Mercedes-Benz 350SL Roadster

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When the fabulous W107 Series Mercedes SL Roadster was launched way back in 1971 it initially came with only one engine option, the tried and trusted 3.5-litre V8 that was already to be found in the big S-Class saloons and coupes.

This produced 200bhp and 211lb/ft of torque and remained an option right up until 1980 when it was finally replaced by a slightly larger 3.8-litre unit. Bigger and smaller engine options came and went, but the 3.5-litre was always the engine that the car was designed for and gave it a top speed of 132mph – perfectly adequate by most standards.

Looking more handsome with every passing year, the W107 series Mercedes SL was built at a time when the Stuttgart firm still had a reputation for building cars that made granite feel a bit flimsy. Fast, comfortable and discreetly understated, it has a matchless ability to munch up the miles for year after year without ever seeming to falter. No wonder it stayed in production fundamentally unaltered until 1989 – the longest running chassis in Mercedes history.

This 115,000 mile 350SL spent its formative years living near Sevenoaks. 10 old MOTs on file confirm that by 1994 it had covered 95,000 miles, the total increasing to 113,000 miles a year or so before it was exported to Ireland in 2008 to join a private collection. As is so often the case in these situations, it was barely used, covering just 2,000 miles over the next six years.

Recently repatriated back to the UK, it was found to be running erratically, a fault which was rectified when a new crank-sensor and ECU were installed. Now with a fresh set of plugs, leads and a new rotor arm, the car starts instantly and runs very nicely, making all the right V8 noises.

Complete with contrasting blue hard top (worth a King’s ransom in itself these days), it has a plain shelf behind the front seats instead of the optional occasional seats and has been fitted with a pop-up wind deflector.

It has just passed an MOT which expires in September 2016 and has the all-important NOVA (Notification Of Vehicle Arrival) number which should enable its new owner to register the car with the DVLA. We are advised that there are signs of significant expenditure over recent years to the brakes, although sadly there are no invoices on file to detail exactly what work has been carried out.

The values of W107s has been on the move again of late, making this powerful V8 model complete with hard top look mighty tempting at its modest guide price.