2001 Mercedes-Benz SL 320 Designo Edition (R129) |

Closed Auction- Unsold

2001 Mercedes-Benz SL 320 Designo Edition (R129)

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Mileage~90,989
TransmissionAutomatic
Engine3.2L
LocationLondon

AUCTION CLOSED

2001 Mercedes-Benz SL 320 Designo Edition (R129)

Introduction

Alan Stuart

Professional Consigner

The R129 SL has been taken to another level with the exclusive Designo Edition and a unique styling specification.

Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March of 1989, the Mercedes-Benz R129 platform was a direct replacement for the R107 of previous years and brought with it a number of changes including an electronically controlled damping system and a hidden, extending roll-over bar. From the model year of 1998 onwards the SL320 was given a revised facelift consisting of new wheel designs, body coloured bumpers and door handles, soft nappa leather interior, and the introduction of the 3.2L V6 engine in place of the straight six of previous model years. All of this came together to provide the vehicle with a much more modern exterior, luxurious interior, and of course the new V6 engine.

This example is a 1 owner from new car finished in "Designo Mystic Blue" with a black leather interior, maple inlays to the centre console and steering wheel as well as machined aluminium trim on the gear shifter and dashboard. It comes with the desirable panoramic glass hardtop, and has a decent service history completed by Mercedes Benz of Croydon and Spain courtesy of its overseas travels. It's been used an enjoyed by the owner over the past ~22 years, and has a keen reserve for a "Designo Edition" to take in to account the ~91,000 miles covered over the continent.

This listing was written from information supplied by Alan after meeting William 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

This car is something I've been really proud to own, and it has served me with trips and time abroad, the perfect car for it.

This car has been with William since new, ~22 years, "I've always wanted to own a Mercedes and when I saw the Designo come onto the market as a new special edition I knew it was the kind of car I wanted". The SL 320 Designo is undoubtably a very special car indeed with only a very limited amount of these models ever being produced, "I had the opportunity buying the car from new as the first owner to choose a car that had some unique features".

William has enjoyed the car and has covered ~91,000 in his ownership, taking the car with him to Spain when he lived abroad, and back to the UK again. "Im in the market for a new car as I don't get much of an opportunity to drive this one anymore". Should any questions be required, William will be happy to answer these in the sections below.

William

Vehicle Owner

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Exterior
Interior
Mechanics
History
All Images

EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Designed with style in mind and complete with matching hardtop, the R129 Designo Edition is a rare modern classic, limited edition car.

Wheels and Tyres

The car is fitted with its original split rim Mercedes-Benz 18” 6-spoke "Albireo" alloys that came with the Design Edition as standard. From afar these look ok, but the outer rims are suffering from curb damage to each corner and so really need to be refurbished to be in-keeping with the condition of the rest of the car.

The wheels are fitted with a set of Pirelli P-Zero tyres with a spec of 245/40 to the front and Accelera PHI-R tyres with a spec of 275/35 to the rear. The tyres do show with several signs of wear to the sidewall sections. Please take a look at the photos and videos for a detailed view of the exterior of this SL 320 and a closer look at the wheels and tyres.

Bodywork

The car stands straight and true, panel gaps and shut lines look good too. There are no major visible bumps or knocks to the bodywork. This car comes with its matching panoramic hardtop as pictured in the gallery sections, a very desirable addition to the Mercedes with a glass roof and retractable blind. These cars can suffer from corrosion particularly where the panels meet and wheel arches, on this car there's very little evidence of this, just some small signs under the paint on the front nearside section.

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 a lovely coat of "Designo Mystic Blue", the dark metallic paint is a stand out colour. The paint overall looks respectable but would benefit from a good level of detailing and polishing by the future owner to bring out the shine to the appearance. The paint is even in finish and coat on each panel although there were a few notes of scratching and marks to the paint particularly noted on the rear of the nearside quarter panel where the hard top has marked the exterior, and several scuff marks to the bodywork which we've highlighted in our exterior review video. There were marks noted to the nearside front bumper, bumper front and rear nearside wheel lip.

Again, we have taken high resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork for yourselves. The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these high resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The windscreen section and side windows all appear in good condition and we could see no sign of major scratching or chips on the main glass sections.

The optional soft top roof showed well without rips, tears or major marking. The overall finish was a little faded by the sun but showed well. Plastic window sections to the soft top did show with a few notes of discolouration but otherwise were intact in their condition. Looking at the interior section of the soft top roof showed no major signs of marking or problems. Window seals show well and presented no concerns when we looked over the exterior of the Mercedes.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

Stylish black leather embellished in a limited edition finish with maple walnut trim are some of the unique touches to this special edition.

Seats and Carpets

The SL 320 seats are finished in black perforated leather, the present in really good condition considering the miles the car has covered, just light creasing and wear mainly on the drivers seat. This car has the rear seats options too allowing for 4 to enjoy the ride. Looking over the carpet sections, these showed in a good way and the mat sections underneath showed well.

We've captured high-resolution photos and a full interior video tour through the car. This covers off the angles inside the car for you to review and appreciate the condition of what's on offer here in our interior review section.

Dashboard

The dials and gauges are well presented, all faces look clean and clear and show without fogging or major scratching. The machined aluminium backdrop looked really smart on the facing of the dashboard section and the centre console, a Designo Edition feature.

Looking over the rest of the cabin area showed a very stylish maple finish on the centre console and door cards, and turned aluminium surrounds on the gear selector and instrument cluster surrounds. Please take a look at the gallery images for a closer look at the interior sections.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The black 4 spoke Mercedes leather steering wheel is in good condition much like the seats, showing minimal signs of wear with no major colour loss. The addition of the maple effect inlay to the wheel edge is a lovely touch and adds a great sense of class to the drivers section.

