1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SL

First registered on the 11th of December 1979, this wonderful Mercedes-Benz 450SL has been in the vendor’s care for the past 28 years. With just 109,000 miles on the odometer, this red over tan leather example had extensive bodywork carried out when they first bought it – and while this might have been some time ago, the fact that it hasn’t seen a puddle for two decades means that it still looks terrific.

In need now of very gentle mechanical recommissioning, it has been home serviced over the years so the work to do is minor and limited in scope to, we think, a new exhaust manifold.

Offered in what we think might be our favourite R107 colour scheme, this is a rare opportunity to get your hands on a rust-free and solid example of a perennially popular Mercedes sports car that seems to need only minor fettling to bring it back to full health – and the need for that work that has been reflected in both the guide and reserve prices, so someone might walk away with a bit of a bargain…

The SL’s Signal Red bodywork is still in a fabulous condition, which says some very nice things about both the initial restorative work and the care with which it has been curated since; as we mentioned earlier, it has been garaged for the past two decades, during which time it has never seen a puddle either, which means we can safely categorise its owner as being fastidious, surely?

Of course, being a cherished car the bodywork and trim all still align very well, the flanks are free of ripples and car-park dinks, and the shutlines are typically precise. It really is a lovely thing and there isn’t a great deal to do to it other than buff the Signal Red paintwork to remove the few swirl marks in it.

The chromework is good too, as is the black rubber trim. The same is true of the light lenses, badges, and glazing; this is a very well maintained car that still presents very well.

This includes the 14-inch alloy wheels, which are still the factory ones and include a matching spare in the boot. They’re in great shape with no signs of kerbing, scrapes or dinks but, if we’re being ultra-picky – and we do try to be as we know a lot of you will bid without seeing it in person – then the wheelnuts are a little rusty and the tyres, Dayton on the front and a mixture of Michelin and Runway on the rear, could do with changing to a matching set.

The folding black roof fits very well, being taut and free of rips, tears, and other damage. It furls and unfurls easily too, and tucks away neatly under the body-coloured tonneau cover.

There’s a matching hardtop included, and while this does add considerably to the SL’s versatility and all-year-round usability, it could do with freshening up as its condition is a little worse-for-wear; it’s not bad, but we can see that the car’s new owner will almost certainly want to get it resprayed to bring it up to the same condition as the rest of the bodywork.

Other issues are minor. Apart from the usual stonechips and minor marks that every car collects over the years, the chin spoiler could do with tidying up, there’s a small bubble on the upper edge of the offside sill, and there is some bubbling on the trailing edge of the nearside door.

The tan MB-Tex interior is in great shape – but that won’t come as a surprise to R107 aficionados as few interiors are as durable as these. The seats, which are uniquely firm yet springy in this installation, are as comfortable now as the day they left the factory. Just as crucially, they sport only the gentlest of patinas.

The carpets are good too, as is the dashboard and the headlining of the hardtop. The ‘wooden’ veneer might not have ever been in the same postcode as a real tree but its condition is very good indeed; in fact, the whole interior needs only gentle refurbishment: there are splits in the vinyl of both door cards; some pitting to the chrome seat brackets; and some wear to the fabric of the driver’s seat. The trim in the boot has come loose, too.

Oh, and there’s a Blaupunkt Boston radio-cassette player in the dashboard, and it plays through a pair of door-mounted Pioneer speakers

The main mechanical fault is a leak from the offside exhaust manifold, something that makes it sound like a tractor. Mind you, if you can ignore the noise, you can see in the video that it starts and runs very well despite the owner running it low on fuel when he drove it over here, something that seems to have dragged a bit of dirt through the fuel system.

Please do note the oil pressure in the video too, which is excellent.

The engine bay is pretty without being prissy, and what little work there is to do is limited to some cosmetic titivation to bring it up to the same high standard as the rest of the car.

The underside looks to be very solid and well-conserved; even the jacking points, boot floor, and wheelarch lips, all known to be weak spots on the model, are solid and well finished.

Other work that needs doing? Well, we might be tempted to spend a day or so wire-brushing and undersealing it but that’s firmly in the nice-to-do category in order to conserve it than anything more pressing.

The Mercedes doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus the original owner’s handbook, two keys, and a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork.

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 R107 Mercedes-Benz SL is a staple of the classic car world for many reasons, not least its durability and reliability. It’s also relatively cheap and easy to service and maintain. That it is so effortless elegant doesn’t harm its cause any.

As a result, there are plenty out there and if you’ve got deep pockets then there are even a few museum-quality examples that would serve as a fabulous centrepiece to any classic car collection.

For those of us with a more modest budget the choice is usually restricted to tired and rusty examples that are only going to break your heart as they bring about your financial ruin…

But, there are the exceptions to the rule, cars like this that are utterly solid and only need some gentle mechanical and cosmetic refurbishment – and if this were ours, we’d mend the exhaust and then just run it for a year or two to see what else needs doing; its patina is so charming and gentle that no-one need be in any rush to improve it.

Better still, the need for this work is reflected in the price, and the fact that we think the winning bidder will score with a figure somewhere between £7,000 - £12,000 further sweetens an already very desirable deal.

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’.