1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SL-24

Introduced in 1988 and offered until 1993, the 300SL-24 is powered by the 24-valve M104 inline-six petrol engine that offers the driver 228bhp and 200ft.lbs of torque, enough to see the car hit 62mph in 8.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 149mph. 

Classics World suggests its presence should make this one worth an extra £1,000 compared to a similar model without the benefit of the 24-valve engine, and no lesser classic car authority than Vicky Parrott owns one, which tells you all you need to know about how well they drive.

‘H403 KDB’ is finished in Arctic White and has had just two former keepers, the second being a lady who bought it when it was just two years old and kept it until the seller bought it to add to his collection (of which we’re selling another seven in this week’s auction) in 2020. 

The rain in the photos makes it hard to accurately assess the condition of the Arctic White paintwork but what can see looks good.

Of course, assessing the condition of the panels is somewhat easier and these seem impressive. Sure, there’s some rust on both front wings and the rear panel for you to take care of but the overall fit ‘n’ finish is good and there don’t seem to be any dents, dinks, or other serious damage.

The lamp lenses are good too, as are the badges and the window glass. 

The hard-top is well painted and presents well, and while the folding blue soft-top is a little creased, it too looks good and appears to be free of rips, tears, and other damage. It certainly deploys as it should and boasts bright and clear plastic windows.

A set of 225/55R16 Dunlop SP Sport Fast Response tyres are fitted to the 16-inch alloy wheels. They’re a decade old now, so you might like to consider replacing them when you get the alloy wheels refurbished to remove the ingrained brake dust and peeling lacquer.

Nonetheless, experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

Other minor cosmetic problems include flaking paint on a couple of the jacking point covers and the odd rubbing mark here and there.

The blue leather interior suits the car’s elegant Arctic White coachwork perfectly, something that’s even more important with a convertible as you see so much more of it when the roof is down than you would with a coupé or saloon.

This one is in a good condition, too. Sure, the driver’s seat shows wear to the outer bolster by way of cracks to its surface but the rest of the seat, and the whole of the passenger one, is very good and they’re electrically adjustable, albeit the passenger’s one doesn’t work at the moment.

Other signs of a careful owner include working and undamaged tambour doors in the centre console, bright white lettering on the switches, and a behind-the-seats luggage platform that is clean and beautifully trimmed.

Speaking of which, the same carpet is used on the floors and this is as good as the door cards and walnut veneer trim that comprise the rest of the interior appointments, which is to say they are all very good indeed.

The boot is in the same great shape and plays host to a matching full-size alloy wheel tyre in addition to the usual boot-mounted hazard warning triangle.

As for work to do, you might like to source a replacement balance control knob for the Blaupunkt Melbourne radio-cassette player, find someone to mend the instantaneous mpg readout as it isn’t working, and polish out the cloudiness on the instrument binnacle that prevents us being able to read the odometer. 

We think the latter reads ‘139,121’ but this cannot be an accurate figure as the last MoTs suggest it should be over 159,000.

More serious is the rust we spotted on the underside of the driver’s door and the base of the nearside B-pillar.

We are told that the 300SL’s service record reads as follows:

• 01.02.1991 - supplied by Mercedes Macclesfield
• 931 miles – service by Mercedes Macclesfield
• 4,670 miles – service by Mercedes Macclesfield 
• 7,852 miles – service by Mercedes Macclesfield
• 9,842 miles – service by Mercedes Macclesfield
• 17,839 miles – service by Mercedes Stockport
• 22,631 miles – service by Mercedes Stockport
• 26,118 miles – service by Mercedes Stockport
• 29,288 miles – service by Mercedes Stockport
• 34,279 miles – service by Mercedes Stockport
• 36,872 miles – service by Mercedes Stockport
• 44,631 miles – service by Mercedes Wakefield
• 52,856 miles – service by Mercedes Wakefield
• 58,250 miles – service by Mercedes Warrington
• After 58k miles, the car has been maintained by the previous owners brother who was a Mercedes mechanic. There is various receipts for parts the mechanic has used 

However, with his customary honesty the seller has told us that there is a cold start issue still, but that it “starts and drives fine” once it is running. 

The ABS light is also on, and he’s hoping to find time to fix this before the auction ends but can’t guarantee it.

And the wiper has an intermittent issue in that it sometimes stops sweeping across the screen, only to then restart again and continue. The seller has replaced the wiper stalk with a new one (it contains the relay, apparently) and lubricated the linkage but this hasn’t cured it.

The engine bay is grubby but well ordered, so if detailing is your thing there’s a day’s worth of fun ahead of you – and if you’re not then any half-decent car valeter could make it presentable for a small investment.

The 300SL’s MoT certificate is valid until the middle of May 2024.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and it comes with the M-B wallet and owner’s handbook in addition to some historical paperwork and two original keys.

This is an R129 on the cusp. Clearly having lived a good life so far, rust is starting to take hold here and there, and this will need your urgent attention if it to be stopped in its tracks.

And it would probably be worth doing because  the rest of the car is very good – and that’s without factoring in that gorgeous 24-vale, six-cylinder engine that’s as buttery smooth as it is powerful.

Better yet, the need for this work is reflected in our guide price of between £5,000 and £7,000 – and the fact it’s being offered with no reserve.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Bradford, West Yorkshire. 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’.