Mercedes-Benz SL500 Roadster

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Some five years in development, the R230 Series SL Roadster was a replacement for the tank-like R129 Series which had won so many fans for its superb build quality, performance and refinement.

Painstakingly modelled on a state-of-the-art supercomputer which enabled the designers to analyse every curve and line, it looked utterly sensational with an air of barely contained aggression that gave it huge road presence.

Packed full of sophisticated electronic driver aids which made it immensely safe but also fun to drive, it was an instant hit with press and public alike and is widely considered to be the best-looking Mercedes since the legendary 300SL Roadster of the late 1950s.

The power-operated aluminium folding roof was particularly admired and would disappear into the top of the boot at the press of a button in just 16 seconds, yet still leave enough room underneath for 206 litres of luggage space.

Pick of the range was the mighty SL500 whose 306bhp could propel the car to 60mph in just 6 seconds with the top speed of 155mph (limited, of course) comfortably achieved on the right stretch of autobahn. The only snag was the £70,000 price tag which restricted ownership to a privileged few.

Dating from April 2003 this particular SL500 has covered just 28,500 miles from new, the vast majority of these in the hands of just one owner who kept it for almost 10 years (the first owner keeping it for just two months, the second from June 2003 until January 2013 and the third having owned it since).

In excellent condition throughout with glossy silver paintwork and a grey perforated leather interior, it has been impeccably maintained with six service stamps to date, the last at 28,063 miles in February this year. Packed full of all the luxuries that an SL driver would expect (including built-in sat nav), it comes with all its original handbooks, two keys and an MOT until February 2015 plus a print-out of the previous MOT history.

Said to drive beautifully as you would expect from such a low mileage example, it certainly went well when we were allowed an extended test drive on the occasion of our visit, the only problem being that we did not want to give it back!

Ready for a lucky fourth owner to enjoy in the summer months ahead, it looks ridiculously good value at the guide price suggested. Don’t take our word for it: as Quentin Willson wrote of the R230 in the Mirror recently: “The fact that this is a car you could own for free makes it even more exciting. Buy it at the current insane book value and then next year you should be able to sell it easily for what you paid – as the market wakes up to the absurdity of how cheap these SLs have become.”