2002 Mercedes-Benz SLK32 AMG

Finished in Amber Red with an Anthracite leather interior, ‘FH51 XMR’ is one of only 263 UK-spec Mercedes-Benz SLK32 AMGs.

Offered with a clean MoT certificate (something it’s achieved for a dozen years now) the seller finally managed to buy it in 2021.

Finally?

Yes, because he’d first tried to buy it six years before; as a longtime fan of the marque, he’d fallen in love with its colour and condition but couldn’t agree a price.

He eventually managed to buy it after a six-year hiatus.

And its appeal is obvious: With a very good service history up to 2020, he has continued the servicing regime utilising a combination of his experience as a retired mechanic alongside top-quality parts such as Mobil One oil.

He’s enjoyed exercising it as far as Scotland and Wales, but illness means it simply hasn’t been used much in the past three years as the online MoT history attests.

Now being reluctantly offered for sale with a modest guide price, the fact it is also being auctioned with no reserve means it’ll be going to a new home no matter what.

The Bernstein Red coachwork (colour code 548 and known as Amber Red here in the UK) is both unusual and unusually attractive and makes a pleasant change to the more usual sombre grey metallics we usually see. The colour also highlights the car’s tight and consistent shutlines that, in conjunction with a clear HPI report, suggests it does not have a hidden secret in its past.

But then it has been very well curated: Cool Classics fitted two new front wings and repaired the driver’s door in November 2020, and other localised repairs have been made over the years ensuring it continues to impress, even as it edges into its third decade.

Further proof of impeccable conservation comes via the matching Continental Premium Contact 6 tyres that are fitted to the (very good and unscuffed) 17-inch AMG alloy wheels.

In 245/40R17 on the rear axle and 225/45R17 on the front, all were made in 2019 and retain good tread. There is no obvious damage to their sidewalls either although they have developed age-related cracks to the outer edge of the tread.

Nonetheless, 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 roof has been modified with a ‘Smart Top 170’ that provides one-touch operation at speeds of up to 30mph. The instructions are in the car’s history file but, as the video demonstrates, it furls and unfurls smoothly and quickly, with the German firm’s characteristic balletic grace.

It seals very well too and genuinely offers the best of both worlds, fresh air when you want it, and full weatherproofing and insulation when you don’t: This is a convertible sportscar you can run year-round without having to make a single compromise.

The lamp lenses are also free of chips and cracks, and the badges are still bright and shiny. The side and rear glazing is also above reproach, although the windscreen is heavily chipped.

Which brings us neatly to the question of what damage and blemishes it shows.

The front bumper has stonechips and a broken numberplate surround. The offside has been repaired, something we noticed as there is a slight mismatch in colour and hard masking lines in addition to overspray on the front grille.

The offside front wing has a chip near its edge, and the driver’s door has three dents under the door handle, chips to its trailing edge, and a stonechipped mirror housing. The rear bumper has a scuff to its offside plus a deep scratch to the middle and another on the nearside corner. The boot lid is also scratched beneath the numberplate, has a localised repair underneath the sentra brake light, and overspray under the SLK badge.

The nearside rear wing is bubbling just a little above the rear bumper, and there are chips along its top edge near the tailgate. The passenger door is blistered around its handle and has a dent to the middle of the panel plus another under the mirror. The latter is also a different shade to the rest of the coachwork. Finally, the nearside A-post has a large chip and a rough edge.

That the worst we can say of the Anthracite leather interior (trim code 881) is that the driver’s seat is a little creased and the top of the passenger’s door card has a minute tear in the leather speaks volumes as to how good everything else is.

But then this is an R170, a car legendary for its durability, longevity, and engineering.

No surprise then that the seats, which are electrically adjustable and feature two-stage heating, remain extremely comfortable. They are also every bit as supportive as the car’s performance suggests they would need to be.

The birds-eye maple veneer is free of chips and cracks and retains a very good shine, and AMG’s influence can be seen on the black-on-white instruments and embossed on the backrests.

The inner headlining is clean, taut, and free of damage, and a small wind deflector between the headrests minimises buffeting when the roof is down.

Other signs of careful curation include still-taut pockets in the doors, bright white lettering on the switches and controls, and an intact and undamaged driver’s heel protector on the (very good) carpets that have also been protected by SLK overmats.

