1998 Mercedes-Benz R129 500 SL with Grey Leather

1998 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Special Edition (R129)

Designo Vario Color 1 – Green-Blue (017) with Grey Leather (268) and
Panoramic Glass Hardtop (415) with Blue Fabric Soft Top (5010)

26,000 miles

(more photos of the car are available than are shown on the website. Please email Bruce for the full photo suite)

In 1957 Mercedes-Benz unveiled the 300SL Roadster to the world, starting a lineage of grand touring cars under the Sport Leicht name. 40 years (and four generations) later in 1997, Mercedes-Benz celebrated the launch of the Roadster with a very special ‘40th Anniversary Edition’ of the SL.

Of 500 cars built worldwide, just 150 were offered in Right Hand Drive. These special cars featured Designo paintwork, AMG wheels and ‘special edition’ badging on the sills and ashtray cover. The paint finish on this particular SL is one of the finest shades offered throughout R129 production, known as Designo Vario I Green-Blue. This is a metallic finish that has two personalities, ranging from deep ocean blue to tropical green depending on the light in which you catch it. It is a rare and desirable colour, complimented by soft grey leather.

Inside there’s all the usual refinements that a 500SL has to offer, with the Special Edition being equipped with the half-wood steering wheel – a lovely thing to hold as you waft along in luxury. The seats are extra soft luxury leather, making this car a very comfortable tourer. The electronic folding soft top is blue, whilst the matching removable hardtop is classed by Mercedes-Benz as option code 415 or Glass Roof… better known as panoramic. This large tinted glass roof is a lovely thing to have on an R129.

When it comes to the drive and handling, this SL is propelled by the most powerful variant of the 5.0 litre V8. The R129 used two different versions of the M119 engine, in both 322hp and 302hp. Due to changes in emissions, cars built after 1998 lost a little horsepower, whilst pre 1995 cars were predominately fitted with 4 speed gearboxes – making the 1995-98 cars some of the best in the range.

AMG Monobloc wheels complete the picture, the wheel of choice for many R129 enthusiasts. This wheel is a style that encompasses the bold direction that the R129 introduced, a product of the closer relationship between Mercedes-Benz and AMG upon which the R129 capitalised and one of the defining features of a Special Edition.

This car has been known to SLSHOP for a number of years, belonging to a friend and client for whom we have sourced and sold a handful of cars. It comes with an impeccable service record, showing a life of care and attention that verifies the low mileage. The most recent service was in 2017, and the car has been in managed storage with SLSHOP ever since.

When it comes to the R129 SL, buyers have a diverse choice of available cars, but for ultimate desirability a car has to stand out from the crowd. This is one of the finest examples we have come across, a rare chance to acquire an established modern classic.

This Mercedes-Benz has been hand-picked by SLSHOP’s sales team due to its high calibre status. Every inch of this vehicle’s exterior, interior and mechanicals have been inspected by SLSHOP’s workshops to ensure the vehicle meets our world leading standards. While every effort has been made to offer pristine vehicles, there will be some age-related marks, unless otherwise stated.

Mileage	Date	Location
PDI	18th June 1998	Mercedes-Benz Greenoaks
First Registion	15th September 1998
2,934 miles	15th May 2000	Mercedes-Benz Puttocks Limited
6,340 miles	25th June 2002	Mercedes-Benz Puttocks Limited
8,909 miles	5th August 2004	Mercedes-Benz Tony Purslow Aldershot
10,066 miles	9th September 2005	Mercedes-Benz Tony Purslow Aldershot
10,928 miles	6th September 2006	Mercedes-Benz Tony Purslow Aldershot
11,105 miles	25th March 2008	Mercedes-Benz Tony Purslow Aldershot
11,154 miles	9th June 2009	Mercedes-Benz Tony Purslow Aldershot
13,426 miles	18th March 2010	Mercedes-Benz Direcyt
17,780 miles	1st March 2012	Unipart Centre Days Garage
19,574 miles	6th March 2013	Unipart Centre Days Garage
23,274 miles	26th February 2015	Unipart Centre Days Garage
25,300 miles	20th April 2016	Mercedes-Benz Chichester
25,990 miles	1st September 2017	SLSHOP

(car has been in storage with SLSHOP since the last service)

200A LEATHER 241 FRONT SEAT LH ELECTRIC ADJUSTABLE WITH MEMORY 242 FRONT SEAT RH ELECTRIC ADJUSTABLE WITH MEMORY 249 AUTOMATICALLY DIPPING INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR 284 SELECTOR LEVER, WOOD 289 WOOD/LEATHER STEERING-WHEEL 331 CASSETTE COMPARTMENT 415 GLASS ROOF (R129) 461 INSTRUMENT WITH MILES IND. AND ENGLISH LEGEND 501 OUTSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR, RIGHT, HEATED (R.H.D.) 512 RADIO MB SPECIAL WITH TRAFFIC NEWS DECODER (VK), WITH RDS 565 REAR SEATS USED ON SL MODELS 600 HEADLAMP WIPER/WASHER 617 XENON HEADLAMPS, LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC 668 MODE OF PACKING VE III WITH STYROPOR BUMPER RAILS 744 DARK BLUE SOFT TOP FABRIC 5010 808 CHANGE OF MODEL YEAR, THE LAST FIGURE SHOWING THE NEW MODEL YEAR 819 CD CHANGER IN THE TRUNK - ALPINE 833 ADDITIONAL PARTS FOR GREAT BRITAIN VEHICLE VERSION 984 COC DOC., DELETION OF VEHICLE REGISTRATION DOC. P05 SPECIAL MODEL - R129 "DESIGNO" FOR GREAT BRITAIN