1985 Mercedes-Benz 280SL (R107) |

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1985 Mercedes-Benz 280SL (R107)

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£12,970

Mileage~125,767 on clock
TransmissionAutomatic
Engine2.7-litre
LocationWhitstable, Kent

SOLD

1985 Mercedes-Benz 280SL (R107)

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Dom Ginn

Professional Consigner

Just as stylish as it was in the '80s, the R107 Mercedes 280SL stands as a prime example of exceptional German engineering.

Mercedes-Benz have a reputation for comfortable touring cars, it's been well established prior to the R107 SL making its first appearance in 1972. The brand's virtues were strengthened by the SL's ingrained quality, ease of use and mechanical hardiness. All this has made it into one of the easiest classic tourers to own today. Robust engineering and durable materials go a long way into making the SL a safe choice for those who like to travel in style without the uncompromising nature of other open-top classics of the era.

Powered by the surprisingly frugal yet flexible 2.7-litre straight-six engine, the car can still hold its own on modern roads. With decent accommodation, a hardtop roof included, and excellent parts availability, the SL continues to flourish in popularity.

This 280SL has had various works carried out over its years but most recently a new exhaust pipe was fitted and the interior was stripped to remove the carpets and replace them. The car is provided with 2 sets of keys and separate hard top roof come as part of the final sale.

After completing an interim service in May 2024 including an oil and spark plug change, this lovely classic is ready for all weather types thanks to its removable roof elements and convertible setup. The private plate BSV 284 is not included in the sale.

This listing was written from information supplied by Dom after meeting Stephen the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

Owning this car has been a joy with no faults in my time - I'm sad to part with it, but I'd love it to find a new loving home.

Stephen has owned the car for ~5.5 years, during which time he has loved every trip in the car, and when speaking with him about his ownership, he mentions, "My personal preference is cruising on a summers day with the roof down listening to the engine".

As time spent with the car is becoming less over recent years, the time has come to sell the car to its next home, Stephen tells us, "I don't get to use the car as I once did, I feel sad to let the car go as I do love it, but it makes sense for me to give it up as I have another car in more regular use".

Stephen will be happy to answer any questions on the car in the comments section below.

Stephen

Vehicle Owner

Stephen saved £2,160* when they
sold their Mercedes with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Classy metallic blue green finish and smart, simple straight body lines set this apart as a truly iconic model.

Wheels and Tyres

The 14" wheels (known commonly as Mexican Hat style) finished in silver, appear well cared for, with no signs of any concerning damage from our observation, just a few signs of corrosion around the centre caps bolts and notes of minor kerb rash.

The wheels are fitted with Maxxis Victra 510 tyres, the tyre spec showed with 195/70 all round. These appear to be in a respectable condition, dated from 2008/2015 with a fair amount of tread remaining.

Bodywork

Looking over the Mercedes on our visit, the car maintains good visual panel gaps and both doors, bonnet and the boot open and close smoothly. We didn't note any major scratches or dings to the panelling.

The car has had some bodywork / paint in the recent past and you can see a picture of a pair of new wings fitted in the History section.

We've highlighted our observations in more detail through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take the time to look through all the media files for a detailed view of what’s on offer and to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The classy Blue Green Metallic (paint code 877) coat is even in finish across all the panels, overall showing in good condition and compliments the 280SL well. There were no signs of any major concerns with the coverage and the colour showed nicely in the light. There were a few small stone chips noted to the bonnet and side panel areas. There was also a mark on the passenger side A-pillar.

The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these high-resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The glass on the Mercedes-Benz looked in good condition, in line with the age; we didn't notice any cracks or discolouration on our visit. The window seals look in good condition too.

The trim and seals are all in place with Mercedes logo and relevant 280SL badging looking smart. We noted a small sign of corrosion on the front drivers side chrome edge trim and there was a slight scuff on the passenger side bumper. We also noted a piece of trim on the drivers side which sat slightly away from the body panelling.

The soft top roof showed nicely on the outside and presented no major concerns, just some marks observed to the interior sections. The removable hard top is also complete with the car which showed in a good condition, although had some notes of paint chipping to the exterior edges.

Take a look through the exterior gallery and review video. We take you across all areas of the car as if you were standing there yourself. This way, you can see in greater detail how the car is presented.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

Cherished for the last ~5.5 years, this SL is a beautiful taste of luxury '80s motoring, the retro check cloth interior adding to the visual appeal.

Seats and Carpets

The Mercedes is kitted out with white and gold check fabric and vinyl interior. We didn't note any concerns with rips or tears to the front or rear seats. The rear bench section showed in nice condition.

