1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500

This SL500 was bought new in Jersey and spent its life there until 2016, which explains the low mileage as Jersey is a small place with a speed limit of just 40mph. 

With only 10,823 miles on the clock and the bullet proof build quality associated with Mercedes cars from this period, this top of the range SL is ready to be enjoyed this coming summer.

This is a fine looking Mercedes sports car and the silver paint still shines with a deep lustre. There are small marks here and there, noticeably a slight parking mark on the front bumper and some small chips on the nearside A pillar next to the windscreen (the owner says a tile fell off her roof), but overall the bodywork is in excellent shape.

The driver’s door mirror glass has failed and needs replacing – an easy and not expensive job. You won’t need to do anything to the wheels though, as they’re all new, and look fabulous as a result.

The canvas soft-top is in excellent order with no tears or marks that we could see, and the hardtop’s condition mirrors this. Incidentally the stand for the hardtop is still with the seller, who says the new owner is welcome to come and pick it up.

All the shutlines and panel gaps look factory sharp and reflect the slow and easy life this modern classic Merc has lived.

Inside the sumptuous cabin the grey leather seats are in first class shape – even the driver’s seat bolster shows little sign of any use, and all the grey carpeted areas are clean and fresh looking. 

The wood and leather steering wheel is in excellent condition, and the only slight detractions are that both door cards have some marks on the lower area, possibly where people’s feet have rubbed on them over the years.

But apart from this, and a slightly sagging headlining in the factory hardtop, the cabin is in superb condition, and the owner reports that everything works as it should.

The dash mounted LCD display has no faded segments and looks to be working perfectly, and next to it is a Sony stereo with a CD changer.

These SLs have an automatic roll over protection bar, which you can see raised in some of the pictures.

The sound deadening material is falling away from the underside of the bonnet, which slightly mars an otherwise very tidy engine bay, but this could easily be replaced. 

Some of the alloy and plated parts have surface blemishes, but overall the engine bay is very tidy, and totally original looking – no surprise given the Mercedes service history.

Underneath the car the factory applied underbody sealant looks undamaged and we saw no signs of anything to worry about. As you’d expect at this kind of mileage, the quad-cam 5-litre Mercedes M119 V8 runs smoothly.

The Mercedes’ current owner was gifted the car by her mother, who in turn had received it as a present from her husband when it was new, so it’s effectively been in the same family since 1997. The current owner says:

‘The SL was a gift from my Father to my Mum in 1997, and it spent the beginning of its time in Jersey. Then it was given to me and came over to Exeter, where I lived at the time in 2016, and unfortunately wasn’t used as much as we’d like due to having a young family taking up all of our time.

‘I always loved the power of this car, it’s very smooth to drive and can shift when it needs to. It always makes me happy. I’ve had a few fun trips with the Mercedes, but it deserves to go to a new home where someone will really enjoy it.’

The SL has a full service history, and was last attended to by Mercedes Benz this January (£342). The car comes with a current MoT certificate which runs until January  24 2025. 

There is also a large collection of invoices from Mercedes, detailing previous maintenance and repair work.

The last SL built to Mercedes’ then uncompromising standards, this R129 is the pinnacle of modern classic Mercedes, and this one, with low mileage, full service history and single family ownership, is a superb example of the breed. 

We are happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £20,000 - £30,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.