1992 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL (R129) |

Closed Auction- Unsold

1992 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL (R129)

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Mileage~155,778 KMs on clock
TransmissionAutomatic
Engine5.0L
LocationBexhill-on-Sea

AUCTION CLOSED

1992 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL (R129)

Introduction

Alan Stuart

Professional Consigner

The SL model range evolved significantly with the R129, the same core concept, but with lots of technical advancements.

The Mercedes-Benz SL500 R129 combines great manners with fantastic performance and the legendary Mercedes-Benz build quality. When introduced in 1989 it replaced the R107 thereby upholding a fine tradition of Grand Touring convertibles. Loved by both the Mercedes faithful and the wider public it remained popular until replaced by the R230 in 2002. The R129 offered significant innovations including controlled electronic damping, a more modern multi-link rear axle and fully operating electric hood, windows, door mirrors and seats. The 5.0L V8 propels the car from 0-60 in ~6.1 seconds and to a top speed of ~155MPH, with power delivered to the rear wheels through a smooth 5 speed automatic gearbox.

Coming to market from ~8 year ownership, this Japanese import model has a whole host of electrical factory fitted upgrades, presents in excellent condition, has had servicing in April 2023 and has travelled fewer than ~5,000 miles in the last ~5 years. Overall, the 500 SL is a very desirable Mercedes-Benz coming with its factory fitted hard top.

This listing was written from information supplied by Alan after meeting Mark 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

Its not often you come across a car of this quality, when I saw it, I just knew I had to own it.

The current owner Mark, had spent a good deal of time before settling on this model searching for the right car "I'd been looking a Merc's for a couple of months before I got this one, it's a lovely clean model that has been cherished and used".

This isn't his first Mercedes and it will likely not be his last "It's been an incredible car and is always an absolute dream to drive. I shall miss it but I have my sights set on a new option and need the extra space". Should any further queries be needed on the car, Mark would be happy to answer these in the comments section below.

Mark

Vehicle Owner

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Exterior
Interior
Mechanics
History
All Images

EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

An early example of the R129 with two-tone exterior styling and presented in beautiful condition.

Wheels and Tyres

Showing in a great condition, the 16" flat face alloy wheels look to have barely a mark on them, and reflect the condition of the rest of the car. We only noted a very small amount of curb rash to the rear nearside wheel. The Mercedes 3 pointed star emblems are present at the centre on each side of the rims, a classic touch for the era of the Mercedes.

The wheels are wrapped with Continental EcoContact 6 tyres with a tread spec of 225/55 to the fronts and date codes from 2021. To the rear, these are wrapped with Continental EcoContact 5's, a spec of 225/55 and show with date codes from 2016. These look in good condition and appear to have a good amount of tread remaining. Take a look through the gallery section to see more detail on the Mercedes.

Bodywork

Overall the bodywork is in good solid condition and additionally, we noted no concerning signs of corrosion to the underside or sills on the car. The panels on the car align really well and we could see no visible distortion to these areas. Shut lines appear good all round and the doors, boot and bonnet open and close precisely and cleanly. The electric hood works perfectly as can be seen from the review video and a hard top in very good condition also comes with the car, along with the hard top stand.

The passenger door and rear quarter panel have been repaired in its earlier life due to some previous markings, although you wouldn't note this from initial inspection due to the quality of the finishing here. The only observation we made looking around the car, was that the wing mirrors could benefit from some restorative work. We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view of what’s on offer and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Finished in a really attractive coat of "Anthracite Grey Metallic" (172U), the paintwork is even in finish and colour across the exterior of the car. A nice detail found on the earlier R129 model was the two-tone exterior styling. There is a very minor sign of a paint chip on the nearside front wheel arch, although we had to look really closely to see this, it really is a lovely example.

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 hi-resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

All of the glass sections around the SL500 showed very well with windscreen, windows, mirrors and lenses all appearing in good condition with no cracks, chips or significant scratching that we observed on our visit.

The soft top roof hood has had the window sections replaced which shows with a lovely level of finish and clarity. A minor observation from our visit was that the roof lining on the hardtop was beginning to sag slightly, although this is not a major job to fix should the future owner wish to. Take a look through the gallery sections and review video, we take you across all the areas of the car as if you were standing there for yourself. This way, you can see in greater detail what a lovely looking car the Mercedes really is.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

Premium materials, beautiful wood inlays and luxurious comfort, this is Mercedes-Benz quality at some of its best.

Seats and Carpets

Comfortable and inviting, the "Brazil Brown" leather seating is in very good condition, the drivers seat does show with a little wear to the bolster section although this wasn't a concern when viewing the car. Seat backs and rear shelf showed in very good condition with few signs of wear or usage.

Carpet sections of the interior showed well and without issue. Looking underneath these areas, we found no issues where everything was looking solid. Equally over in the boot, this area showed no concerns. Please see the interior gallery for more detailed images of the Mercedes-Benz.

Dashboard

Overall the dashboard looks great, sitting inside the Mercedes feels comfortable with everything where it should be. Dials and gauges, switches and buttons all looked in fantastic condition with all areas of the wood panelling showing in a lovely condition also.

The instruments cluster presents well showing no signs of fogging or display issues with the odometer showing a reading of ~155,778 KMs, where KMs is shown due to this being a Japanese import car.

In the centre of the dashboard is a sat nav pad which was obtained from Mercedes Japan. Our interior gallery section takes you over some closer images of the Mercedes dashboard, head over and see the cars interior in finer detail.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

A classic Mercedes-Benz 4 spoke steering wheel from the 90s is on show in the drivers area, this is in good condition and has maintained its looks as well as the rest of the interior. Only a slight sign of patina shows here.

