1999 Mercedes-Benz SL320 (R129) |

Sold

1999 Mercedes-Benz SL320 (R129)

Sold Price

£6,255

Mileage~116,000
TransmissionAutomatic
Engine3.2L
LocationLeicester

SOLD

1999 Mercedes-Benz SL320 (R129)

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Andrew Taylor

Professional Consignor

The iconic SL was emphatically and dramatically brought up to date in 1989 with the bold Bruno Sacco designed and technologically advanced R129.

The legendary design guru Bruno Sacco, came to Mercedes-Benz to find no formal styling or design guidelines in place. Within a year he had decided to adopt the ethos of company founder, Gottlieb Daimler, of "Nothing but the best". That approach is certainly in evidence in the R129. The innovation, engineering quality and style represented by the R129 are considered by many to be the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz's famous car-building prowess.

To emphatically address the by now somewhat old-fashioned image of the R129's predecessor, the R107, the car was awash with technological innovations. These included electro-hydraulic fabric roof with automatic tonneau cover, advanced multi-link rear suspension combined with electronically controlled damping and a host of up to date safety features.

This example is coming to market from ~14 years of ownership. Finished in the Mercedes-Benz colour of "Green Black Metallic" with Saffron leather interior, the car belies its ~116,000 mileage, a solid example ready for the spring.

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

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Vehicle Delivery

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

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

If this wasn't a really great car providing comfort and enjoyment in all conditions, I wouldn't have kept it for fourteen years!

Lee is a self-confessed petrol-head and serial Mercedes-Benz owner. He knows his cars and very few of the many cars he has owned have been with him as long as this one. According to Lee, it speaks volumes about the "car for all seasons" nature of the SL. In his eyes it is practical, fun, reliable and can easily excel as a driver's only car.

It is mainly down to the number of other cars that Lee has that means a number of them aren't getting the use they once did. Given that, he is now keen to find a new owner for the SL and is confident it will go on to serve someone else as well as it has him. He'll be happy to answer any questions you have on the car in the comments section below.

Lee

Vehicle Owner

Lee saved £1,080* when they
sold their Mercedes with us.

SELLING MADE EASY

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

The blue (technically dark green) over beige colourway seems to particularly suit an SL of this era, it makes for an eye-catching example.

Wheels and Tyres

The gunmetal coloured, five-spoke 17 inch alloys are believed to an item from the SL option list of the time. They present in good, original condition overall. There are some minor areas of issue to the lacquer/corrosion on the centres and valve seats on close inspection. These represent quite minor imperfections however, and are an easy fix if the new owner sees fit.

The wheels are shod with 245/45 ZR17 Falken Ziex ZE912 tyres which all appear to have good levels of tread remaining. View the photo gallery to see the detail.

Bodywork

The bodywork of the SL appears to be in very straight and true condition with no dents or dings being in evidence.

SL's of this era were very robustly engineered and this one is no exception. The doors still shut with a satisfying "clunk" and the panel gaps appear tight and symmetrical throughout.

Paint

Overall the paintwork appears to be in good original condition given the age and mileage of the car. The car looks a dark blue in most lights, but it is actually the Mercedes-Benz colour of "Green Black Metallic" (code 189U). Catch it in the right light, and then you can see the dark green coming through.

As you will see from our photographic package, however, there are a couple of areas of note. There are a number of small stone chips to the nose of the SL. Also the lacquer on the bonnet appears to have deteriorated and these may be two areas a new owner may wish to address if they deem it necessary.

Glass and Trim

All the glass appears to be original to the car and in good overall condition. No areas of delamination, fogging or discolouration were noted. The frame-less windows drop as expected upon opening the doors.

No areas of concern were noted with the rubbers and trims, condition in line with the age and mileage of the car.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

Armchair like leather seats, deep wool carpets and high quality fixtures are the signature features of this quality interior.

Seats and Carpets

The beige leather seats, Mercedes-Benz colour 234A of Saffron, are in good original condition overall. The offside bolster of the driver's seat has worn through as detailed in our photographic package, a typical issue on SL's of this era. All other aspects of the seats are very good and they remain very comfortable and accommodating.

The beige carpets appear to be in good original condition also and have seemingly benefited from protection by a heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz carpet mat set.

Dashboard

The clearly presented dash is dominated by an instrument binnacle containing a range of clear instruments and dials. The contrasting dark brown vinyl and leather works very well with the lighter beige of the rest of the interior.

During our short drive, all instruments, dials and controls appeared to work as expected.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The four spoke steering wheel appears to be in almost pristine condition. the gear selector is topped with a brown leather knob which is in equally good condition.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The refined yet responsive V6 M112 power-plant, mated the the sought after five speed 5G-Tronic gearbox is considered "the one to have" by those in the know.

Engine and Gearbox

The car starts promptly and without any unexpected smoke and the pulls strongly with the gears seeming to blur imperceptibly into each other.

Please see our on the road video to get a sense of the smooth and refined progress available from this car.

Suspension and Brakes

The hard-top affixed to this convertible gives the structure an unmatched degree of strength and rigidity. This is to the benefit of the advanced suspension which has an unusually, for a convertible, solid platform from which to operate. As a result, the suspension whilst firm, is very compliant and free from any crashes and bangs.

The brakes bring the car to a stop in a controlled manor without deviating from the straight ahead.

The Drive

This really is a car for all seasons. With the well insulated hard top electronically locked down in place, you essentially have a traditional steel topped coupe. The benefits of this include a very rigid structure and almost a complete lack of unwanted wind noise.

Leave the hard top behind and you have a fully electric and well-lined soft-top at your disposal. With the hood deploying in a few seconds at the push of a button you should never get caught out by the UK's changeable and unpredictable weather.

Electrics and Other

There are a host of electric systems on this SL, all successfully conceived to enhance your driving experience. They all appeared to work as you would expect from a well maintained Mercedes-Benz.

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History and Paperwork

A stamped Mercedes-Benz service book and ~14 year current ownership, this is a well priced solid example coming to market ready for use in the spring.

The paperwork archive for this SL is limited to the original, and extensive, book pack and the current V5. The book pack includes the original service pack covering the early years of the car up to its last documented service at around 90,000 miles. This is a solid example coming to market, in very good condition considering the ~116,000 miles covered in its life.

The current MOT expires in March 2022 but Lee, the owner, will be selling the car with a full year's MOT in place.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned an 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 hi-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
04.03.21	MOT	116,167
04.07.19	MOT	114,901
18.01.18	MOT	113,853
30.01.17	MOT	112,548
05.01.16	MOT	110,675
26.11.14	MOT	109,660
29.10.13	MOT	107,658
09.06.12	MOT	104,298
17.06.11	MOT	99,815
28.05.10	MOT	90,286
28.05.10	Service	90,286
15.05.09	MOT	79,824
14.05.08	MOT	66,588
12.05.08	Service	66,589
09.10.07	MOT	65,026
10.01.07	Service	60,173
17.10.06	MOT	59,161
19.10.05	MOT	53,292
07.10.05	Service	53,024
31.08.04	Service	46,705
06.05.03	Service	39,191
07.12.02	Service	31,282
04.12.01	Service	20,318
23.12.99	Service	9,940