1984 Mercedes-Benz 380 SL

‘B860 CMT’ is a Silver Mercedes-Benz 380SL that’s been in the seller’s family for many years, starting with her father-in-law, who bought matching His ‘n’ Hers classic Mercedes, with this being his car.

It passed into her husband’s care in 2019, and hasn’t been used much since then, accruing only a couple of thousand miles in the past six years.

In need of some restoration, while it might be a bit tired it runs and drives, and its long MoT was issued with just one minor advisory.

The SL presents well from a distance but its flaws, which we’ll detail later, make themselves known as you walk up to it.

It comes with a hardtop, which the seller’s father-in-law bought during his tenure. Finished in a darker hue than the coachwork, it is in a good condition with a clean, bright finish to the majority of the paintwork, good glazing, and shiny chrome trim.

The dark-blue folding roof fits well with nicely taut fabric, tucks away neatly underneath the factory hard cover, and transitions between the states smoothly.

The contrasting stitching is largely intact, the plastic rear screen is free of damage, and there are no holes or other significant signs of wear other than where the material has eased away at the bottom of the rear screen.

As for the wheels and tyres, one rear tyre is a Royal Black with a build date of 2019, with the other being a Falken FK-07U from 2006. The same make and year of Falken is fitted to one front wheel, with a Federal Super Steel 701 (from 2012) fitted on the other. Therefore, three of the tyres will need to be replaced on the grounds of their age.

However, they are fitted to the OE alloy wheels, which is good to see. The wheels are presentable for the time being but would benefit from refurbishment, and it would make sense to get this done when you change the tyres.

As for flaws in the coachwork, there is a dink in the offside front of the bonnet, and the nearside rear lamp cluster is damaged, as is the paint beneath it.

The paint is also bubbling above the offside front headlamp, the base of the offside front wing, the base of the offside A-pillar, the front of the offside sill, and the leading edge of the nearside front wing underneath the cracked indicator lens.

There are other small dinks and scratches across the coachwork, most noticeably on the top of both rear wings and the boot lid. The dark grey hardtop also has some hazing to its finish at the base of the offside rear pillar.

Trim is missing from the boot lid between the Mercedes-Benz badge and the release button, the nearside sill, and the top of the driver’s door. The offside rear bumper and undertray are dented, the rubber bumper inserts at both ends are scuffed, and the chromed rear bumper is scratched and lightly damaged.

Finally, a few of the panels, such as the bonnet and the nearside door don’t fit as neatly as they should, and there is silver overspray on the black front air dam from a localized repair to the nearside of the valence.
 

The grey leather front seats show their age with softened cushions, cracked leather, and some grime. The main seat facings might be saveable if you don’t mind your car showing a bit of character, but the offside headrest is probably too far gone to be rejuvenated.

The rear seat might be loose, but it is in a good condition. The outer trim panels that sit either side of it and the door cards are also in a good condition being clean and free of obvious damage.

The Dark Grey carpets were replaced in 2015, and these are in good shape and need nothing more than valeting.

The hardtop’s headlining is clean and taut, and while that of the softtop is a little grubby, the material is free of damage or wear. The folding mechanism is largely free of rust and other cosmetic issues.

Other work to do includes replacing the nearside sunvisor, tidying up some of the peeling carpet trim above the rear seat, and reaffixing the plastic trim that’s come away to the right of the steering wheel.

More seriously, the top of the dashboard is cracked, the wooden veneer on the transmission tunnel is also cracked and peeling, the panel below the nearside front air vent is damaged and is screwed into place, and the driver’s seat is missing the piece of trim that covers the outer hinge mechanism.

The boot contains a car cover in addition to the full-size spare alloy wheel. There is some rust to the floor of the spare wheel well, and the trim is generally a bit tatty.
 

The braking system was serviced on the 21st of March 2020 and 76,894 miles by Tune At Home, which built on extensive work done five years earlier.

The firewall/bulkhead was professionally replaced in 2015, with the floorpan receiving attention at the same time by way of new metal being let in under the rear seat and offside front floor. The battery tray was also replaced and the windscreen surround repaired.

It was rebuilt with a new heater box, and Peterborough Classics and Custom fitted a new exhaust system while it was under there. The final bill came to more than £4,200, with £3,850 of that being labour.

The engine bay is still decently presentable, and while it would benefit from being detailed, few would quibble if you were to focus your attention elsewhere initially once you’d sorted out the rust around the nearside top suspension mount.

The underside, as you’d expect given the extent of the work that was carried out a decade ago, is in a generally good condition but we note the underseal is peeling in places to reveal rust underneath.

The straight-six engine starts cleanly, idles well, and revs smoothly. 
 

The SL’s MoT is valid until July 2026, and the only advisory was for a binding nearside rear brake.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the SL comes with two keys.

The history file includes a lot of invoices, including some for what appears to have been a £16,600 restoration in around 2015. There are handwritten notes about this too, as well as historical MoT certificates.
 

We are happy to offer this car with a BUY IT NOW price of £9,000 which includes the buyers premium, which means this 380SL offers a cost-effective route into R107 ownership.

Sure, it needs a bit of work doing to freshen it up and sort out the rust it presents, but it has a long and good MoT, so you’re starting from an independently assessed base.

Parts, whether new or secondhand, are still plentiful and fairly cheap too, and it’s a straightforward car, so you could probably do a lot of the work yourself, saving money and gaining satisfaction in equal measure.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online 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’.