It’s no surprise that Mercedes-Benz ran the production of these SLs in different variants for some 17 years. Instantly recognisable, the 500SL turns heads, and for all the right reasons. Costing more than £40,000 in the early ’80s (equivalent to more than £100,000 in today’s money) if you owned a 500SL in-period, you were somebody. Mercedes built their reputation for excellent build quality and sublime comfort and they really hit the mark here. The whopping 5.0 litre V8 up front easily consumes all the road you can present it with, whilst the smooth automatic gearbox and comfortable ‘boulevard-style’ leather seats made this the effortless cruiser we all adore.

Externally, the paintwork has a few defects. The car has had some new paintwork in areas where it benefitted from it without the need for a full respray as largely the paint was very good. The paintwork was also recently detailed by The Master Detailer who prepares concours-winning cars for internationally renowned events such as Pebble Beach Concours and Salon Privé. He was able to get the shine and gloss back, removing many of any light stretches and marks. There are some marks on the front bumper and some stone chips as to be expected. The wheels have a couple of marks on them, and the chrome has some marks and scratches to them, specifically on the hardtop roof. The hardtop was recently resprayed and now looks great. I know personally that I would choose a car such as this that has been used and driven rather than a conscious example that never gets driven because I feel I could rely on this car to get me anywhere knowing it has been lovingly cherished and maintained regardless of cost.

Although at 150,000 miles + The car’s MB-tex leather vinyl has held up pretty well, with only small bits of the car needing to be sorted. The material was developed by Mercedes in the 1960s, as an alternative to leather it is very durable it manages to keep its softness without maintenance. The car has also recently had some new carpets made so this helps the interior to present very well. The dash does feature the usual cracks that these cars feature from age, and there is a make where the previous owner attached a phone mount and this has cause some damage to the centre console, which can be fixed easily.

Mechanically the car runs and drives beautifully without fault, just as you would expect for a quality piece of German engineering from the 80s. The car has had a much of work done to the car mechanically making the car a strong preposition for a cosmetic refresh. We understand the engine to have been rebuilt, the previous owner told the current owner that it was but we have no evidence of this in the form of paperwork or correspondence. The car drives very well and starts up the first time every time so I could believe that it was, the engine bay also presents very well which again could be a sign that it was removed and rebuilt.

The chassis was very advanced for its time compared to its predecessor featuring a unibody chassis compared to the ladder frame chassis of the R107's predecessor the Pagoda. The very advanced chassis was designed with safety from the start and the Mercedes engineers were able to keep the car's weight around 1,600 kg dry despite being part of the Mercedes 'over-engineered' generation. This advanced engineering level made the car very safe, very comfortable and controlled with well-damped suspension for comfortable cruising. The assisted recirculating ball steering was an advanced system for the time, featuring very low resistance due to the ball bearings used. This went with the advanced over-engineered luxury this car is famed for and the well-connected and light steering feel of this set-up suited the car's character. The vehicle also featured a very advanced braking system, ahead of its time giving the car a very powerful and consistent braking system even after long hours of repeated use.

The car's automatic gearbox is something that suits the car's character very well. The 4-speed automatic was something that was upgraded from the 3-speed from the 1980s onward and to great effect. The power drives the rear wheels through an open differential.

The R107 SL 500 featured a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) layout, which is common for luxury sports cars and grand tourers. The RWD configuration provided good balance and handling characteristics, making the SL 500 enjoyable to drive on winding roads and highways. Limited-Slip Differential (optional): In some versions of the R107 SL 500, a limited-slip differential was offered as an option. This differential helped improve traction and handling by distributing power more evenly between the rear wheels, especially during spirited driving or when encountering slippery road conditions.