1995 Mercedes-Benz SL 60

If you skimmed over the background, it’s probably worth reading that last paragraph again; this ain’t no ordinary R129. To be fair, if you didn’t clock the badges on the boot lid, you might think it ‘just’ an SL500, but those special-order five-spoke split rim alloys just give it a special something.

The car has had five owners across its lifetime, the last being a (Japanese) collector who kept the car in secure, temperature-controlled storage in London for the last two years.

It feels more than ready to get back on the road, offering huge power by the standards of any decade, with the comfort and sophistication to match the badge at its best.

The SL60 in of course supplied with both roofs - hard and soft - two sets of keys and two remotes, and a whole lot of charisma and individuality.

This is a very handsome car, those chiselled lines made all the more striking by the red over black contrast of the colour scheme. The paint is excellent across the whole of the car, retaining a consistent gloss and match across all panels as well as the detachable hard top and the plastic bumpers. There are, of course, one or two tiny stone chips towards the front, but no serious blemishes. Panel fit is excellent, both in the continuation of contours from surface to surface, and the narrowness and evenness of seams and panel gaps. The aforementioned bumpers haven’t shifted or warped in any way (take a good look down the flanks) and the doors open and close without sagging. The hard top fits very snugly, with seals that are in good condition. The soft top too is in fine fettle, showing no rips, tears or sagging, and retaining all of its original colour. The stitching is very tidy and the canvas itself clean. Windows on both roofs are clean and clear.

It’s worth noting the excellent condition of door seals and window surrounds - often a tell-tale area in classic cars; everything looks a very healthy shade of black and retains its shape and line, clinging close to the metal around it. There is gentle weathering here and there, commensurate with the age of the car. Seams, creases (intentional ones) and crevices in the bodywork are all generally good; clean and corrosion free.

The Mercedes has no chrome to speak of, but areas of bright metal show no corrosion or blemishes. Similarly, the lights are clean and crack-free. (The front indicator lenses are clear).

On opening the doors, you are immediately struck by the colour and condition of the leather and the wood, and the solidity of all the fixtures and fittings. The black makes such a striking contrast to the exterior red and sets off the deep gloss of the veneer nicely.

Those big (heated) front seats are a integral part of the whole structure of the SL and look to be in very good shape. The perforated inner panels are a nice detail to the texture, and both seats show a marked lack of wear, and certainly no fading to the colour. The same can be said of the (individual) rear seats, which look unused. These fold down to form a luggage shelf, and their brushed fabric backs are clean and unworn.

Those hefty door panels mirror the condition of the seats, with rouched inserts contrasting nicely with the harder surfaces surrounding them. There appears to be a distinct lack of fingernail scratches around controls - and around the top of the gear stick too. The big steering wheel too retains all of its colour.

The underside of both roofs appear very clean and the soft-top mechanism looks to be rust-free (save for one or two screw heads) and in excellent shape. It stows into an equally clean space.

Carpets are clean and the seams of the joins with the transmission tunnel and the bright metal sills are very tidy. Again, looking at the rubber roof seals (with the soft top down), the rubbers appear very healthy. In one or two small places (near the tops of the door frames) they have worn very slightly, but there is no cause for concern anywhere in the cabin. There is absolutely no evidence of water ingress and door cavities and hinges are clean.

Opening the bonnet reveals a very business-like engine bay; clean and orderly, with no signs of improvised ‘improvements’ or aftermarket upgrades (often more the bane of the five-litre). All the smaller components that would quickly flag up a lack of care - the jubilee clips, the plastic ducting, and other small items all look good. Hoses appear supple and fairly new looking. There is a decided lack of surface corrosion to bolts. The tops of the suspension towers look strong, and the big radiator shroud is also free of corrosion or scratches. The paint around the engine bay is good and the heat shielding and sound proofing all look undisturbed from their original fitting and condition. Looking down into the engine bay (not easy around the AMG shroud), there is no accumulated crud in the deeper recesses. The under-bonnet sound/heat-proofing is in excellent shape and the bonnet hinges strong and rust-free.

The underside of the car looks to be very strong. The original weather-proofing looks very largely intact, with no corrosion appearing along seams or surfaces. Undersides of doors and sills look good. There is a general weathering to the underside of the car, consistent with its mileage (probably mostly in good weather), and some surface rust on some suspension parts, but it appears superficial and all struts and arms look strong. Springs look good too. The fuel tank looks strong and fuel lines and brake hoses are in good order.

Those split-rim alloys are worth a special mention (again); they look almost new. They were actually refurbished in Germany some two years ago at a cost of around £3000 and are one of the outstanding features of the car.

Many a time with classic cars, we secretly hope for history files that are tales of derring-do; endless resprays, and the replacement of anything that moves – or doesn’t. However this SL60’s service record is simply one of ‘taking care of business’, albeit in a very meticulous, methodical and timely way – over all of the car’s life. And that is something we really like to see.

So you will see that the Mercedes retains all of its original major parts (you can also see the original ‘everything-ticked’ options list), but you will see that all the perishables and fluids have been regularly checked and changed – and by Mercedes main dealer service centres too. No expense spared.

We include an online HPI report run at the auction start which shows no finance outstanding and no insurance markers for theft or damage.

Each generation of SL has been more or less the archetypal flagship of Mercedes’ values and exclusivity, and the R129 was no exception. In fact, this particular edition of the ‘Sportlicht’ was in production in a period when the German firm was probably at the height of its power in terms of build quality and engineering prowess.

Coupled to that; this example was, if you like, the flagship of the flagships; the AMG special - the ‘one to have’ from both the driver’s and the collectors’ point of view.

It has too many miles on the clock to warrant being kept in a cabinet (thankfully), but just the right amount to allow sensible use without losing any value. We expect it to command between £39,000 to £45,000, and for that you get an awful lot of poise and a rather sober sophistication combined with 400bhp of muscle car fun. We like.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), 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’.