The automatic gear selector also shows the same levels of quality as the interior, complimented well by the wood inlay centre sections. Both sections are straight forward in design and present smartly.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

A 5.0L V8 coupled to an automatic gearbox makes driving the Mercedes a really enjoyable and comfortable experience but with plenty of power when required.

Engine and Gearbox

The 500 SL performed without issue when running and out on the road and felt great during the drive. The engine bay looked good on our visit, it turned over and idled without issue and looking underneath the car, there were no signs of oil leaks that we observed.

Take a look over the review video for yourselves to hear the SL500 start up from cold and take in the lovely sounds of the 5.0L V8 engine. Head over to the mechanical review video for an overview of the engine, initial start up and an update from the current owner.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks, bangs or issue from the suspension when we were on the road in the car, and it gave us no concerns in its performance or handling. In the current ownership, the shocks have been replaced, original Sachs items used, as well as other work as detailed in the invoices.

The brakes bring the car to a halt in a straight line with no juddering reported to come through the pedal and worked as expected. The stopping power and control felt good and worked as to be expected. Please view the mechanical review video and photographs to see close-up and underside images from around the Mercedes.

The Drive

The Mercedes really is a car for any occasion. Smooth and comfortable but holding enough power to bring you up to speed without a struggle. With its optional hard top or open top driving, you get a great mix of variety with the SL500 which makes it such a good drivers car.

Luxurious motoring is what the SL500 is truly all about though, premium materials, excellent condition and smiles for miles make this model one not to be missed.

Electrics and Other

The electric hood works perfectly as can be seen from the review video and also a hard top in very good condition is supplied with the Mercedes, along with the hard top stand.

The SL500 benefits from lots of factory fitted extras including; driver and passenger electronic seating, cruise control, climate control, headlamp washers, seat heater and electronic rear seated aerial antenna. Mark lets us know that to the best of his knowledge, all electrical components are working without issue on the car, with the exception of the fold feature on the mirrors.

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History and Paperwork

With fewer than ~5,000 miles travelled in the last ~5 years, servicing in April 2023 and a good deal of history, this ~97,000 mile Mercedes-Benz is ready for its next set of travels.

The 500 SL was originally from Japan, imported to the UK in July 2015, and has been in the current ownership for ~8 years. Presented beautifully, the Mercedes comes with a great amount of history from its time in Japan as well as a log book detailing the UK maintenance records.

The SL500 has had an interim low mileage service in 2023, the battery was replaced in July 2023, updated nearside and offside wishbones, under bonnet insulation, servicing and 2 new tyres and wheel alignment in 2021, a new centre console roller blind holder in 2020 and a new power steering box was fitted in 2019. In 2018, the rocker cover, plug gaskets, alternator regulator, engine mountings, gearbox pressure seals, rear gearbox mount were all updated, the fan belt, pulley system and water pump was replaced in 2017, the radiator, water pump, air con re-gas, power steering fluid, discs, shoes and pads were replaced in 2016 and new plug leads, idle control and breather pipes were renewed in 2015.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and actioned a HPi check on the vehicle. Should any questions be required, Mark would be happy to answer any of these in the 'ask the owner' section.

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. This is an auction on behalf of a trade seller and normal auction rules apply, i.e. there is no warranty, no return policy and bids are binding with more info in our terms and conditions.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
11.04.2023	MOT	154,644 km
11.04.2023	Service	154,644 km
19.05.2021	MOT	153,462 km
	Service	153,462 km
04.07.2019	MOT	151,456 km
04.07.2018	MOT	158,480 km
04.07.2018	Service	151,456 km
	Service	148,549 km
20.06.2017	MOT	143,385 km
13.06.2016	MOT	141,876 km
13.06.2016	Service	141,676 km
17.07.2015	Service	140,482 km
03.07.2015	Service	139,399 km
17.06.2015	MOT	139,399 km

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Key Details

Model500 SL (R129)
TransmissionAutomatic
Reg. Date01.02.1992
CC4,970
Mileage~155,778 KMs on clock
HistoryGood
ColourAnthracite Grey Metallic
Interior ColourBrazil Brown
Interior TrimLeather
Chassis #WDB1290662F050502
Engine #11996022028257
Last Service11.04.2023
MOTYes. Exp 10.04.2024
HPi ClearYes
Former Keepers1 in UK
Tyre TreadGood
Tyre BrandContinental
Tyre Age2016 / 2021
LHD or RHDRHD
VisitedYes
Sale TypePrivate
Owned~8 years
Key FeatureExcellent Condition
Auction ID1607

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All Images

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Vehicle Location

Bexhill-on-Sea

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Seller : TMark

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3 Comments

kellydk

1 year ago

Apologies for the late question. The car looks very good but there appears to be significant rust on the bottom of the passenger door. The picture is not great but could you clarify the rust? Is it a hole? How bad is it? There doesn’t appear to be any additional rust based on the pictures but is there any besides that piece on the door?

Thanks

TMark

Seller

kellydk

1 year ago

Regarding the door it is a piece of paint that flaked off and the rust is just surface about 5cm long by 2cm wide..I have just checked it and there is no hole just solid metal and dry…there is no rust on the car anywhere .

kellydk

TMark

1 year ago

Thanks for the quick reply. To be honest, it was a surprise to see the rust at all as the rest of the car looks so good.

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Vehicle Location

Bexhill-on-Sea

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