The main carpet of the interior showed in a lovely condition, and looking underneath the mats showed the car had no major concerns. Over in the boot the carpet areas looked in a great condition. The carpets of the 280SL have been restored in June 2021 where these sections were updated and refitted.

We cover the cabin area of the 280SL in further detail in our interior review video.

Dashboard

Classic '80s styling looks great across the dash area of the 280SL. A simple, straightforward setup on this section shows well for the age of the car and we noticed no scuffs or marks here.

The dashboard presented well with no visible cracking or warping when we visited the car and showed ~125,767 on the clock when starting the car up with all the numbers appearing clear and legible.

The dials, switches, and controls all appeared to be in great condition, with surfaces appearing free from fogging or scratching.

Our interior gallery section offers a closer look at the Mercedes dashboard.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

A classic four-spoke Mercedes wheel is fitted, with a leather grip. The steering wheel presents in good condition in line with the mileage of this car, and the black gear selector looks good too with numbers clearly legible.

Additional images of the cabin area, including the steering wheel, are available in our Interior Gallery section - visit to see more details of what the Mercedes-Benz has to offer.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

With solid engineering and ample power for the chassis, the 2.7L can easily keep up with modern traffic.

Engine and Gearbox

Starting up the engine sounded good - we didn't notice any untoward noises either at start up or whilst on the road. The engine bay looked good on our visit.

Running the car from cold gave us no cause for concern and looking over the car initially, the engine idled steady when stationary.

Take a look at our "On the Road" video where we cover off the engine start up, idle and rev check and take the Mercedes around the local area to find out a little more about the 280SL.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks, bangs, or other issues from the suspension when we were on the road, and it gave us no concerns in its performance or handling. The brakes felt great and were easily able to bring the Mercedes-Benz to a stop.

We cover the underside of the car in our 'Mechanical Gallery' section. Head over to our video section, where we've summarised our visit in more detail for you to view for yourself. We take you around the mechanical elements of the car and give you an overview of what's on offer here.

The Drive

The Mercedes felt comfortable on our test drive, riding with no issues through our journey on the road. No shakes were observed or issues were heard on the road and there were seamless changes through the gears.

Overall, a really smooth and enjoyable ride where we heard no unwanted noises or anything that caused us a concern.

Our 'On the Road' video gives an overview of the car on some local roads and how it performs whilst driving.

Electrics and Other

All switches, dials, and gauges appear undamaged and in good condition. Stephen mentioned that he's had no issues with the electrical elements of the car and confirmed everything working correctly.

The car has a more modern Pioneer stereo unit fitted with Bluetooth connectivity. Over in the boot section, a spare wheel was also present.

A great feature of the 280SL, is the optional soft top and separate hard top roof sections included with the final sale.

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History and Paperwork

A well presented example of the R107, finished in Blue Green Metallic, coming to market from ~5.5 years of ownership.

The Mercedes-Benz 280SL comes with a select overview of its service history with the owners manual, maintenance booklet, 2 sets of keys and both its soft top and hard top roof sections. An interim service was completed in May 2024 including an oil and spark plug change.

A new exhaust pipe was installed in June 2022. The 280SL had various works carried out in June 2021 including: removal of seats, carpets, seat belt rails, recut and shape carpets and reinstallation. New back carpets were fitted at the same time. The total cost for these works was ~£745.

Two new Maxxis tyres were fitted in June 2015 and a new battery was fitted in February 2015. The private plate BSV 284 is not included in the sale.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
08.05.2024	MOT and Service	125,748
20.06.2023	MOT	125,723
22.06.2022	MOT	125,629
17.06.2021	Filters Service
16.06.2021	MOT	125,431
06.05.2020	MOT	125,159
15.06.2018	MOT	125,045
12.06.2017	MOT	124,850
13.07.2015	MOT	124,498
09.07.2014	MOT	124,065
25.06.2013	MOT	124,064
09.05.2012	MOT	123,369
23.03.2011	MOT	119,777
16.03.2010	MOT	117,864
29.05.2008	MOT	116,552
05.06.2007	MOT	115,077
01.06.2006	MOT	111,570
08.06.2004	MOT	104,323
03.03.2003	Service	102,651
07.02.2001	Service	98,540
13.10.1998	Service	95,632
09.10.1997	Service	92,389
16.10.1996	Service	83,962
12.09.1995	Service	74,639
25.11.1994	Service	68,092
03.07.1992	Service	57,022
27.06.1990	Service	48,842
21.06.1990	Service	40,798
	Service	36,237
16.06.1989	Service	30,533
19.12.1988	Service	25,571
02.06.1988	Service	19,350
04.03.1987	Service	17,455
02.09.1986	Service	15,564
01.10.1985	Service	12,219