1986 Mercedes-Benz 560 SL

Mercedes produced a lot of R107s, over 300,000 were built during the 18-year production run. You could have your SL, in varying combinations of capacity and specification, from the smallest 2.8-litre inline six, right up to the largest, 5.6-litre V8.

This example is one of those cars fitted with the colossal M117 V8, the result of every piece of knowledge gained throughout the R107’s development. The 560 wasn’t a global model, it was only supplied to a handful of markets, the US, Japan and Australia to name a few.

Thankfully, this 560 was imported to the UK in 2017, meaning a full-fat maximum calorie SL can be enjoyed on British roads. Externally, little changed from other SLs, in the US, however, to meet regulations for safety the 560 SL would gain a third brake light on the boot lid, as well as impact bumpers.

You’ll notice pretty quickly, as you glance at this example that it looks distinctly, not American. That is thanks to a program of Eurofication. Gone are the US-Spec bumpers, in their place a full set of European bumpers, lights and rubbers that cost close to €10,000 and were supplied by SLS in Germany. As part of the process, the third brake light was omitted from the boot lid, and the mounting holes were welded up. Finally, the car was refinished to its original shade of Smoke Silver. The paintwork remains in excellent condition and has always been maintained to the highest standard.

The brightwork, badges and grille are all in excellent shape, in most cases these have been replaced with brand-new genuine items, sourced directly from Mercedes-Benz. The wheels are genuine Mercedes 15” 15-hole items, finished to the original standards and wrapped in a set of Hankook tyres at a cost of over £3,000. R107s are unique in that they were offered with a removable hard-top, often these can be missing, but not here, however, there is also a new brown soft-top fitted.

In the cabin, you’re greeted by a Brazil Brown leather interior, the original specification and a great combination. The seats are in immaculate condition, thanks to a retrim by D:Class Automotive who also applied their skills to the carpets, the steering wheel was reconnolised and the Wood Veneer re-finished to an as-new, if not better, standard. The gauge cluster is all functioning and working as it should, and the mileage indicated is just over 127,000 miles. The air-conditioning was also reworked during the extensive restoration. The interior is finished nicely by the addition of a Blaupunkt Bremen DAB/Bluetooth head unit, offering period-correct looks, but modern functionality.

In the engine bay, you’ll find the original numbers matching M117-V8, a powerhouse of a unit that delivers mounds of torque on a seemingly endless platter. It’s mated to a silky-smooth automatic transmission that helps to make this SL into the ultimate cruiser. The engine bay is akin to the exterior, in excellent shape, with no signs of any damage, in-fact all of the mechanical underpinnings are in impeccable condition, with the brakes, suspension and steering systems all being run through with a fine-tooth comb.

This car’s condition speaks for itself, no doubt, but if you weren’t sure, you could rely on three folders filled with paperwork dating right the way back to the car’s first owners. All of the work completed during the car’s restoration was completed by either the SL Shop, Duke of London or Starwerks our onsite Mercedes specialist.

There is no doubt, there are plenty of options if you’re looking for an SL, but few meet the standards of this car. Combining the ultimate in engine capacity, with an enviable colour combination, euro-spec upgrades and a history record so big it’d take you all day to read. Most recently the car was serviced by Roger Edwards Motors a leading classic Mercedes specialist, meaning it is ready to be used and enjoyed by its next caretaker.

As with all our vehicles, a full digital folder is available on request containing more images, walk-around videos, and scans of the service history. The car can also be viewed by appointment at our West London showroom.