Being an automatic, the drive selector showed nicely and was finished well with its dashboard matching machined aluminium look and feel. A great section of the car with nice styling touches.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

Generous amounts of power is delivered by the 3.2L V6 through a 5 speed, automatic gearbox, with ~221BHP on tap, the SL 320 doesn't hang around either.

Engine and Gearbox

Under the bonnet lies a naturally aspirated 3.2L V6, which develops ~221BHP sending all the power to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. We noted no issues on the start up of the car with the engine and exhaust running smoothly when we visited. The car drives well with its transmission working smoothly once out on the road.

We took the car on a short drive and it went through the motions without issue. Please watch the on the road video to see the detail and the car in action.

Suspension and Brakes

We take the car on a short drive out on some city roads to get a better sense of what the SL 320 is all about, we heard no knocking sounds or unwanted noises from the suspension when we were driving.

We observed no problems with the gearbox when we were out on the roads either and the brakes felt to have no pull or vibrations that stood out to us when on the journey and brought the car to a stop without a problem.

The Drive

Having the V6 engine, the vehicle sounds fantastic, and the automatic gearbox provides a real comfortable driving experience. Add in the included electronic soft top roof or the option of a hard top for when things get a little cooler, and you've got yourself a great all rounder that goes well and looks good.

Electrics and Other

These SL Edition cars came well spec'd from factory. Out on our drive the air con was tested and functioning well which made a difference in midday heat. The SL 320 is equipped with front headlight wiper blades although the offside wiper didn't appear to be working on our visit. A great addition is the removable hard top and the electronic soft top. Take a look over our mechanical review video to see its functionality.

Another great feature is the electrically adjustable front seats which add a nice level of driver and passenger comfort. The SL 320 has the added security benefit of having a tracker installed although this wasn't verified as working on our test drive. William let us know that he has had no issues with the other electrical elements on the car and to the best of his knowledge, everything else was working as it should do.

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History and Paperwork

With only around ~150 Designo Edition cars believed to be produced in RHD, it's safe to say that one of these is a bit of a rarity on the roads, and this one comes to sale from ~22 years ownership from the original owner.

The SL 320 Designo Edition is very unique car, especially on today's roads. The Mercedes has been used to travel overseas to Spain for several trips over its history and includes regular servicing at Mercedes of Spain as part of its mechanical history. A great note with the Designo is that William, the only owner registered to the car, has kept the original booklets, owners manual, servicing book and leather bound storage case which are included with the sale and also is complete with 2 sets of keys. Servicing has been carried out on the Mercedes in 2022, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005 and 2002.

The SL 320 comes with a valid MOT until June 2024 and has had its exhaust system upgraded at a cost of over £1,400 in June 2016 by Mercedes Benz of Croydon.

Should there be any questions required, William would be happy to answer these in the section below.

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 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. Please note, the car may be in daily use, so the mileage may increase from that shown here - you can request an update check with us after you register your interest.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
06.06.2023	MOT	90,917
08.06.2022	MOT + Service	90,121
10.06.2021	MOT	89,382
11.06.2020	MOT	88,990
23.04.2019	MOT	87,870
24.04.2018	MOT	86,341
13.06.2016	MOT	81,646
20.10.2011	Service	101,066km
22.01.2011	MOT	76,428
24.04.2009	Service	90,232km
16.12.2008	MOT	66,343
13.08.2008	Service	88,195km
14.12.2007	MOT	53,067
22.10.2007	Service	50,693
02.10.2007	Service	83,481km
01.11.2006	MOT	36,408
19.12.2005	MOT	28,812
2005	Service	23,150
12.11.2002	Service	12,232

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Key Details

ModelSL 320 Designo Edition (R129)
TransmissionAutomatic
Reg. Date08.01.2001
CC3,199
Mileage~90,989
HistoryGood
ColourDesigno Mystic Blue
Interior ColourBlack
Interior TrimLeather
Chassis #WDB1290642F200209
Engine #11294330881727
Last Service07.06.2022
MOTYes. Exp 10.06.2024
HPi ClearYes
Former Keepers0
Tyre BrandPirelli & Accelera
# of Keys2
LHD or RHDRHD
VisitedYes
Sale TypePrivate
OwnedFrom new, ~22 years, 5 months
Key FeatureDesigno Edition, with hardtop, keen reserve
Auction ID1443

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Vehicle Location

London

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Auction Closed

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This car didn't meet its reserve price and may soon be available as a private sale - please contact us for more information.

Ask Questions

Seller : Designo

Post a comment or ask the owner a question about the car.

Member

Leedo

Hi I’m bidding on your car,are there any issues at all that need addressing, also if I buy the car could you meet me at King’s Cross Station as I live in York
Regards David

Author

Designo

Hi good morning
There is nothing wrong with car everything is working as it should.
I am willing to pick you up at nearby train station that is if you win.
That would be Streatham hill.

Member

MIB

Good Afternoon,
I am Highest bidder now, are the any signs of water ingress inside the car, any small of damp on the carpets/ under carpets ?
regards

Author

Designo

Hi
There is no sign of any water damage
The car is dry

Author

Designo

No smell of anything

Member

mack

Hi dude, how much do you want for the car in cash? Or will you let the auction run it’s course.
Cheers Mack

Author

Designo

10k

Member

pauloversace

I’m looking to buy my elderly father a R129 that he’s always loved. May I ask a few questions. Is it possible to get a walk around video please

Author

Designo

Hi I don’t understand what pictures you want.
You have all the pictures you need.
Let me know what else you want

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London

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