Mercedes-Benz 280SL Roadster

Click Here for Full Screen Image - Click Here to Download Image

Bullet-proof reliability, bahn-storming performance and timeless good looks – if any car can be called an instant classic, then this is surely it.

Produced from 1971 to 1989, the Mercedes-Benz W107 SL series was a massive hit when new and continues to be highly sought after to this day. Made in the days when Mercedes still deserved its reputation for outstanding build quality, the cars came in a wide range of engine sizes from 2.8-litre sixes to 5-litre V8s.

It may have been the baby of the SL range, but the 280 was still a supremely capable motorcar with an excellent blend of performance and economy from its smooth straight-six engine. Top speed was 125mph with the 0-60 dash being covered in a respectable 9.6 seconds.

First registered in January 1982, this 280SL was owned from new by one family until 2012 when it was acquired by the gentleman from whom the vendor purchased it in 2013. Shortly before he acquired it the car had been treated to a full body restoration with new panels as required and a respray in the original Astral Silver at a cost of some £3,000. The blue soft top was also replaced, the alloy wheels refurbished and a new exhaust fitted.

During the current ownership the car has been maintained by MB specialists WDM Cars of Birmingham and has had two major services and a full brake system overhaul. The interior is finished in blue houndstooth cloth and a Pioneer stereo radio/CD has been fitted, although the original Blaupunkt stereo radio cassette is also included. There is no hard top with the car.

Said to be in good condition throughout and to drive well with everything working as it should apart from the heater blower, it recently completed a 1,000 mile round trip to Le Mans without missing a beat. Supplied with an agreed insurance valuation of £9,500 and due to have a fresh MOT in time for the sale, this freshly rejuvenated roadster is ready for a new owner to enjoy over the remaining summer months.

These smaller-engined SLs handle better than the bigger V8s and offer a really enjoyable ownership proposition being elegant, economical, reliable and totally depreciation-proof. What more could you want?