1983 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (R107) |

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1983 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (R107)

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

Sold Price

£12,720

Mileage~129,000
TransmissionAutomatic
Engine2.8L
LocationCardiff

SOLD

1983 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (R107)

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Jacob Boodrie

Professional Consigner

The R107 with its reliable mechanics, elegant styling and classic colours - it never fails to turn heads wherever it ventures.

Mercedes-Benz have produced the SL range since 1954, with the R107 being the third generation first introduced in 1971. World-renowned performance, styling, and reliability made the R107 one of Mercedes best selling models at the time, shipping over 50,000 units. The 2.8L engine is mated to a four-speed auto, enclosed in a two-door monocoque shell with independent suspension, coil springs and anti-roll bars at the front and rear. The steering was power-assisted featuring the Daimler-Benz re-circulating ball system.

This example comes to market from ~7 years of ownership, recently underwent work and received a vehicle health check from the SL SHOP in May. It has seen new front wings, repairs to panels, new jacking points, chrome fitting kits, window and hard top seals, moulding trim grommets, a front grill, window seals, blower motor, and a rear bench with a 3-point seatbelt set. The 280 SL comes with a current MOT until 23.08.2024.

This listing was written from information supplied by Jacob after meeting Lesley 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

The 280SL has been such a pleasure to drive, it's time for a new owner to enjoy.

Lesley purchased this car back in 2016 for fun! At the time of purchase, she was caring for her father, and he thoroughly enjoyed being driven out for the day in this R107. The car was used every week for weekend driving. Lesley is now moving, and, without space to store the car and with a lack of use in recent years, she has decided to part with it.

The car has recently had a refurbished radiator, alternator, and throttle link fitted. During COVID a lot of work was carried out to the bodywork; photos of which can be seen in the paperwork section, and it was resprayed in its original "Blue Green Metallic" colour. Lesley will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the car in the comments below.

Lesley

Vehicle Owner

Lesley saved £2,160* when they
sold their Mercedes with us.

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We'll market it to our 62K buyers & online.
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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Hollywood styling, simple and straight body lines, the R107 SL is an iconic model in Mercedes-Benz history.

Wheels and Tyres

The wheels (known commonly as Mexican Hat style) finished in silver, and appear well cared for, with no sign of any obvious damage from our observation, and with the slightest signs of wear and peeling around the centre caps.

The wheels are fitted with Kumho Ecowing tyres, and these also appear to be in good condition, dated 2015/2018 with a good amount of tread remaining and no visible cracking or signs of aging on the sidewalls.

Bodywork

The bodywork of this 280 SL appeared to be in great condition, a lot of work was carried out in 2020 to refurbish each panel, photos of which can be found in the history section below. During our visit, we didn't spot any obvious dings down the flanks of the car, shut lines looked tight all around the car too, and no obvious signs of corrosion either.

We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our hi-resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view at what’s on offer and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Finished in this iconic "Blue Green Metallic" colour (code 877). The paint is finished to a lovely standard, with even coverage and colour across each panel. The car was resprayed in its original colour around 3 years ago.

Once again, we have taken high-resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork for yourselves.

Glass and Trim

The glass on this car looks great and is in line with the mileage and ownership. During our visit, we didn't notice any chips, cracks, or discoloration. The window seals also look good and are consistent with the overall condition of the car.

The chrome bumpers were recently replaced and all look to be in good condition. However, we did notice a small area of pitting on the right-hand side. The colour matching hard top and hard top stand are included with the sale of the car. We weren't able to remove the hard top on the day due to the weight, Lesley informs us the soft-top roof is in good condition.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

Cream leather interior, with the recent addition of rear seats to carry additional passengers, makes this 280SL very attractive.

Seats and Carpets

The seats have held their shape very well over the years, as you would expect for cherished and careful ownership. There are only slight signs of age on the seats in terms of the expected creasing that comes with age.

A similar story is told with the leather door cards and cream carpets. A new rear seat bench with 3-point seat belts has recently been installed. The colour match isn't exact, but it offers a lot more practicality in this car. Please take a look at the extensive media for a detailed view of the cabin.

Dashboard

The dashboard is covered in a black vinyl finish and presents three black gauges in front of the driver.

The speedometer was replaced at ~72,018 on 28.04.1993. During our visit, the new speedo showed a reading of ~57,527 on the clock, resulting in the mileage being ~129,500.

