1989 Mercedes-Benz 500SL

Highlights

• Most desirable example of R107SL

• Huge history file 

• Factory hardtop

• Stunning, original condition

• Much-loved car from long-term ownership prior to vendor

• The seller purchased the car from a Mercedes-Benz main dealer in 2023

Overview

The SL has been Mercedes’s sporting flagship now for over seven decades, the ‘Sport und Leicht’ moniker first appearing in the era of the legendary ‘Gullwing’ – a car spoken of in hushed tones by fans of the brand. 

But by the 1970s, the car had become neither light nor particularly sporty. Indeed, it's one of the heaviest sports cars of its era and not a particularly agile one at that. So why is it so agonisingly cool?

The reasons are manifold. First, in 350SL, 450SL, 500SL and 560SL format, it came with a whopping great V8. The M116/177 series of powerplants were astonishingly reliable, sounded great and offered immense flexibility.

In addition, it was a beautifully executed car from an era when Mercedes still made some of the best cars in the world, with comfort, solidity, sturdiness and mechanical longevity right at its core. 

It was marketed as a coupé with a removable hard top – a very advanced roof system for its era, whereby the retractable soft top could be folded down and stored under a steel tonneau cover and the hardtop fitted on top for use over winter. Unsurprisingly, the roof system was as over-engineered as the rest of the car. 

Then there are the looks. The R107 is one of the most handsome sports cars ever made, and it just looks perfect from any angle.

This example is one of the very last ones made, first registered on 1 August 1989, back in the days when the height of summer also saw the first new number plates put in an appearance. 

It’s a 500SL, which was the flagship model in the UK, and is in stunning overall condition, having had localised repairs when necessary but kept otherwise in as immaculate and original order as possible throughout its life.

The history file that comes with it is remarkable – a box file full of invoices going back years, and including lots of recent servicing from a Mercedes-Benz main dealer, which sold the car to the vendor in 2023, meaning it must be one of the oldest main-dealer supplied cars ever!

If you want to drive an icon, here’s your chance – and in 500SL format, it’s as good as they get.

History and documentation

• UK registration document in the name of the vendor

• First registered 1 August 1989 and supplied new by Majestic Garages of Bournemouth 

• Comprehensive service history: Sep 1989 @ 837 miles, May 1990 @ 3,646 miles, Jun 1991 @ 7,511 miles, Nov 1991 @ 9,312 miles, Jun 1992 @ 11,657 miles, Nov 1992 @ 13,298 miles, Jun 1993 @ 15,930 miles, May 1994 @ 24,216 miles, Dec 1995 @ 26,677 miles, Jan 1997 @ 32,828 miles, May 1997 @ 36,308 miles, Feb 1998 @ 41,015 miles, Oct 1998 @ 43,998 miles, Sep 2000 @ 47,119 miles, May 2001 @ 50,466 miles, Mar 2002 @ 58,033 miles, Jul 2002 @ 63,691 miles, Jul 2003 @ 70,113 miles, Aug 2004 @ 74,355 miles, Jul 2005 @ 76,673 miles, May 2006 @ 78,703 miles, Oct 2007 @ 80,636 miles, Apr 2010 @ 81,750 miles, Apr 2012 @ 88,358 miles, Jul 2012 @ 93,876 miles, Apr 2013 @ 98,336 miles, Dec 2013 @ 102,330 miles, Jun 2014 @ 107,509 miles, Aug 2015 @ 110,716 miles, Aug 2018 @ 113,365 miles, Aug 2019 @ 114,316 miles, Jun 2023 @ 114,916 miles

• MOT until 1 September 2026, with advisories for grease on brake pipes and slight play in the steering box

• Original handbook and book pack

• Two keys

• Original hardtop removal tools

• Service history book stamped 32 times, from PDI in 1989 through to 2022

• Huge folder of invoices in box-file

• Several old MOT certificates

Interior

• Smart tan leather interior with vented MB-Tex central upholstery

• Matching leather door cards

• Immaculate beige carpets

• All of the dashboard wood appears to be in very good order

• Small crack on dashboard, near screen

• Air conditioning

• Electric windows

• Modern hands-free Kenwood USB/Bluetooth stereo

• Well-presented, carpeted luggage area

• Hardtop headlining in immaculate condition

• Tracker fitted

Exterior

• Sought-after Blue-Black Metallic paintwork in superb order

• No evidence of prior accident damage and all panels are straight and free of damage

• External brightwork and trim is in good order

• Appears solid underneath

• From the MOT history, it would appear that the car has previously had some underbody repair work carried out, but this has been replaced with new metal and sealed for protection

• Factory hardtop in excellent condition

• Original factory flat-dish alloy wheels

• Tyres are matching Falkens, all recent and with plenty of tread

Mechanical

• 5.0-litre fuel-injected V8

• 240bhp

• 149mph top speed

• 0-60mph in. 7.1 seconds

• Four-speed automatic transmission

• Four-wheel disc brakes

• Recent new battery

• Described by the vendor as in flawless working order, with no known faults or mechanical issues

Summary

 Some cars are icons for a very good reason – and the R107 SL is one of them. Let’s face it, you haven’t clicked through to this auction and not imagined yourself on the set of Dallas, or cruising down Hollywood Boulevard in your Ray-Bans, have you? No? OH, well, maybe that’s just us. But even so, this is one of the coolest cars ever made, and everyone who k knows their motors will know instantly what it is. 

 Add the 500SL boot lid badge, and you have maximum bragging rights – behind the wheel of this SL you’ll be the ice-cold coolest person in town. And that, in a nutshell, is what makes it great. Well, that and those V8 noises it makes, because we all love a bit of that, too, don’t we? 

This car is with our concierge partner Henry’s Car Barn in London. To arrange a viewing, please contact them.