1989 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION

Beautifully presented in Almandine Red, this Mercedes 300SL exudes the quality for which the R107 model is rightly renowned. 

It was delivered new in March 1989 via Neyland Motors and first registered in the name of Sunny Haven Caravan Distributors Ltd in Swansea. Neyland Motors was a Mercedes main dealer in Milford Haven, and continued to look after the car until April 1992, by which point it had covered 17,779 miles. 

The Mercedes ended up spending almost 30 years in South Wales. It was owned by a Barry-based enthusiast between 1995 and 1999, and was then sold – via Performance Cars and Marine in Cardiff –to a new owner who lived in nearby Penarth. 

He then kept the 300SL until 2016, covering less than 2000 miles every year and having it serviced by a local independent specialist. The Mercedes was then put into storage for the last two years of his ownership, after which it was sold back to Performance Cars and Marine. Some minor repairs were carried out to the front bulkhead before the Mercedes passed to a new owner in 2017. 

The car’s history file meticulously records its servicing and MoTs over the years, with recent work including overhauling the braking system and installing a new German Sonnenland hood in 2021, fitting a new radiator and four new Michelin tyres in 2023, and having the petrol injectors replaced in 2024. 

Used only sparingly in recent years, this Mercedes 300SL is being offered for sale having still covered only 53,000 miles from new, and is a cherished, well-maintained example of this stylish and superbly engineered soft-top.

MODEL HISTORY  

The Mercedes-Benz R107 was an elegant and refined status symbol that fell squarely into the ‘reassuringly expensive’ category when it was launched in 1971. It was nearly twice the price of a Jaguar E-type but was beautifully engineered and thrived during the 1970s, despite that decade’s economic upheaval and increasing environmental and safety regulations.

Based on the mechanical underpinnings of the ‘new generation’ W114/W115 models, it was the final model to be signed off by legendary Mercedes-Benz engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut before he retired. Beneath the sharply styled bodywork was double-wishbone front suspension and a semi-trailing-arm rear set-up that was a significant improvement over the oft-criticised swing axles on its W113 predecessor. 

A range of engines was offered, including two six-cylinder offerings in the shape of the 280SL and 300SL, the latter being added to the line-up in 1985. The R107 was also the first SL to be fitted with a V8 engine. A 3.5-litre version of the M116 unit was fitted to the 350SL, before being stretched to 3.8 litres for the 380SL and finally 4.2 litres for the 420SL. Then there was the M117 V8 that was used in the 450SL, 500SL and 560SL. 

The 188bhp 300SL was offered with the choice of a manual or automatic gearbox, and Motorrecorded a 0-60mph time of 8.4 seconds with the latter. The magazine’s road-testers said that changes in the ZF ’box were ‘supremely smooth’ and noted that, on the road, the 300SL had ‘impeccable manners’. 

Despite its age, the R107 grew in status as the 1980s progressing and its profile rose after starring in everything from Dallas to American Gigolo. Most cars were supplied to the North American market and total production had reached almost 250,000 by the time it was replaced in 1989 by the R129model.