1998 Mercedes-Benz SL320

Finished in Obsidian Black Metallic with a Silver Grey Nappa leather interior, ‘S49 APK’ is a 1998 Mercedes-Benz SL230 that boasts the optional glass panoramic hard-top in addition to a “perfect” black soft-top and upgraded Mercedes-Benz alloy wheels.

Still showing just 46,000 miles on the odometer, a mileage that’s supported by a good service history and online MoT record; while few things in life can be guaranteed, we think the SL’s record speaks for itself.

Being offered in time for you to enjoy the last couple of months of summer weather, it’s also well equipped for you to be able to drive it all year around, confident that it’ll shrug off whatever the British climate throws at you both. 
 

Black is such a difficult colour. Sure, it looks great when the car is new but a few years of car-park dinks and the inevitable chips and marks can leave the reflections it throws looking like a house of mirrors.

There are no such worries here though, with the combination of high-end build quality and careful curation leaving them as smooth and untroubled as David Attenborough’s conscience.

The doors still open with the bank-vault ‘thunk’ we’ve all come to admire, the shutlines are mm-perfect, and the four corners, always the first place to betray a careless owner, are unmarked.

The paintwork shines as brightly now as it ever has; not for nothing is the R129’s reputation for longevity unrivalled.

Which means, of course, that the folding roof still furls and unfurls smoothly, while its surface is untroubled by any damage whatsoever, even to the contrasting stitching.

The panoramic hard-top, which is painted the same colour as the rest of the coachwork, turns the SL into a convincing coupé. The condition of that paintwork is also excellent, the glass rear screen has a demister element, and it even comes with its own storage stand.

The upgraded M-B alloy wheels, which are 17-inches in diameter, are in an excellent condition, with only a few light scuffs to the offside front rim.

They are also fitted with a matching set of Continental ContiSportContact tyres. The summary in the history file shows them as having been fitted in 2019 at 44,208 miles, so they’ve life in them yet

We will never get tired of telling you that 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.

The lamp lenses and badges are as good as everything else, and the only marks we spotted that are worth pointing out are some scratches to the driver’s door and a scuff to the offside door mirror casing. 
 

If the coachwork is about making a discreet, albeit subtly menacing, entrance, the interior is a calm oasis of German minimalism.

In design, anyway because the SL is a very well-specified sportscar that includes climate-control, electric windows, remote central locking, an electrically-adjustable steering column and front seats, headlamp wash/wipe, powerfold mirrors, and that expensive-when-new panoramic glass hard-top in addition to airbags galore and a cleverly engineered pop-up rollover bar.

This is a car that’s as safe as it is elegant.

It’s also got the useful rear seat option, and while legroom is limited, it’s a useful thing to have, especially if you have small grandchildren. Also, when they aren’t being used, they fold down to provide a carpeted luggage platform that is ideal for shopping, soft bags, and coats.

The OE wind deflector keeps the cabin calm and free of buffeting at sensible speeds, and the hard-top will keep you snug and warm in even the foulest weather; few convertibles offer the all-year potential of a well-specified SL like this.

It’s all in an excellent condition with little in the way of wear ‘n’ tear with the front passenger and rear seats being free of much in the way of creasing. The driver’s headrest does show a little colour loss and rubbing marks to the outer bolster, but even these are trifling.

The tambour door on the centre console works perfectly, sliding open to reveal CD storage drawers, which is useful given the presence of a Mercedes-Benz Becker radio/CD player in the dashboard.

The wood trim is glossy and undamaged, the sunblinds on the glass roof are present and work as they should, the soft-top headlining is clean and taut, and the door cards and carpets are all excellent.

We also understand that everything works as it should.

The boot contains the spare wheel and jack, neither of which has ever been used, and the warning triangle is cleverly mounted under the boot lid.

The only issues we can see are the sunvisor vanity mirror covers are brown, some of the interior trim has faded at a slightly different rate, and there are some marks to the carpet on the offside of the boot.
 

The SL’s service history is recorded as follows:

•    29.01.2001 and 3,615 miles – service by MB Greenoaks of Maidenhead
•    10.04.2002 and 12,729 miles – service by Reliance Motors of Chingford
•    27.06.2005 and 20,212 miles – service by Tidworth Motor Services
•    26.07.2007 and 25,158 miles – service by MercAid Cars
•    07.10.2016 and 41,035 miles – service by Autobahn including fresh gearbox oil
•    26.09.2017 and 43,225 miles – service by Alex Crow Ltd including a new polybelt and fresh coolant and recharging the air-conditioning system 
•    27.09.2019 and 44,219 miles – service by Alex Crow Ltd including a change of brake fluid
•    26.04.2023 and 46,313 miles – full service by Nair Autos including new sparkplugs, fuel and pollen filters, fresh brake fluid, and a new battery and crank position sensor at a cost of almost £2,000
•    04.07.2025 and 46,697 miles – oil and filter change by RPL Automotive plus new lower ball joints and track rod end boots to rectify the ‘repair advisories’ on this year’s MoT

There are also plenty of invoices on file for other work, with Alex Crow, an independent Mercedes-Benz specialist, contributing nine between 2016 and 2020.

The result is a car that starts and idles as it should, and if the inline-six was designed more for cruising than sprinting, its 228bhp still enables you to reach 62mph in 8.4 seconds on your way to a top speed of almost 150mph.

The seller tells us that it “drives very well.”

The engine bay is very presentable, being clean and neat. If you are of a fastidious nature then some of the fasteners are rusty, but that’s a job most of us wouldn’t think needs doing.

As for the underside, it looks clean and solid, and no MoT tester has ever mentioned structural corrosion. 
 

The SL’s MoT certificate is valid until April 2026.

It has racked up no fewer than 15 clear passes in its life, although this year’s did mention the need to ‘monitor’ the springs and front brake discs; the seller has already taken care of everything on the ‘repair’ section.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car, which we understand arose as it was used abroad for a short time when it was new.

The SL also comes with two keys, the Mercedes-Benz wallet and book pack, the stamped service history booklet, the specification sheet, and plenty of old MoT certificates.
 

If you’re looking for a cheap, reliable, well-engineered sportscar that can cope with everything the British climate can throw at it, then look no further.

And an investment of between £13,000 and £18,000 should be all that is required to make this one yours.

But as it’s being offered with no reserve, you might even be able to snaffle it for less, enabling you to enjoy the rest of the summer in considerable style.

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’.