2004 Mercedes-Benz SL350

The vendor of this SL350 is a bit of a collector and the good news is, that he only buys good quality cars. Despite the ‘HIISSY’ registration plate (surely perfect for a mistress?), this SL was actually purchased as a bit of fun for his wife. Having enjoyed it for a few years, this very decent and useable example is now up for sale.

There is a tiny bit of bad news and that’s that the private number plate isn’t included in the sale, so it will revert to its original ET04BJK registration – hey-ho, there should be plenty left in any post-purchase kitty should you require another.

The included V5 document shows that the car has had a total of seven owners since 2004, and there are plenty of invoices and service stamps in its history file to show just how well it’s been cared for.

Its odometer currently reads 80,979, which is small potatoes for a modern classic. The vendor states that everything generally works as it should and, having been down to visit the car at his Hampshire home, we can confirm that to be the case.

It’s had a fairly recent service and the MOT certificate runs until the 22nd of April 2020. That same document shows that the mileage was 76,081 in 2016, 77,006 the following year and 77,977 in 2018, which means it’s been used relatively sparingly in recent years.

That’s just the right amount to keep it all tickety-boo while not running up starship mileages, which is good news for the next owner.  

We don’t think that this model SL has aged quite as much as others have; as such it’s modern enough looking to still remain visually relevant. There’s also another benefit to this generation and that’s there is no need for a separate hardtop, as it comes with one de rigueur.

It does of course work perfectly, lowering and raising with a smooth and efficient mechanism (in fact it’s only just had new parts fitted – see History Highlights section, below). Top down it’s a lovely looking summer cruiser but up, and in place, it lends it a rakish Coupe demeanor that you can’t help but admire. The sealing rubbers all still look nice and pliant.

In terms of paintwork it’s perfectly good – we’d give it a middle of the range score. There is evidence of a repair to one of the doors and the finish isn’t quite to the same standard, although it’s only noticeable up close. However the whole car has potential and, with a good mop and deep polish, we think it wouldn’t look far off a million dollars.

Allied to that is very good panel fit. Run your eyes down each flank and they’re straight and ripple free, leading your eyes nicely to those lovely ‘SL’ strakes on the front wings.

All light glasses and plastics remain in good, tarnish- and fade-free condition. While the meaty five-spoke AMG alloy wheels are in very nice nick, with just a little touch of very light kerbing to off-side rear one. They’re shod in Bridgestone Potenza rubber and each looks to have a good amount of tread remaining.  

Its Grey interior looks very classy, and contrasts beautifully with the exterior colour. There are a couple points of note: the driver’s seat bolster is sporting a bit of wear; and the command screen is a touch scratched. These are however, minor inconveniences in an otherwise very tidy cabin.

The carpets remain nice and clean, as is the all of the leather and the seat base plastics. Typically, the passenger side remains a bit fresher than driver’s. The sill kick plates are fairly unscratched, as are the protective alloy door edge coverings.

The roof stows neatly under a protective plastic tonneau cover, and there’s a wind deflector to protect your finest bouffant hairdo. With it raised, you’ll see an immaculate headlining and a nice clear heated rear screen. The electric seats work just as they should, as do all the remaining cabin toys.  

Mechanically this example drives just as you’d expect, as it’s smooth, wafty and has that lovely essence of Mercedes-Benz luxuriousness. You get a bit more aural titillation with this generation SL than you did with many of its near-silent predecessors, so a decent note escapes its twin exhaust pipes.

Up front, pop the bonnet and it’s a sea of clean plastic under the bonnet. If it’s clean and tidy in here, then that’s usually a good indicator of well looked after example. Underneath you’ll find all protective under trays still in place, and nothing of an untoward nature.

In the boot it’s nice and tidy, and you’ll find the cheeky space saver spare tyre in-situ.  

There’s a raft of old MOT certificates and old invoices in the supplied history file. Many of the latter are from Mercedes-Benz main dealers, with a recent owner switching to Steve Bull Specialist Cars of Wiltshire for its more recent maintenance and servicing.

To this end there are a number of recent invoices that are of interest; firstly, at a cost of £594, a new roof drive assembly was fitted on 15/10/19. The following month a new ignition switch was added, this time for £643.

The service book shows that it’s been serviced regularly, and as the annual mileage decreased this has taken place at least every two years; the last of being a minor service, in July 2019.

Also included is the owner’s handbook and accompanying leather wallet. Please visit the documents section of the ‘Gallery’ where you will find a pictorial evidence of all of the above.

Mercedes-Benz SL prices tend to follow the same trend: viciously expensive (and therefore desirable) at launch, they then spiral ever downwards to become bargains, before bouncing back from rock-bottom as the model comes back into fashion.

The R230 is currently in the second ‘bargain’ phase, as is demonstrated by the fact that we think it’ll sell for a scandalously low price of somewhere between £4000-£6000. That really is a serious amount of automobile for not a lot of pennies.

The other considerations are that its mileage isn’t uber low and its condition isn’t such that you’d be afraid to drive it. Instead it’s a good value, bit of summer fun, that could easily still hold its own when the weather turns and gets down and dirty.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen with its owner in Hampshire; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.