1997 Mercedes-Benz R129 SL500 with Mushroom Leather (265)

A 1997 SL 500 in black with a mushroom leather interior this SL comes with its panoramic glass hardtop, an extensive service history which demonstrates a not inconsiderable sum of money recently spent to make already good as good as perfect. The definition of a car you could drive out of the showroom, much as it did back in Aug ’97, and be enjoyed straight away without much thought to maintenance save for a bit of light, regular servicing to keep it perfect. R129s are on the up, and this is an opportunity to own a very nicely looked after example, with sensible mileage and in a desirable colour combination.

This is a car that’s been looked after by its six previous owners, its mileage indicative of an easy life and its condition underlining that. Black paintwork is unforgiving to neglect, but there’s no evidence of that here, the body not revealing any knocks or dings, with a lustre that reveals this car’s been loved. That’s obvious inside, too, as like the exterior, it’s in excellent condition. The light carpets are bright and free of wear, while the mushroom perforated leather covering the electrically adjustable, memory seats look like they’ve rarely been sat in – and certainly not with leather staining new denim. If there’s a but, it’s a tiny one, as the rear seatbacks have evidently spent a bit of time being down, leaving a pair of tell-tale marks in the leather. That's nothing that some leather balm and bit of time wouldn’t fix. Lifting the bonnet reveals more of the same, it’s lovely under there, similarly, the fabric roof is in super condition, with the plastic windows being crease and fade-free, too. The boot looks like it’s never been used, which might explain why the rear seatbacks have spent a bit of their life down. The recently refurbished alloy wheels are all in superb condition, as is the hardtop, which here comes with a panoramic glass roof. This is a fantastic condition SL 500, which is an obsessive detailing session off ‘as new’ condition.

Paperclips, folders and stamps, that’s what denotes a good history file, and there’s plenty of all with this car. Paperclips holding MOTs and a bunch of previous tax discs, folders of paperwork and stamps filling the service book. Add a thick wad of receipts, many recent and exhibiting a sizeable outlay to make sure this SL 500 is among the best you could buy. There’s evidence of a new alternator, a gearbox service, recent gaskets and exhaust, this SL 500 very nicely historied, and very tidy indeed as a result of that.

We don’t see too many black R129s here, but it’s a colour that suits it, more so when combined with the light interior of this car. It could be disastrous, as both reveal neglect, but the lustre of the paintwork outside, and the clean, bright interior demonstrate that this SL 500’s been looked after by all its previous owners. The history backs that up, with plenty of evidence of money spent, in all the right places. A drive out and enjoy car, this SL 500’s ready for this summer and many more beyond.