2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500

The current owner has had the car for around 12 months after purchasing the car at a specialist auction. Since then, the owner has had the ABC suspension fully overhauled including many new parts this year. This was following work carried out in 2019 which still showed a fault. After enjoying the car the owner has moved on to another vehicle, so the Mercedes is back up for auction.

The current owner has had the opportunity to go through the car over their time and confirms everything to be working inside and out and has only done around 250 miles in the car since purchasing.

Exterior wise, the SL500 has survived its near 20 years well with only few very minor marks to speak of. These consist of a crack on the indicator on the passenger side wing mirror and a very small scuff on the front bumper insert as reported by the current owner. The wheels are in decent nick too with little lacquer peel or curbing, the tyres that wrap them are in good condition too as the owner confirms.

All the body panels look to be straight and free from any major damage or obvious dents or dings. The shut lines look to be tight and uniform around the car and the folding hard top is working as can be seen in the video.

Elsewhere on the exterior, the light lenses front and back look to be free from scratches or cracks with only the slightest amount of clouding on the fronts if we’re being super picky and is far less than you’d expect for a near 20-year-old car.

Front grill is in good condition and the chrome effect trim stands up well to inspection. The trim around the rest of the car presents in good condition too and highlights the body lines well.

The interior presents just as nicely as the exterior, the upholstery on the front seats is in good condition with no visible rips or tears and only some creasing in the leather on the driver’s side bolster. Carpet is in good condition too, protected by wool overmats in the front and rear. The driver’s side door card has a section by the rear of the door pocket which has the smallest edge curl but other than that the switches and door furniture look to be in good condition.

Major touch points in the cabin are far less worn than you’d expect for the car’s age and the leather on the gear selector is only starting to show the smallest signs of wear at the top with a small scuff on the gaiter cover.

The dashboard and centre console look to be in good condition, the screen is in good working order and all electrics are reported to be working. Switches around the control panels present nicely with limited wear on the labelling and the dash is just as clean looking as we’d imagine it to coming out of the factory.

Lifting the bonnet to see the 5.0L V8 shoehorned into this relatively small body is a sight to set the pulse racing and to add to that feeling, it all looks, visually, to be in good condition.

From the photo gallery below and from as much of the engine that’s on show, there are no signs of fluid leaks, split pipes or hoses or exposed wires. Coupled that with the owner’s confirmation that everything is in good working order and the invoice history, we’d hasten to assume everything is as it seems.

The SL500 has only done 70,154 miles in its near 20-year time on the roads, and considering this car was designed with touring in mind, that’s a decent mileage to be at. Underneath has seen the ABC suspension renewed this year and with the last two MOTs not throwing up any advisories, we’d wager the underside is just as good as the rest of the car.

The Mercedes comes with quite a comprehensive stack of history including the V5C, all the original owners’ manuals complete in the black leather dealer’s wallet, two keys and stacks of invoices.

The Mercedes has a clean HPI check and shows the correct 7 previous owners. There are a succession of MOT certificates with the current one expiring 17/05/2024 and showing no advisories. The car has benefitted from a main dealer service schedule till 2015 and then specialist and Mercedes official workshops thereafter. The invoices are as follows.

• 2006: maintenance service – Stourbridge Mercedes

• 2008: Maintenance service and miscellaneous parts – Birmingham Central Mercedes

• 2009: water leak fixed and interior dried, wiring harness repaired – Stourbridge Mercedes

• 2010: Maintenance service, brake pads changed, and parking brake adjusted – Birmingham Central Mercedes

• 2010: Brake fluid change in accordance with maintenance schedule – Birmingham Central Mercedes

• 2012: Maintenance service including filters and fluids and automatic transmission oil and filter change – Vikings Canterbury Mercedes

• 2015: Both top joints on wishbones fitted along with both front alley arms, gearbox oil and filter changed, engine and gearbox mounts fitted, drivers side track rod and top wish bone joint and a service – Mercedes Tech

• 2016: New battery – Kemsing Motor Company

• 2017: Engine and gearbox mounts, outer tie rod end, lower suspension arm both sides, ball joints both sides – Mercedes Tech

• 2017: Both front shock absorbers removed and replaced alongside offside lower ball joint – Kemsing Motor Company

• 2019: Intensive service including fluids and filters, new battery and an overhaul of the ABC suspension fitting new O ring seals, refitting, and refilling.

Important – The 2019 service and repair bill notes that the front return valve on the ABC lets oil return to the reservoir over a few days. The current owner has confirmed to us that this has been rectified and is no longer an issue. It underwent new front and rear valve/solenoid body overhauls, new front rear pressure vessel spheres, all suspension struts check for operation and leaks, andcomplete new ABC suspension fluid.

The ABC suspension is said to work as it did when leaving the factory, not dropping at all and ensuring that the ride is silky smooth.

The R230 came from a time when Mercedes were a little more ‘gung-ho’ with trying out new tech and as such this car has a raft of developments that made it a desirable buy. Some of these were a hit and some were not, but the sign of a good owner for these cars is the regular servicing and main problem areas addressed. With all those boxes ticked here this example is certainly one to consider.

We estimate for this Mercedes SL500 to reach anywhere between £10,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Fairlight, East Sussex, to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.