Mercedes-Benz 300SL

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Looking more handsome with every passing year, the W107 series Mercedes-Benz SL was built at a time when the Stuttgart firm still had a reputation for building the best engineered cars in the world.

To this day, no car door closes with a more reassuring ‘thunk’ than a Mercedes SL, and everything about the car contrives to make even granite feel a bit flimsy. Fast, comfortable and discreetly understated, the SL 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 from 1971 until 1989 – the longest production run of any Mercedes car to date.

The SL came in a wide range of engine sizes using both straight-six and V8 engines, but one of the best was undoubtedly the 3-litre six that appeared in 1985. Employing a new KE Jetronic fuel injection system linked to a modern engine management computer, it not only achieved better fuel economy than the 280 it replaced but more power as well. The official figures were 185bhp and 188lb/ft of torque, sufficient to propel the car to 60mph in just 9.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 130mph. Almost as quick as the larger V8 models, it was not only more economical but also handled better thanks to improved weight distribution.

The rather fine 300SL has had just one owner from new, although it was registered for a while to the vendor’s company so shows two owners in the logbook. Purchased new in 1987 through Motox of Shipton-on-Cherwell, it was ordered in white with black leather upholstery. The owner continued to use them for service, the dealership being absorbed at some point into the Rybrook dealer network.

The service book shows 16 stamps from them, care moving for a time to a Banbury-based specialist who added a further five stamps, its last three being added by Prestige of Bloxham making a total of 24 stamps altogether plus further service invoices. Its most recent visit took place last year and it has just passed its MOT which expires in April 2017. Its mileage now stands at a shade over 124,000 miles, an average of just over 4,000 miles per year.

In 2011 a new hood was fitted by a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Wisley at a cost of £690 and in 2014 the owner thought the car was starting to look a bit tired and enlisted it to Liam Kenny Body Repairs of Eynsham for a full repaint. They look after much of the Mercedes repair work in the area and stripped the car, undertaking a number of repairs to the wings and then professionally repainted it, including its hard top. Photographs of the work appear in the document file and the final bill amounted to just over £5,000.

Remaining in excellent condition and due to have a fresh MOT in time for the sale, this extremely well cared for example has recently had its air conditioning serviced and as can be seen, has wanted for nothing its entire life – what’s not to like?