1981 Mercedes SL500

The Mercedes was first registered on 24th December 1981, believed to have been registered in the owner’s company name before selling off the company and purchasing the car from it to use privately. 20 years later, with the car still in their possession, the owner’s moved the southern Spain. 

A few years passed and an odd twist of fate announced itself where a man travelling through Marbella on a bicycle had a puncture and rather than repair it, bought the SL from them to drive home to Kent. If that isn’t the best example of ‘rage quitting’ then we don’t know what is. After making it back to Kent safe and sound, the car was stored and maintained for around 10 years before selling to the previous owner. That makes it a four owner car with a relatively low mileage of 83,410.

The R107 500SL was a range topper, with a 4973cc V8 mated to a 4-speed automatic. It was also equipped with headlight wipers, removable hard-top and factory-optional ABS, cruise-control and air conditioning. The engine output was 228bhp with a top speed of 140mph, built for long distance cruising rather than show stopping 0-60 times, the car came with a 90-litre tank for 400+ miles of cruising speeds.

The exterior of the car is in fair condition with the odd mark and paint chip here and there in the rare Pastellgrau or Pastel Grey paintwork, It’s by no means bad, but there might be some spots you’d want to address in the future. It would only take minor treatment however, something a proficient home tinkerer might want to tackle on the driveway of a sunny summers’ weekend. There are detailed photos showing all the aspects of the car in the gallery below, so we’d encourage you to take a browse. 

There looks to be a spot of corrosion coming through on the side skirts, but it’s very minor and the paint only looks to have started to bubble the smallest amount. There is what looks to be a car park ding on the driver’s side door and the rear black rubber spoiler could probably benefit from a re-covering. 

The chrome trim looks to be in fairly good shape for the most part too with only the driver’s side hard top section having some minor damage as well as the rear bumper section above the exhaust. 

There is a body-colour hard top however and it is again, in reasonably good condition, in addition to the hard top, the recently replaced blue fabric folding roof is also in good condition too. We’re told that the car was fitted with an aftermarket electro-hyraulic system to raise and lower the fabric roof automatically, but this is currently disconnected and non-functioning. Apparently, this US-designed system was appraised by Mercedes-Benz and although it inspired the power roof on the R129 successor it was never factory fitted to the R107.

The original 14-inch “Mexican hat” alloy wheels are sound but showing a few scuffs and scrapes, as you would expect of an unrestored car of this age. A recently fitted set of Falken Ziex tyres have been fitted and look to have plenty of life left. 

Additional note, the car has recently had some welding work to get it through the MOT, the current owner is selling due to the car not getting enough use, with it being a shame for it to be sat. 

The original blue vinyl and check cloth interior is in great condition and really suits the aesthetic of the car. Under the carpet is clean and tidy and all trim is present and intact with the wooden inlays looking to be in good condition also. The dash was repaired under the previous owner by ‘Classical Dash of Stokenchurch’. More repair work was also commissioned for the door seals and hood stowage compartment as these are all typical areas for corrosion or damage over time. 

Everything is reported to be working as intended in the cabin, except the air-con system which has been de-gassed as it is yet to be converted to CFC-free refrigerant. Cruise control, headlight wipers and electric windows are all in good working order. 

The manual hood mechanism operates nicely and the fabric hood folds away flat underneath the tonneau panel. Once the folding roof is stowed the hard top can be carefully slotted into place - possible when done solo but safer and easier with two people. The headlining is in good, clean condition although part of the edging trim just needs a dab of contact adhesive where it has come away from the frame.

There is very little that a new owner will want or need to do to the inside of this car.

The engine bay is tidy and during the previous owner’s time, the car was taken to marque specialists Silchester Garage who report that the bulkhead is free from rust - a common issue with the model. There is no obvious signs of fluid leaks, split hoses, or exposed wires and all the components look to be visually in good order. 

The undersides and wheel arches of this car appear very strong with good under seal. It’s unlikely there’s ever been an issue with corrosion to structural members, floor pan or suspension components - in this regard the 500SL presents very well with only the expected light surface rust in places. The exhaust back box is recently new and therefore in good order.

In the boot, the carpets and linings present very well for this age of car - the multi-changer for the Kenwood CD player is mounted to the side, next to the powered-hood control box (currently disconnected) and the motor for the retractable aerial, which is fully working. A panel opposite reveals stowage for a jack and under the floor panel there is a full sized “Mexican hat” spare wheel with the same tyre as the rest of the wheels. 

The car’s last MOT expired on 27th April 2022, however with the car being 42 years old, it is now MOT exempt. 

The car spent the first 19-20 years of its life in Buckinghamshire where it did 70k of its 83k mileage and then it was taken to the Marbella area in southern Spain for a further 5-7 years. On return it was dry-stored in Kent for around 10 years with regular but limited running, which would explain the relatively low mileage. In recent ownership, the car has had all necessary mechanical and sundry work done by SL specialists at Silchester Garage (see documentation gallery), has been garaged when not in use and only taken out on dry days.

As well as having remedial work done by SL specialists in 2018, the current owner has maintained the full Mercedes-Benz service record.

The car comes with two sets of keys, original owner’s manual and service booklet.

This is a flagship model from a great era of Mercedes craftmanship and to have one within affordable reach to many now puts this car high up on the classic car cool list. With low owners and relatively low miles this car still has lots to give and it has an amazing life story to go with it.

We would expect this car to reach somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000.

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