The dashboard in this 280 shows no signs of any major damage or scuffs, with no warning lights displayed.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

A classic four-spoke original Mercedes wheel is fitted, with a leather grip. The original steering wheel presents in great condition in line with the mileage of this car, and the black gear selector looks good too. Take a look at the image gallery to see the detail.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

With solid engineering and ample power for the chassis, the 2.8L can keep up with modern traffic without issue.

Engine and Gearbox

The 2.8L engine from Mercedes is known for its reliability. On the day of our visit, we started the car from cold, and it performed well on the road— the engine pulled nicely, idled smoothly, and ran without issue.

Lesley reports that the car starts from cold with no issues and drives well, with its smooth automatic gearbox powering the rear wheels. Take a look at the mechanical video to see the car starting from cold, driving around, and for a closer look at the smart engine bay and underneath the SL 280.

Suspension and Brakes

The front suspension utilises double wishbones, while the rear features a diagonal swing axle. The braking system is power-assisted with disc brakes.

On our short drive in the car, it felt just as you'd expect for a Mercedes from this era, coming to a stop without a fuss too.

The Drive

The ideal car for longer journeys, the SL is also agile and able to deal with modern driving conditions with no problems. Please view the 'on the road' video to see it being driven by Lesley. We didn’t notice any unusual noises coming from the engine or suspension whilst on the road with Lesley.

Electrics and Other

We didn’t test all the electrics during our visit, but Lesley reports that, to her knowledge, all of the electrics are functional and operational, in line with the rest of the condition of the car. The car has a more modern Blaupunkt stereo unit fitted.

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History and Paperwork

A well presented example of the R107, finished in Blue Green Metallic, comes to market from ~7 years of ownership and having undergone over 28 services over its life, a very attractive example.

Coming from ~7 years of ownership with the current owner, Lesley, this 280SL is a well-presented example of a timeless German classic. Recent work on the R107 includes; a refurbished radiator, alternator, and throttle link being fitted. With mileage traceable through a number of old MOTs, the odometer currently reads ~57,500 miles, with the total believed to be ~129,550 due to what appears to have been a clock change in ~1993. It comes to market with its matching hard top and recent bodywork and mechanical refurbishment in the current ownership, it has a current MOT valid until 23.08.2024 too. The car has not been serviced since 2020, this is due to the little mileage the car has done since, but Lesley's mechanic has given it a quick check.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in high resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
24.08.2023	MOT	57,214
28.09.2022	MOT	56,429
29.09.2021	Fuel Link Pipe	-
24.09.2021	MOT	56,255
30.03.2020	Service	-
12.02.2020	MOT	55,826
16.01.2019	MOT	55,522
19.07.2018	Rear Brakes	49,485
17.01.2018	MOT & Exhaust	44,425
04.05.2017	Service	40,721
27.01.2017	MOT	39,177
11.05.2016	Service	34,900
22.12.2015	MOT	33,861
12.01.2015	MOT	30,418
10.01.2015	Service	30,418
27.12.2013	MOT	28,113
27.12.2013	Service	28,113
18.01.2013	Service (SL Shop)	24,345
08.01.2013	MOT	24,333
01.08.2012	MOT	24,034
01.08.2012	Service	24,034
09.08.2011	MOT	23,433
04.08.2010	MOT	22,723
04.08.2010	Service	22,723
27.07.2009	MOT	22,379
29.07.2008	MOT	21,922
25.07.2007	MOT	21,619
07.08.2006	Service	20,318
04.08.2006	Service	19,664
04.08.2005	MOT	19,664
04.08.2004	MOT	19,129
04.08.2004	Service	19,129
06.08.2003	MOT	18,654
03.04.2003	Service	18,439
06.08.2002	MOT	17,641
08.08.2001	MOT	17,013
06.08.2001	Service (MD)	17,013
28.06.2000	MOT	16,692
27.06.2000	Service	16,691
25.05.2000	Alternator
02.07.1999	MOT	15,968
17.07.1998	Service (MD)	15,507
06.07.1998	MOT	15,481
24.09.1996	MOT	14,409
22.11.1995	Service (MD)	14,679
05.01.1995	Service	11,738
13.10.1994	Service (MD)	2,588
28.04.1993	Service (MD) + Speedo Change	72,018
19.11.1991	Service (MD)	67,732
19.03.1991	Service (MD)	61,860
05.04.1990	Service	54,780
05.03.1989	Service	46,333
01.01.1988	Service	41,438
16.09.1987	Service	32,657
18.05.1986	Service (MD)	17,980
23.04.1985	Service (MD)	10,790
27.06.1984	Service (MD)	5,944
06.07.1983	Service (MD)	1,215