A modern headunit is fitted and a fire extinguisher is clipped between the seats.

A phone holder has also been installed above the central air vents. However, it should be easy to restore the cabin to stock specification as this is on a separate panel.

The boot is as well-maintained as everywhere else and still contains its hazard warning triangle and first aid kit in addition to the emergency tyre inflation kit.

The SLK’s routine maintenance is recorded as follows:

· 17.12.2020 and 114,463 miles – service by Autoclass Garage including new Iridium sparkplugs at a cost of well over £200 for the plugs alone

· 20.09.2019 and 114,086 miles – service by Autoclass Garage including fresh coolant and brake fluid, a gearbox service, a new centre propshaft bearing and much more; in all, the bill came to £3,390

· 07.06.2019 and 113,790 miles – new rocker cover gaskets, engine oil and filter, and an alternator by KG Auto Services

· 31.07.2015 and 112,637 miles – service by H.A. Lock Motor Engineer

· 13.11.2012 and 103,659 miles – service by H.A. Lock Motor Engineer

· 25.08.2011 and 93,248 miles – service by AMC, an independent Mercedes-Benz specialist

· 29.07.2010 and 81,358 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Greenoaks

· 25.09.2009 and 73,536 miles – service by Performance Autos including fresh brake fluid and coolant and a gearbox service

· 19.08.2008 and 63,386 miles – service by TM Motors, an independent Mercedes-Benz specialist

· 22.05.2008 and 59,709 miles – service by TM Motors, an independent Mercedes-Benz specialist

· 05.12.2007 and 52,691 miles – service by TM Motors, an independent Mercedes-Benz specialist including fresh brake fluid

· 10.01.2006 and 42,179 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Bedford

· 05.01.2005 and 35,946 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Bedford

· 01.04.2003 and 26,825 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Milton Keynes

· Unknown date and 15,391 miles – service by Mertrux Limited

The seller has since serviced it himself, taking care to keep the receipts and to make handwritten notes. Its most recent service was on the 24th of April 2026 at 120,782 miles, during which he used Mobil 1 fully synthetic oil, a Borg and Beck oil filter, and a new air filter.

There are also receipts on file for service parts in March 2024 and July 2022, plus more for other repair items: Please see the history file for details.

As you can see, that dedication and his years of professional experience have paid off because the AMG-fettled engine starts very well, idles quietly, and revs like a demon.

It also has a particularly fruity exhaust note after having had its central catalyst professionally removed and the rear section rebuilt sans silencer in 2008.

The engine boasts nothing worse than a few rusty fasteners and a thin veneer of grime, something we suspect most could happily live with.

However, while the underbonnet seal and sound deadening remain in a decent condition, it is marred by red overspray. Rust is also present on one small section on the offside front slam panel.

The underside of the front bumper shows nothing more than a few light scratches, which is noteworthy given how low the SLK rides.

It also still has all four jacking pads, which is equally impressive and that stellar MoT history means that structural corrosion has never been an issue, even if the steel suspension and steering components have the usual surface rust on them, as do the fasteners.

The underseal is also flaking away on the offside rear corner, so it would be as well to get that treated and refreshed sooner rather than later.

The SLK’s MoT certificate is valid until September 2027. Better yet, it was issued without a single advisory, something it’s achieved every year since 2014.

The recent Vehicle History Check is also clear, and the history file includes expired MoT certificates and a tax disc, a V5C Registration Certificate, the original specification card, the Mercedes-Benz wallet and book pack, and invoices for servicing, parts, and repair over the years.

The SLK32 AMG harks back to a time when Mercedes-Benz built strong, solid cars that ran and ran and ran – and when you factor in the incredible job AMG did in reengineering them to even greater heights, the only wonder is why they’ve stayed so cheap for so long.

Because, with a guide price of between £8,000 and £12,000, this example offers more performance and reliability than just about anything in its class – and given it is also being offered with no reserve, it might even sneak in a little bit below that.

And this for a car that benefits from an impeccable MoT history, comes with a very strong service record, and is finished in an unusual colour scheme: If you’ve got MX-5 budget but Champagne taste then your time may have come.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) 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’.