Lot Ended
Description
1996 Mercedes-Benz SL280
No
Reserve
Only 50,700 miles from new; recent SL Shop report; a
lovely car let down only by lacquer peeling issues
Come on, admit it, who hasn’t secretly lusted after one of
these glamorous roadsters ever since they were launched back in
1989?
Beautifully built and just exuding class, they were strictly for
the rich and famous when new but have now dropped to a temptingly affordable
price. A wide range of engines were available from a mighty 6-litre V12 to the
creamy smooth 2.8-litre straight-six you see here. All had a removable hard top
and an electrically operated hood. With 204bhp on tap, the SL280 could sprint to
60mph in around 9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 141mph with up to 33mpg
economy.
First registered in March 1996, this SL280 benefits from
the upgrades that were made to the model following the 1995 facelift and has
some nice options including heated electric seats. It has had six owners to
date, the fifth of whom owned it for 17 years (2003 – 2019). It is showing only
50,700 miles on the clock which is said to be correct and is partially backed up
by 13 old MOTs back to 2003.
The original service book is not present but
there is a duplicate service book with one stamp at 41,036 miles in August 2006
and there are a few invoices for subsequent upkeep including a new alternator in
August 2016 and a new door central locking vacuum pump in 2020 plus new plastic
windows in the soft top. An owner’s handbook is present as are two sets of
keys.
In February last year the car went to the SL Shop near Stratford
for a thorough check-over, the detailed report on file basically giving it a
clean bill of health but mentioning a few things to keep an eye on (power
steering fluid dark; squeaky fan belt; bonnet insulation missing; front brake
discs 20% life remaining, rears 40% etc). Since then the car has received fresh
oil and filters in the engine and gearbox, fresh power steering fluid and
a new fuel pump.
The car is said to drive as you would expect for
such a low mileage car with an MOT until November 2021 and a good electric soft
top that operates as it should. All that really lets the side down is the
peeling lacquer coat on the red paintwork which affects various panels on the
car, as can be seen in the photos. A full respray would transform it into a real
beauty but it still looks smart enough from a few feet away and you wouldn’t be
embarrassed to run around in it as it is.
For more information
contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com
* All charges are subject to VAT