1987 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

Everybody likes a well-presented, dynamically and mechanically sorted R107.

If anything, they’re even more popular now than they were when brand-new.

And they were very popular then – at least among the relatively small demographic of people who could afford to buy a new one.

The vendor, who has put a few of his cars under our on-line hammer, tells us that is ‘drives exceptionally well’ and, in our limited experience of it, we have no reason to question that opinion.

It comes with the desirable options of leather upholstery and a factory hard-top, the latter making it a car for all seasons, not just high days and holidays.

While it drives well and looks good, it does have a few cosmetic issues to contend with and some corrosion to tackle.
 

The bodywork is pretty straight and true, as far as we can see, and there are no dents, crumples, creases or ripples to disturb the car’s classically understated lines.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are as crisp and even as we’ve come to expect of these cars.

The doors close with a heft and precision that would be impressive on a saloon, never mind a soft-top, and serve as a reminder that these cars are from an era when Gunther, Wolfgang and the rest of the Herren und Damen on the Sindelfingen production line were on absolutely top form.

R107s are cars that were built up to a standard, not down to a price, and the no-compromise, no-expense-spared attention to detail runs through every nut and bolt like words through a stick of rock.

As we said, though, it isn’t perfect.

There are a few scratches on the n/s/r wing, and there’s some bubbling and flaking to be seen on the bodywork where it meets the lifting collar of the hood mechanism between the boot and the hood.

There’s also some bubbling in evidence around the front of the bonnet on the offside; some blistering at the corner of the o/s/f wing; bubbling and flaking in the forward base of the n/s/r wheel arch; a few blisters under the paint above the fuel filler cap; and some bubbling in the o/s/f wheel arch and wing, and at the base of the o/s/r wheel-arch.

Beyond that, we noticed a small bulge under the paintwork just above the offside wrap-around section of the rear bumper; a few paint chips and touch-ups on the edge of the driver’s door; some scuffs and scrapes atop the n/s/r wing; and a few minor scuffs on the hard-top, which is in generally excellent condition.

The black fabric hood looks good to us, save for a few creases earned while stowed.

Mostly, the car’s chrome-work is shiny and bright, except for the strip of chrome above the boot lock, which has some pitting in evidence.

Bar the odd scuff here and there, the wheels look to be in very fair condition and the matching Triangle ReliaX Touring tyres appear to have a decent amount of life left in them.  

The lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all broadly reasonable, although there is a little surface rust to be seen on the inside edge of the front bumper, and the metal frames around the fog lights have lost their paint and begun to look a little corroded.
 

The interior has held up pretty well and would appear to have weathered the storms of time and use with a good deal of resilience.

There are a few signs of wear on the outer bolsters of the seats and some deeper cracks to the black leather on the driver’s seat squab, but that seems a fair price to pay for the option of leather. The alternative MB-Tex material is famously indestructible but….it isn’t leather.

The door cards look decent and the carpets and mats are reasonable from what we can see.

The dashboard has a couple of small splits to the vinyl trim around the instrument binnacle and the air vents at the base of the windscreen but is otherwise fine.

The wood veneers on the centre console have resisted the usual temptations to split or fade, but the wooden knob on the gear selector has fared less well, and has cracked and shed some of its lacquer.

Splits and cracks can also be found on the plastic housing at the base of the handbrake.

The steering wheel and other controls are in good order and, as far as we’re aware, every knob, button, dial and instrument does what it’s supposed to do without deviation, hesitation or repetition.

The boot is reasonable and contains a full-sized spare wheel and a few tools. Its struts no longer work.
 

Everything in the engine bay appears to be in its right and proper place, but it looks a bit dusty here and there. There’s some residue on the pipes leading from the radiator, and the fins and veins of the radiator look a bit bashed about – although, evidently, the radiator is in good working order.

The under-bonnet sound-deadening material has been reduced to just a few residual strips of fabric here and there.

The undersides of the car look solid and sound in terms of the subframe and other components that give the car its structural integrity, but the external signs of rust in the wheel arches can be seen to greater effect from underneath, where there’s obviously some work to be done where the metal has corroded to the point of flaking.
 

The car has a very full and well-documented history, with a service book containing more stamps than a Stanley Gibbons warehouse.

There are plenty of bills, invoices and receipts attesting to work carried out in more recent years, with some of the highlights including:

•    Reconditioned gearbox and torque converter fitted – 2012 (108,000 miles)
•    Full respray including hard-top – (Malton Coachworks, Yorkshire) 2012
•    New power steering pump – 2016
•    Brakes overhauled, new pads and discs 2017
•    Refurbished steering box – 2018
•    Custom-made stainless steel ‘Pipedream Exhausts’ system fitted – 2021
•    Service, new plugs, wiper blades, front suspension ball joints – April 2025

The other thing that comes with this car, and we’ve marvelled at this phenomenon before on numerous occasions, is a meticulous, detailed spreadsheet covering every tank of petrol put into the car, the mileage covered, the mpg and the cost per mile.

This level of record-keeping always tells us that the owner was, to say the least, pretty fastidious in his (or her) care and upkeep of the car.

But these spreadsheets run from 2005 to 2023. That’s nearly two decades of forensic attention to detail verging on the obsessive.

Streuth.

We’d be inclined to find that reassuring, if we were you.

The car’s MoT certificate is valid until 8.5.26.
 

One thing’s for sure: we’re not remotely put-off by an odometer with 113,000 miles on it.

It’s really only in the UK that people consider anything approaching or over 100,000 miles to be some sort of risk.

Our European and American cousins, people who occupy much larger land masses and routinely have to go further to get anywhere, think we’re a bit odd for attaching such significance to something as arbitrary as a number on an odometer.  

And besides, this is an R107, so it’s been properly built to the hilt by people who knew what they were doing….and it’s got an impressive history on top of that.

It will need some of its corrosion issues looking at sooner rather than later, but we think the work involved will be worth the effort and should result in a car that will give you many years of pedigree motoring pleasure. 

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £15,000 - £18,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET, HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.