1996 Mercedes-Benz SL320 Auto

As much its good looks, it was as much the history of this SL that attracted Jon and Lorraine to this particular car.

‘It had been bought by a firm of funeral directors - from a deceased estate,’ explains Jon with a slightly amused smile; ‘An old and very well-established firm on Merseyside. When we went to see it, we saw that they had other classic Mercs; an SLC and an (R107) SL.’

It was reassuring to see that the family had an enthusiasm for - and experience of - the German tourers, but better still, the company also ran Mercedes limousines. ‘So the classics were also taken care of by their own workshop,’ Jon points out. The car had come to them from long-term ownership with full main dealer servicing. ‘It had been MOT’d by the same garage for ten years,’ says Jon. And the Mercedes had a major service before leaving the firm to come to Jon and Lorraine.

‘We’d always wanted an SL,’ explains Lorraine; ‘something that would fit the bill as a longer distance tourer and easy to live.’ The couple understand the marque well and have several other cars from the Three-pointed Star. ‘I think a five-litre might have got me into a lot of trouble,’ she adds with a smile - ‘a bit fast! The 320 has been fast enough and just great to drive around in.’

When the car came to them, the couple treated the SL to a full fluids flush as well as two new rear tyres (an advisory on the last MOT). At the same time, two brand new OEM track rods were fitted at the front and all the wheels aligned.

This is a very good-looking car, which is being offered with no resesrve. The darker colours always suited these chiselled, slightly wedge-shaped SLs, and this shade of metallic grey - (onyx grey) has an intriguing blueish/purple hue in some lights. The paint looks very good over the whole car, retaining a consistent gloss and match across all panels as well as the detachable hard top and the plastic bumpers. Panel fit is also excellent, both in the continuation of contours and the narrowness and evenness of seams and panel gaps. The aforementioned bumpers haven’t shifted or warped in any way and the doors open and close without sagging (this review also examined and photographed the car). The panoramic glass hard top also slides smoothly into place (the last few inches smartly taken care of by an electric motor), and once secured, it fits very snugly, its seals in good condition.

The soft top too is in good condition. The stitching is very tidy and the canvas itself clean. It has had some extra weatherproofing treatment from the owners as well as some small touch-ups to the colour. The overall impression is good and the top raises and stows very smoothly, with electric motors taking care of the operation.

There are a few tiny flaws - this is after all, a 24 year-old car in what we believe to be its original paint. There is a very small chip to the paint on the lip of the driver’s side rear wheel arch and a couple of very small touched up chips here and there. There is no gravel rash on the fairly deep chin spoiler.

There is the faintest weathering to the grey/black coated metal fittings - the blades of the radiator grill, but nothing to detract from the overall impression made by this handsome Mercedes.

On looking into the cabin, 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 goes very well with the exterior grey and sets off the deep gloss of the veneer nicely.

Those seats are a big integral part of the whole structure of the SL. They are (very) firmly mounted and are looking - and feeling - firm and supportive. The perforated inner panels are a nice detail to the texture, and both seats show a marked lack of wear (some light creasing to the outer bolsters) and certainly no fading to the colour.

The same can be said of the (individual) rear seats and the hefty door panels - no scuffs, no wobbly switches or loose arm rests. There are a few tiny scratches to the plastic around the seat controls (which all work), but they are faint.

The steering wheel and the gear selector- probably the most handled parts of the interior - are also both in great shape, again showing no real wear.

Carpets are clean and the seams of the joins with the transmission tunnel and the bright metal sills are very tidy. There is understandably some wear to the (original) driver’s mat. The brightwork itself is also very good and the chrome caps atop the roof hinges are in great shape. The rubber seals are largely excellent, though in one or two small places (near the tops of the doors) they have worn through. This is also true of the felt on the hard top. There is absolutely no evidence of water ingress. Windscreen, panoramic roof glass and indeed glass all round is excellent. There are marks from the movement of the side windows - more so to the passenger side and more visible from the outside with the sun on it - though these prove no distraction in driving.

Opening the bonnet reveals a very business-like engine bay; very 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 (all clean), the fairly delicate plastic ducting hoses (all straight) and other small items all look good. Hoses appear supple and rather new looking and all fluids are clean and at their correct level. 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 (an easy thing to lean on when you’re working), The paint around the engine bay is good and the heat shielding and sound proofing all look undisturbed from their original fitting and condition.

