1982 Mercedes-Benz 380SL

Offered with just fewer than 100,000 miles (which, in R107 terms, means it probably still needs a bit more running in…) this lovely old thing has had almost £17,000 spent on it by the previous owner, which must be a bitter pill for him to swallow but is good news for you lot. The current owner has kept the car for a year having bought it from us, by his own admission, he has hardly used it and is now emigrating so has decided to sell.

At our previous sale, it was fresh from the bodyshop having had its bodywork, hard-top and wheels restored, it’s in fine fettle, has a great interior and is running well. For the picky, there are still a couple of very minor jobs to do but that’s good news too because they’re all easy and cheap, leaving you with some headroom to add value at little cost to yourself.

It's also worth noting that the current owner kept it stored under cover in a garage and only drove it in good weather.

The previous owner had the car professionally resprayed in its original Silver Blue (colour code 930) metallic colour in October 2017, at a cost of well over £13,000. Yes, that’s right: the final bodyshop bill came to an eye-watering £13,335.24. Plus another £1,280 for the repair panels they fitted. So, as you’d have every right to expect, it looks amazing. The paint quality is very good and even all over. And, for the suspicious amongst you, there is a full photographic record of the work that was undertaken, too.

It’s solid too, as he took the opportunity to have some localized repairs made to the sills, footwells and rear inner wheel arches while it was stripped down. Our investigation and photos show no sign of rot anywhere in the usual places – but feel free to come and take a look for yourself using the Contact Seller button.

The doors are strong, not sagging at all and the panel gaps seem very consistent and even. The underside still appears to benefit from the original underseal protection. However, this is starting to peel up at the sills, so this area would simply benefit from re-undersealing sooner rather than later in order to maintain the car’s pristine appearance and solidity.

The original wheels were also refurbished in the autumn of 2017, so they’re still minty fresh and looking fabulous. That they are shod with nearly new matching Michelin tyres should come as no surprise. Honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a relationship that’s looked after me as well as he’s looked after his old Merc…

The Mercedes comes with both a soft- and a hard-top too, so you’re all set no matter what the seasons throw at you. The hardtop is in great condition as it was restored at the same time as the bodywork. The soft-top has a brand new blue outer fabric layer, so is in superb condition, which must have made the tiny tear in one of the rear quarterlight windows even more frustrating. It looks to have snagged and ripped when being folded down. It could probably be left as it is, but replacing the plastic panel would be a simple job for a trimmer and would bring it up to the same condition as the rest of the car.

The previous owner also had the hardtop weather seals and rear lights rubbers replaced in November of that year, along with replacement underbonnet soundproofing. That cost another £500. You can see how quickly it all mounts up, can’t you?

The front number plate bracket is partially broken - the only reason the plate/bumper looks wobbly.

The leather navy blue interior is in very good condition, with only a very light patina to the leather seats. In typical Mercedes fashion, they’re still taut and free of rips, tears, and other visible damage. It really is remarkable how well these cars shrug off the decades given the benefit of an even half-decent series of owners.

The rest of the interior is good, and to give you just one example of the fastidious nature of the car’s previous owner, he has even gone to the trouble of fitting an original equipment aerial - at a cost of £74.50 for the parts alone. The vendor has had a good DAB radio fitted to make the most of it too.

Note that the dashboard and centre console wood is in excellent condition and the dash mouldings have no cracks – marque experts will know these are serious pluses for any R107. It all feels solid, original, well-valeted and ready for summer.

We should mention that the nearside exterior mirror appears not to move. That that is the extent of the interior problems speaks volumes for the integrity of the car’s engineering and previous ownership.

The Mercedes had a full service in October 2018, which included new filters and fluids, and cost almost £500. The gearbox was rebuilt in the same year, as was the radiator.

This work has left the engine, running gear and chassis in good order, endowing the SL with brisk performance, even if the handling is more statesmanlike than the sporting lines would encourage you to believe.

The only job the owner has mentioned is the need for a new timing chain as it’s coming up to 100,000 miles. Oh, and there is the tiniest rattle from the engine when it’s first started from cold. He tells us that it lasts a split-second and is gone, so it’s probably just a function of the oil draining down. Most owners would never have mentioned it but he felt compelled to, which is further proof that he is exactly the sort of man you want to buy an old car from.

The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates, plus a thick sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook pack and the combination of service stamps from new to 2004 and MOT history and invoices since strongly support the mileage as genuine. There is a fresh MOT too.

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 and restored to the very highest standard.

With the price of Mercedes SLs marching relentlessly upward, we expect this car to sell for between £17,000 and £20,000, which is good value for such a great example given the current market. In fact, it’s an almost criminally small amount given that even the top estimate is less has been spent on it over recent years.

Only being sold because the current owner barely used it and has now emigrated, his loss could be your gain, especially as the reserve is set even lower…

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’.