1988 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

This anthracite-over-blue example from 1988 benefits from all of the aforementioned upgrades, as well as a fastidious owner. Owned by the vendor since 2013, every item of work carried out on this stunning SL while in his care has been meticulously documented, along with the vehicle having been serviced yearly between 2013 and 2019.

In addition to regular servicing, the vehicle has also benefitted from a new hood during 2013, a full wheel refurbishment, new pads and disks, and other various items all of which add up to a total of over £2,200 worth of expenditure. Recently, the vehicle has also been treated to a new distributor, alternator and fuel pump relay, all of which is detailed in the paperwork photos below.

The anthracite paintwork on this SL is wonderfully 80’s in its appearance and is all the better for it, especially with the bright orange indicators contrasting with the dark paint colour. The bodywork is lovely and straight with nice even panel gaps and no sign of any impact damage, which is always a good sign.

The paintwork, too, is in generally great shape with only minor stone chips to the front end, as you’d expect from the paintwork on a 33+ year old vehicle. There is also a patch of bubbling to the rear of the front offside wheel arch, a crack in the paintwork ahead of the nearside rear arch and a few marks above the offside headlight, all of which can be seen in the gallery below.

The chrome trim on the front end and front bumper are in great condition and retain a mirror-like finish, though the rear bumper has clearly had contact with another object at some point during its life, with a dent in the middle and an exposed area beginning to oxidise, as seen in photo number 99.

All four wheels are in fantastic condition with no kerb marks, and as previously mentioned, the spare wheel is a new item which is still in pristine condition. It is clear that this SL has been pampered throughout its life, with the general condition of the exterior hiding its age very well indeed.

If you thought the exterior was good, wait until you see the interior. The blue cloth seats are in nigh-on impeccable condition, with only the most minor of creases starting to show on the driver seat, which is incredible for a vehicle of this age.

The carpets, too, are virtually unmarked, as are the rear seats, over mats and door cards, with the latter showing only minor scuffing to the lower sections which is commonplace on almost all cars we see due to repeated use.

There is what appears to be a small hole in the leather side moulding to the left of the nearside rear seat, though in an otherwise excellent interior, it hardly affects the overall appearance. The folding roof works as it should, with the hard top also present with the vehicle and in great shape.

The only real mark against the interior in our opinion would be the door rubbers, several of which are beginning to deteriorate and would benefit from replacement.

Pop open the bonnet, and it’s clear to see that Mercedes-Benz squeezed every last bit of real estate out of this engine bay, with the 3.0-litre inline-six engine taking up every inch of room available. The engine itself and its ancillaries present in generally good condition, though no doubt a fastidious owner would be able to spend a couple of hours bringing it back to top visual condition.

The air filter housing displays some surface corrosion, while the front radiator surround also has a few patches on display. Underneath the same story is true, with the car appearing to be generally very solid with a few patches of the usual surface ‘bloom’ of corrosion.

The most recent MOT exam noted corrosion to both rear springs, along with the nearside front lower suspension ball joint dust cover being deteriorated. In addition to this, the handbrake travel was also noted as being an issue, though it is still within minimum operational requirements.

During the photographers’ short test drive, no issues made themselves known, and the vehicle starts, stops, turns and drives exactly as an 80’s Mercedes should - with a wonderfully laid-back attitude and ridiculous levels of comfort.

As previously mentioned, the current owner has been meticulous with documenting and cataloguing any expenditure on the vehicle during their ownership. This documentation includes several ‘big ticket’ services including one in 2018 which amounted to over £2,200 alone. There are also invoices pertaining to significant suspension component overhauls, a new spare wheel and a fresh alternator.

There are also a stack of previous MOT certificates, and a plethora of other smaller invoices that have also been documented and catalogued. The V5 document is also present, which shows a total of seven previous owners.

The Mercedes-Benz service record is present and dates all the way back to the PDI in 1988, though the most recent stamp related to a service in 2014, with services after this date being recorded by the vendor and a plethora of invoices.

In addition to the paperwork, the vehicle is also supplied with two sets of keys.

With the choice of a folding soft top, an all-weather hard top or top-down, wind-in-your-hair motoring, this 1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL really can do it all. With a lovely smooth six-cylinder engine, brilliantly boxy 80’s styling and commanding an impressive road presence even in today’s world, the SL is a true all-season usable classic.

Presenting in generally excellent condition and requiring only some minor TLC to a few areas of the bodywork and the aforementioned MOT advisories, this 300 SL is in ideal condition to be used and enjoyed exactly as it sits, or to be taken on as an easy-going restoration project to address its very few imperfections.

Given the condition of the vehicle, we estimate it to fetch between £20,000 and £26,000 and with top-quality SL’s becoming more and more popular with each passing day, make sure to set your notifications, alarms, calendar reminders and whatever else you need to remind you when this auction starts, as it’s sure to prove popular.

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’.