the boot lid and the n/s/r wing, plus a few scuffs on the nearside corner of the rear bumper.

We also found one or two scratches and scuffs on the nearside sill and some paint chips and scratches on the passenger door.

Beyond that, we found a scratch below the o/s/r window, a few thin scratches on the n/s/f wing, some paint chips on the nearside ‘A’ pillar, a scuff on the o/s/r wheel arch and a patch of missing lacquer on the bonnet.

There are some scuffs to be seen on all four wheels.

The lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in fine fettle.

The condition of the interior is entirely commensurate with its exterior counterpart. In other words, it’s pretty good save for one of two minor cosmetic issues.

The beige leather upholstery is intact and we found no rips or hole, but it has lost some of its shine and looks as if it would benefit from being introduced to some decent cleaning and feeding products.

The seats are comfortable, supportive and, as far as we can tell, fully functional.

We noticed some scuffs on the door-side backrest bolster on the driver’s seat, a small mark on the passenger seat backrest, and one or two small stains on the back seats.

The door cards are in good order, although the fabric covering the upper loudspeaker on the driver’s door needs re-attaching.

The lower part of the same door card could do with being shown some soapy water and a cloth.

The linings around the hard top and under the soft top are both good.

So, too, are the carpets and mats.

The wood veneers on the dashboard, door cappings and other inserts have held up very well.

We pressed a few buttons and flipped a few switches as we were driving around, and the vendor assures us that even the ones we didn’t press or flip should work as intended.

The boot looks very good and contains a spare wheel.

The engine bay looks clean, dry and as you would hope to find in a car that’s been well looked-after and sparingly used.

Everything appears to be in its right and proper place, with the exception of the insulating material, which is missing from the underside of the bonnet.

The undersides of the car appear to have plenty of structural integrity.

The vendor tells us that the original service book was fully stamped up when he bought the car in 2015.

There are numerous invoices, bills and receipts attesting to the regular maintenance, servicing and repair work carried out on the car in the intervening years.

Its MoT is valid until 4.4.24

It comes with a handbook pack, a clear HPI report, a V5 and four spare AMG wheels.

We think this is a good example of both the marque and the model.

It is an unusual colour and (in our opinion) benefits aesthetically from having a black hood, rather than the green original.

It also has a removable Pano hard top.

Add the decent history and low mileage and we think this becomes a very desirable car.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £10,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars 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’.