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 also look good and the door cavities and hinges are clean and rust free. There is 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 and clean. Tyres are excellent and the wheel wells clean and corrosion free. The underside suggests this SL has been largely a fair weather driver.

The Mercedes has a full-sized spare wheel - on the correct alloy - mounted under the floor of a very clean (and relatively spacious) boot space, And the SL can boast that it retains its original tool wrap - with all the little fiddly bits intact!

The SL shows a good set of stamps in its service book- usually from Mercedes main dealers or marque specialists. (The Mercedes has lived around the Wirral its whole life and has had no major ‘surgery’ or restoration work). A brake fluid flush has been carried out and the car has also had a recent pollen filter change, as well as those two new rear tyres and the track rods. The invoice for the latter is retained but was not available at the time of photographing.

The car will come a full year's MOT, along with a screen shot of its VMI (Vehicle Master Index) from Mercedes-Benz to verify its history.

It’s also worth remembering that the car spent time in the funeral directors’ care and that along with the family’s other classics, it was frequently checked-over/serviced by the workshop crew. - at least such is the anecdotal evidence.

It’s last two services are reassuringly late in the mileage; a general service in April 2019 and lubrication service in February 2020 with fewer than 1000 miles driven in the interim.

UPDATE: We have received the following information from the seller in response to various questions raised:

Other than a record that the car has made timely visits, to Mercedes Benz, main agents.

It’s hard to know all the reasons why. Just that these were visits that took place every year, from 1997 to 2005.

I did make contact with Mercedes Benz (UK) and a number of Mercedes Benz main agents; in the Wirral and  Merseyside area, to try and verify these dates, as best I could. 

However, given that HL Gorner; ceased trading in 2006 and that Road Range, Liverpool is now part of Inchcape,  Liverpool. I suppose it’s just good to know, that there is some record of the car’s history. 

The car does have a Signature sticker, in the front windscreen, leading me to believe that the car was sold twice through Mercedes franchised dealers. 

Once, as a new car and again, as a Mercedes Benz Signature 'preowned’ car.

I do have some printouts of screenshots, showing the dates the car visited Mercedes Benz franchised dealers,  as recorded on a Mercedes Benz database, although I can’t say what these were for. 

They are:-

12/09/97 at 3,528

14/05/00 Road Range

07/12/01 at 39,888

09/04/01 Road Range

28/11/01

31/01/02

04/02/02

06/02/02

12/02/02

22/02/02 at 40,521

17/04/02 at 41,616

19/02/03 at 47,345 Road Range

27/02/03

10/07/03

08/10/04 at 58,804

14/10/04 

17/12/04 

04/03/05 at 59,650

Service stamps, in the car’s service book:-

11, 283 - 08/09/97 HL Gorner

16,097 - 28/04/98 HL Gorner

00,000 - 24/05/99 HL Gorner *

35,007 - 09/04/01 Road Range

47,345 - 07/03/03 Road Range

83,561 - 23/04/19 Independent

84,263 - 19/02/20 Independent

* Stamped, but unclear as to the exact mileage, or job / order number.

THE CAR WILL BE SOLD WITH 12 MONTHS MOT.

The current MOT expires 30th July 2020.  

From its earliest days, each incarnation of the SL has been an archetypal model in the Mercedes-Benz line up, a car into which the firm has poured every effort to design and engineer the best car possible. And the R129 was built in a period when the German firm was probably at the height of its power in terms of build quality and engineering prowess.

Like every emerging classic, the R129 went through a period of indifference in the minds of buyers, but is now emerging as a stalwart classic of its period. Its austere good looks mark it out from the herd.

This example possesses all the right qualities; an understated colour combination, great condition with the desirable panoramic hardtop and a good service history. It is a car any enthusiast can buy right now and drive for the whole of the summer, and probably a great many seasons beyond that. It’s a solid package that we expect to be able to command between £7,000 and £9,000, which we feel represents excellent value and you should have confidence in this being a safe place to invest your money. Factor in that this is being offered for sale with “No Reserve”, this lovely SL320 will be on sale from the very first bid.