2003 Mercedes 500SL

*** UPDATE: This car has now been sold for £9,500 all inclusive ***

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The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is a grand touring car manufactured by Mercedes since 1954. The designation SL derives from the German Sportlich-Leicht, (English: Sport Lightweight). The original idea was suggested by American importer Max Hoffman, who perceived a market for a toned-down Gran Prix car tailored to affluent performance enthusiasts in the booming post-war American market, which remains the primary market for the vehicles.

The SL designation was first applied to the 300 SL, often referred to as the ‘Gullwing’ due to its gullwing or upward-opening doors.

The term SL refers to the marketing variations of the vehicle, including the numerous engine configurations spanning six design generations.

This particular car is the R230 and is the fifth generation SL that was in production between 2001 and 2008. The all-new SL (initially just a 5.0-litre SL 500 version) featured a retractable hardtop (marketed as the Vario Roof) that had been available on the SLK since 1997. This car has a beautiful 5.0-litre 302 hp (225 kW) V8 that sounds amazing – take a look at the videos to hear just how good this engine is.

This stunning car is owned by Mark. Mark has owned this car for just over one year and has built a beautiful car collection of over fifteen cars with the help of his brother-in-law; Rob Carrigan. Mark loves the thrill of buying the best examples he can, once added to his collection he then enjoys driving them when he’s in the country. Mark really does only buy the best-of-the-best examples, and we are very fortunate to be handling the sale of his collection.

So why is Mark now selling his collection? Well, Mark is based overseas and these days he doesn’t get the opportunity to drive his collection as much as he’d like, as more recently his business opportunities are keeping him abroad, so the time has come to pass the cars to new custodians.

Rob looks after the collection for Mark and no expense has been spared in the maintenance of the vehicles. Rob makes sure that whatever the cars need are actioned straight away using specialist garages and original parts. Even the finest indoor covers have been purposely made for each individual car at a cost of over £300 each, and are included in the sale. Every car is securely stored in a new and dry professional unit, as can be seen in our media footage.

Please take a look at the video to meet Rob and drop him a note in the comments below if you have any questions.

This really is a stunning example of the gorgeous R230 body shape and in excellent condition in line with the low mileage. You’d be very hard pressed to find a better 500SL in as such original condition as this car.

Wheels & Tyres
Original 18in AMG alloy wheels are fitted and wrapped in 255/40/R18 tyres. The alloys are in really good condition as can be seen in the media pack.

Bodywork
The bodywork is exceptional on this car. We found no obvious parking dents and the panel fit all looks visually correct. The doors, boot, bonnet and convertible roof all open and close perfectly.

Paint
The paint work is also exceptional on this stunning 500SL. The silver colour is even and deep on every panel, even in direct sunlight. We also couldn’t see any difference in colour on the bumpers. We only found a few small stone chips on the car. These have been highlighted in the video footage. I think these could be easily remedied by a professional chip removal expert. There is a very small paint bubble on the lower section on the NSR wing where it meets the sill and another one just up near the wheel arch – please see the videos and images. Again these can be corrected easily.

Glass and Trim
The glass and trim are both in excellent condition – no issues were noted.

The interior is simply beautiful quality as expected by the German manufacturer and in excellent condition. The cabin really is a lovely place to be with no issues noticed during our visual inspection.

Seats and Carpets
The leather seats are in excellent condition with hardly any wear, even on the driver’s seat squab and bolster.

Dashboard
The dashboard and gauges are all in the condition expected with such a low mileage and well looked after car.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick
The car has its original steering wheel and gear stick and both are in excellent condition.

We didn’t take the car our regular ‘on the road’ run as it was not insured at the time of our visit. However, Rob confirms to us that it drives perfectly without a problem, along with starting on the button. Please review the video footage to see the cold start we performed in the garage.

Engine and Gearbox
Rob confirms there are no issues with the engine or gearbox.

Suspension and Brakes
Rob also confirms the car has no knocks or rattles coming from the suspension. As mentioned, the car has always had the best care in the last three years of Mark’s ownership, and you’ll see receipts for all work carried out..

The Drive
Not actioned on our visit due to the car not being insured to be on the road.

Electrics and Other
We checked all the main electrics and they performed without fault – you can see the electric windows and roof all working in the videos. A battery conditioner is fitted when the vehicle is not in use to maintain the levels of the battery.

Please review the picture file to see the invoices and previous MOT’s that come with the car. The original service book has been included and shows a good level of history to support the mileage. Rob has just had the car serviced since our inspection.

The car is showing just over 34,725 as of 13.07.2018.

HPi Check Results
– We have preformed a HPi check and it is clear – please see the certificate in the images.

Service History
– 18.08.2005 – 6,124 – Main Dealer
– 13.08.2007 – 11,319 – Main Dealer
– 27.10.2009 – 15,718 – Main Dealer
– 22.02.2012 – 21,664 – Specialist
– 20.06.2013 – 25,711 – Specialist
– 11.07.2014 – 29,013 – Specialist
– 01.07.2015 – 31,211 – Specialist
– 13.07.2018 – 34,725 – Specialist (book will be stamped)

Mileage Records – HPi Data
– 32,438 miles recorded on 27 Apr 2017
– 32,006 miles recorded on 5 May 2016
– 32,006 miles recorded on 27 Apr 2016
– 30,179 miles recorded on 2 Apr 2015
– 27,131 miles recorded on 31 Mar 2014
– 27,131 miles recorded on 28 Mar 2014
– 24,309 miles recorded on 11 Apr 2013
– 21,021 miles recorded on 9 Jan 2012
– 20,997 miles recorded on 10 Nov 2011
– 18,153 miles recorded on 26 Oct 2010
– 15,718 miles recorded on 27 Oct 2009
– 13,543 miles recorded on 16 Sep 2008
– 11,591 miles recorded on 9 Oct 2007
– 9,418 miles recorded on 21 Sep 2006

The R230 was a game changer when it was launched. I remember seeing the first one on the street back in 2001 and it was a ‘wow’ moment for me – it was so ahead of its time and looked simply gorgeous. In my opinion it was the return of a ‘proper’ SL that had drop-dead gorgeous looks coupled with the very best of German engineering.

These cars have matured nicely over the years and bullet proof engineering and attention to detail means there is very little to go wrong. The lines on the car are as good today as they were back in 2001.

This is a lot of car for the money and in my opinion one of the best convertible GT cars that is built to carry you long distances with ease and luxury.

ADAM PURRIER
This auction listing was written by Adam from information gained from Rob, the custodian of the collection, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

If you have any specific questions about the vehicle then please use the comments section below. Rob will receive a notification and will reply as soon as he can.