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1972 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£11,000

  • Mileage103,131
  • TransmissionAutomatic
  • Engine4.5L
  • LocationLeamington Spa

SOLD

1972 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL

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Introduction

Darren
Professional Consigner

This lovely V8 Mercedes Benz SL in blue, recently imported from North America, is coming to sale with us. The car has been recently registered in the UK, all import duties paid etc, and so it’s ready for someone to drive away.

The Mercedes R107 is a beautiful looking car and has matured nicely over the last couple of decades – they are superbly built and deserve the title of ‘over-engineered’. It’s surprising what you can get for your money as they have always been great value when compared to other classics of similar eras/build quality. This is a car you can pull up anywhere in and get admiring glances.

This example within blue is absolutely gorgeous with a great condition hardtop and soft top, the big 4.5L V8 with bags or torque, arguably you couldn’t find a better combination.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Darren after meeting Paul the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

Paul is a friend of ours here at Trade Classics and we’ve sold a few cars for him over the past year. One in-fact was actually a similar spec SL from America in “Tobacco Brown”.

That car he bought with a view to completing a very specific trip in, a drive down to Le Mans last year. Paul is a big fan of big-engined convertibles, so when the opportunity came to purchase this lovely blue 450 SL, he snapped it up. The previous owner in Virginia had the car for many years, but as the car has come from an estate sale, sadly the history of the car was lost.

Having owned and imported a similar car, Paul knew what to look for and wasn’t disappointed when the car arrived. Since owning the car, Paul has spent some time detailing it and getting the car fully road legal and registered in the UK, ready for the new owner to drive away.

Vehicle Owner

saved £1,980* when they
sold their Mercedes with us.

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Exterior

Finished in a lovely shade of blue, with matching blue hubcaps and contrasting dark blue soft-top, the car is a real looker. There was a quick rain shower while we were photographing the car, so you’ll see some beads of water on some images.

Wheels and Tyres

14? wheels with colour coded hubcaps and Mastercraft Strategy tyres all around. The wheels and tyres look in great condition, take a look through the extensive photo gallery to see the detail.

Bodywork

Bodywork on this car is great, shut-lines and panel gaps as they should be. With the car coming from Virginia in America, corrosion on the car is not an issue like most examples you’ll see from the UK. There are some signs of surface rust in some nooks and crannies, but we didn’t observe any in the usual structural areas like sills. Watch the video review for the full picture.

Paint

The blue paint on the car is even in finish and colour across the body of the car. There are a few chips/nicks in the paintwork on some of the leading edges, areas like the bonnet and the rear of the doors. Watch the video review and review the images to see the details.

Glass and Trim

The and the trim on the car are good. When Paul bought the car it was fitted with the matching hard top, he was very pleased when upon removing the hard top, a really nice soft top was unearthed that is fully working. Take a look at the images of the soft top up to review its condition along with the other trim etc.

Interior

The SL is fitted with blue on blue interior. You can tell the car has been well cared for over the years, the seat coverings looking very nice.

Seats and Carpets

Both the seats and carpets are finished in blue. The seats present in good condition, with no significant wear on the bolsters etc, and the carpets in a lighters shade of blue look good (perhaps a deep clean to really make them shine). View the image gallery to see all the detail.

Dashboard

The gauges in the dash look in good condition, the dials and switchgear in a similar condition. The dash itself is wrapped in blue, there are a few nicks but nothing major, watch the video review.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

Fitted with a large Mercedes steering wheel as was common with this era of Mercedes-Benz, and a large automatic gear selector. Both look in line with the age of the car, view the image gallery for a close look.

Mechanics

Paul took us on a short drive around the local area, to put the car through its paces and show it in motion.

Engine and Gearbox

The big 4.5L V8 fired up on first request on the cold start, and importantly exhaust fumes at a minimum on start-up. This car is fitted with an automatic gearbox, and on our drive we didn’t observe any untoward gear changes. Watch the video to see the car in action.

Suspension and Brakes

On the short trip, the car performed beautifully. A very comfortable ride, and the suspension set-up looked in good order given the ease with which Paul was driving. No issues under braking either, view the video footage.

The Drive

Even with the hard top off, a very pleasant and cosseted experience in the cabin of this SL. We could hear the V8 burbling away up front, and no unwanted noises from the mechanical elements.

Electrics and Other

Paul tells us that all the electrics are in running and working order. The air conditioning doesn’t seem to be blowing particularly cool, and could be investigated on request.

History and Paperwork

Paul imported this car from America in May 2019, and has registered it ready for road use in the UK. The car was acquired from an estate sale, and so sadly the history was lost in this process.

Service History
Date Type Mileage
23.09.2019 Visit 103,131
Key Details
  • Model450 SL
  • TransmissionAutomatic
  • Reg. Date31.12.1972
  • CC4500 cc
  • Mileage103,131
  • HistoryLost
  • ColourBlue
  • Interior ColourBlue
  • Chassis #10704412005623
  • Engine #117982-120075756
  • Former Keepers0 in UK
  • LHD or RHDLHD (USA Import)
  • VisitedYes
  • Sale TypePrivate
  • OwnedMay 2019
  • Key FeatureColour







Vehicle Sold

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David
Guest
David

Hello Mr. Bridges
i wanted to ask if there are any non original parts in the car?

sincerely

David

Paul Bridges
Guest
Paul Bridges

Hi David
If you look at all the images you can see the car is amazingly original. The only parts I know it wasn’t built with are the removable over mats (original footwell carpets underneath) and the bright sill cover plates visible in the door shut. The soft top I am sure is only a year or 2 old but it’s been done to original spec.
Cheers
Paul

David
Guest
David

Hello Mr. Bridges
That’s amazing. Thank you for the quick answer.

cheers
David

Paul bridges
Guest
Paul bridges

Hi – I’m the owner / seller… by way of an update I have been driving the car following its mot, nearly 100 miles – it’s great fun and it’s going really well. It hot idles rock solidly in traffic at 700 rpm, doesn’t overheat and sounds superb. Performance from 4.5l is stunning, kickdown is fierce! Cold start is a credit to German engineering – instant – then again it’s fuel injected with electronic ignition – advanced for 1972.

Paul Bridges
Guest
Paul Bridges

Also all the cabin controls work nicely – gauges, smooth electric windows, interior lights and even the electric clock and the original Blaupunkt blue spot radio work.

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Vehicle Location

Leamington Spa

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