1972 Mercedes 350 SL

*** UPDATE: This car has now been sold for £8,477 all inclusive ***

Want one? If you are looking for a similar vehicle then please register your interest. We will then let you know when we get a matching vehicle before anyone else!

Got one to sell? Simply submit your car here and we will be in touch to discuss how we can help.

Recent Buyer Review – Eamonn McParland on 11th May “From my first general enquiry through to the purchase of my very own MGA, Adam and the team at Trade Classics were quite simply, awesome.  I fully recommend Trade Classics without hesitation nor reservation to everyone who is seeking a classic car.  A brilliant business model, supported by a really neat and usable website though ultimately managed by a great group of professional, sincere and trustworthy people”. Click here to see this and all reviews on Trustpilot.

In 1971 R107 Mercedes-Benz SL took off where its R113 predecessor left off.  It was offered in a range of engines and came with both soft and hard tops. Initially, it was sold in V8 form only – 350 and 450 SL, although the extra engine capacity didn’t add much power, but torque took a big leap and allowed it to be fitted with a much taller rear axle ratio.  And it was this that cemented the SL as even more of an open-topped cruiser than the cars that came before.

The R107 and C107 took the chassis components of the midsize Mercedes-Benz W114 model and mated them initially to the M116 and M117 V8 engines used in the W108, W109 and W111 series.

Volume production of the first R107 car, the 350 SL, started in April 1971 alongside the last of the W113 cars.

The 350 SL was in production from 1971 to 1980 and 15,304 cars were made during that time.

Bill and his wife Barbara have owned the car for an incredible 28 years, as they bought it way back in 1990. Now Bill is approaching his 80th year and the time has come to find the car a new and loving custodian, to continue to enjoy and maintain it.

Bill is a car man and it was clear on our visit just how much he loves this 350 SL. We were fortunate to see the car on a hot day in May and enjoyed meeting both Bill and Barbara and hearing about their love for the car and the adventures they had in it together.

The car is located in Huddersfield and the couple have been very realistic in the price for the car, as they really do need to sell it. The car is very original and honest and has a few defects that will be covered in this write-up.

The car would suit a good home mechanic that can do a few jobs on the car over time, and importantly someone that will look after it and offer a good home.

The car looks absolutely fantastic in the red and magnolia colour combination in the spring sunshine.

Wheels & Tyres
The car is fitted with its original wheels and the tyres all have good tread and even wear.

Bodywork
The car looks to be good in terms of both rust and rot. On our inspection we noticed a bubbling on the leading edge of the OSF wing that Bill says has been there for most of his ownership and not got any worse. There is also a small dent on the top of the OSF wing. Common areas of rust are the wheel arches, sills and doors; all these areas show no visible signs of any significant rust.  Please see the media pack and videos to review the condition and underside.

Paint
The red paint is very striking and there are no visible signs of any colour differences across the panels, even in direct sunlight. The are a couple of areas that have a little paint blistering that you only notice when looking hard / down the reflective lines. This is just on a few areas, most noticeably the NSF wing. Bill says this has remained the same for many years and not changed over time. The paint could do with a polish and wax to deepen the shine and remove cleaning swirl marks.

Glass and Trim
Both are in good condition across the car. There is some chrome damage to the strip at the top of the NSR wing, near the door. Also the rubber inserts in the bumpers on both sides have marks on, presumably due to the narrow entrance to Bill’s garage over the years. The chrome could also do with a good polish. We didn’t take the hardtop off during our visit, however, Bill confirms the black mohair hood is in good condition and the plastic window is discoloured but has no cracking – we advise you to bid with this in mind, or organise to visit the car, as we can’t state the condition of the hood.

The interior is in good condition and would benefit from a thorough valet.

Seats and Carpets
The seats are in really lovely original condition with no rips or significant wear. A good clean with leather cleaner is all that is required to get them looking great and keep that all important patina. The arm rest and grab handle on the passenger side door were in need of tightening, but did not look visibly broken.

Dashboard
The dashboard is in good condition with no splits and could also do with a good clean to bring it up like new. The radio has been changed at some point in the past and would benefit from a period correct replacement.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick
Both are in original condition with no issues.

Kulraj accompanied Bill on a short drive from his house to a place where we could take the images and videos. Please watch the video to see how the car performed on the drive.

Engine and Gearbox
The car started first go from cold and settled into a smooth tick-over. However, blue smoke was initially noticed and cleared a little after revving. On the drive out the smoke returned and was visible throughout the journey. We checked the oil level and it was in the middle of min and max. The smoke is likely to be due to either: a) piston rings, b) valve stem seals or c) breather pipes. Unfortunately we can’t diagnose this before sale as Bill and Barbara really just want to sell the car. Instead the reserve price of the car has been amended to take this into account. Gear selection worked fine on the trip and about 45pmh was reached.

Suspension and Brakes
No issues noticed on the short drive to a maximum of 45mph.

The Drive
Again, no issues noticed on the short drive to a maximum of 45mph.

Electrics and Other
Electronics are light on this car, e.g. no electric windows. The car passed an MOT in January and also had a new alternator fitted in 2014.

Bill has kept the majority of MOT’s during his ownership (see images) and some receipts.

Bill and Barbara have done nearly 25,000 miles in the car in nearly 30 years with the majority being in the 1990’s.

HPi Check Results
– Our own HPi check is in progress.

Previous MOT’s
– 11.11.17 – 109,900 miles
– 22.10.16 – 109,894 miles
– 15.08.15 – 109,989 miles (no printed copy)
– 12.07.14 – 109,883 miles (no printed copy)
– 20.04.13 – 109,862 miles (no printed copy)
– 13.04.12 – 109,846 miles
– 11.11.10 – 109,825 miles
– 17.09.09 – 109,769 miles
– 05.08.08 – 109,679 miles
– 04.08.07 – 109,606 miles
– 11.07.06 – 109,481 miles
– 22.07.05 – 109,274 miles
– 20.07.04 – 109,203 miles
– 03.07.03 – 108,108 miles
– 28.06.02 – 107,019 miles
– 07.07.01 – 105,699 miles
– 23.05.00 – 103,826 miles
– 15.05.99 – 102,003 miles
– 22.05.98 – 101,138 miles
– 09.04.96 – 99,895 miles
– 21.03.95 – 97,554 miles
– 30.03.94 – 95,485 miles
– 25.03.93 – 93,053 miles
– 21.03.92 – 90,793 miles
– 28.03.91 – 88,316 miles
– 10.02.90 – 85,838 miles

There are some really desirable things going for this car, namely it’s an early model (13 months after the initial launch) fitted with the must-have V8 engine, it’s in arguably one of the best looking colour combinations, and finally been owned for nearly three decades by the same loving couple.

I’ve pointed out all the defects we found with the car and it’s honestly priced to sell leaving room for the new owner to spend a little bit of money on the necessary repairs.

If I had a spare garage then I’d be up for buying this car, taking a look at the smoking issue, fixing the OSF wing (bubble and dent) and spending a bit of time cleaning and polishing. The result would be a very lovely and sorted 350 SL that can only appreciate in value.

Put a bid in – what’s the worst that can happen 🙂

ADAM PURRIER
This auction listing was written by Adam from information gained from Bill (owner and seller of the vehicle) and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

If you have any specific questions about the vehicle then please use the comments section below. I will receive a notification and will reply as soon as he can. I may need to check answers with Bill as he won’t be able to reply himself.