1987 Mercedes Benz R107 500 SL with Beige Leather

Engine:  5.0-litre

This is a well-known car to us here at SLSHOP, having had the pleasure of ensconcing it within our workshops for a full-on nut & bolt restoration throughout 2016. The car started life gold but has since had a full colour change to Anthracite Grey (172), a job that cost its then owner £12k, but the results speak for themselves.

This low-mileage example has led a charmed life, as its vast amount of documentation clearly demonstrates. Starting life with a Surrey couple – who traded in their then two-year-old Montego Vanden Plas at Mercedes-Benz Bramley for their dream car – the Finn’s kept their 500SL for 30 years, taking it with them on a move up to Scotland, only using it for occasional pleasure drives.

This 500SL has since passed into the hands of two SLSHOP regular customers who have doted upon it, spending a small fortune on its restoration and on-going care.

One of our finest hours, this 500SL is a showcase for what we can do, taking an already cherished but tired car and transforming it back into a dream machine. It’s why we do what we do, yet few cars have such a fantastic story to tell as this one.

For a car that’s seen approximately £60k spent on it in the past eight years, it’ll come as little surprise to learn that this 500SL is one of the finest cars currently in our showroom. The paintwork still has that as-newly-applied shine, though it’s picked up one or two very minor pinhole imperfections on the driver’s door since we last saw it.

The beige leather trim is clean and supple with almost no sign of age or patina. The brown dashboard is unmarked with plastics throughout that are free of any cracks or marks. Wood is just as impressive and the steering wheel leather is frankly superb.

Under the bonnet, and the car, it’s clear there’s been just as much effort and expenditure spent on bringing this SL back to peak condition. The engine bay plastics look as new and even the warning stickers remain on both the air-filter housing and cold-air feeds. A little oil mist is now visible under the distributor but elsewhere, the bay’s still dry and highly presentable.

This car’s history is so comprehensive that it comes with its own contents section, we’re not kidding... The early years haven’t been forgotten either amidst the latest round of expense. Invoices, tax discs, service stamps and MoT certificates are all found just where you’d expect. There’s even a narrative to accompany this car, which can be found here https://www.theslshop.com/journal/2021/02/18/what-has-an-austin-montego-vanden-plas-got-to-do-with-an-slshop-restored-500sl/

The car first fell into our orbit in 2016 when it came back a few times for various small remedial sessions and servicing before the main work began... The substantial mechanical overhaul took place later that year, with a bill for £7540,87 listing all manner of repairs and improvements. A further £40k was then spent on a full restoration and colour change to Anthracite Grey. We went on to provide both bulkhead and general warranties, which only expired in April 2023.

A well-appointed SL from the off, this R107 has been enhanced even beyond its generous factory specification. Stock options include; a limited-slip differential, outside temperature indicator, cruise control, air-conditioning, headlamp wipers and heated mirrors. The previous owner also tasked us with adding heated front seats, with selectable intensity, and a DAB, Bluetooth and USB Alpine stereo.