1978' Mercedes-Benz Sl Class
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£24,495Published 10 May 2024ID: glTVNY
Expired
3 months, 4 weeks ago
Information from the owner
Body: Sports Car
Age: 46 years
Mileage: 77423 km
Fuel: Petrol
Transmission: Automatic
Exterior color: Blue
Seller's comments about 1978' Mercedes-Benz Sl Class
For more images, video and to see what our expert technicians thought of this SLSHOP Assured car head to our website
Principal Facts
The R107 brochure by Mercedes-Benz read, in a very to the point manner, 'The 350 SL — more than a sports car...' before listing out how it's different from a saloon and remarkably different from an 'out-and-out sports car', too. More than half a century later, all those qualities have worked in the SL's favour; it successfully carved a position in the market for itself. Unabated demand led to its unquestionably long presence on the market as a new car, spanning nearly two decades. Mercedes-Benz despatched about 300, 000 units of the SL (and the fixed-hard-top derivative, the SLC) in said period. Since then, four new generations of the SL have been successfully released by Mercedes-Benz, but even now, it's hard to find a major chink in the R107's armour; the Panzerwagen soldiers on rather strongly!
Listed with the SLSHOP is a 1978 Mercedes-Benz (R107) 350 SL with just about 78, 000 miles on the odometer. This 350 SL is accompanied by the optional hard top, and the car looks decent both on the outside and inside. It might have seen limited mileage, but the seller assures the SL has been garaged, serviced, and MoT-ed regularly. It has even been a part of various club events, the London to Brighton run, and even car shows like Goodwood et al. It's no stranger to glamour, either, with the current keeper and his wife having taken their 350 SL to Monte Carlo soon after purchasing it in the early nineties. About the car's overall condition, the SLSHOP's thorough tests recommend possible replacements and repairs, more on which you can read in the section below.
Condition Synopsis
This 350 SL might have just done under 80, 000 miles, but the car has been around for nearly five decades, having originally reached its first owner in 1978. Despite that, at first glance, it appears to be in sound shape, reflecting that it's been stored/ cared for well. On the other hand, some of the components need attention as they've either worn out due to use or have perished because of age, details of which can be found in our technicians report.
History File
According to the seller's notes, the car was purchased by himself and his wife in 1993 from a long-time owner who had acquired it from the original keeper in 1980. In 1995, the car underwent corrosion treatment and was resprayed completely along with getting its new upholstery. Apart from periodic maintenance and replacements, it also got a new exhaust in 2002, a new blue hood in 2020, and it was (in 2019) resprayed with minor work done to remove corrosion, mentions the owner.
Accompanying the car are its invoices along with other details like MoT’s, tax discs, the V5C, a letter of correspondence between the second owner and the car's custodian, and even a copy of its registration when it was in the Isle of Man, and some old photos. Crucially, the history file also contains a letter from Mercedes-Benz verifying the car's original numbers, for it to conform to the criterion for Historic Vehicle Tax.
SLSHOP Summary
When new, the R107 SL showcased Mercedes-Benz's engineering prowess with a safer passenger cell, reliable and powerful engines, and unmatched class and appeal. These were the makings of a good car then, and they still are the qualities of a veritable classic like the SL. This particular example comes with a decent history, long ownership, and fairly limited mileage. While it does require some work to bring this V8-engined machine back to its original glory, it'll definitely be worth the effort.