1984 MERCEDES-BENZ 500SL R107
ENGINE 4973cc/V8/OHC POWER 228hp@4750rpm TORQUE 299lb ft@3000rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 137mph 0-60MPH 7.7sec FUEL CONSUMPTION 18-27mpg TRANSMISSION RWD, four-speed automatic MoT March 2019 ODOMETER 64,718 miles WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
We found no discernible clunking or signs of wear, the car feeling tight over bumps and through the corners. The engine pulls well too. Once the kickdown engages, the engine is eager to roar to life, with a pleasing sound and impressive acceleration. Fantastically strong brakes make this all the more enjoyable, too. We did note a tendency to steer to the left however, suggesting wheel misalignment. Otherwise, we couldn’t fault this car.
BODYWORK CHECK
This SL benefitted from a new hood in May 2015, and it still looks new from the outside. Sadly, there are a few patches of discolouration on the underside. There are no problems lowering or raising the roof either, though we did notice a damp driver’s seatbelt when first entering the car. The bodywork is in remarkably good condition, seeming entirely free of corrosion. There are a couple of tiny marks, like a chip on the passenger door, but for all but concours purposes the bodywork is on point. The rear badge is corroded, however.
HOW’S THE INTERIOR?
Oddly, the steering wheel has been overtrimmed in dark blue leather to match the seats, not something we’ve seen before on an R107 and definitely a modification. It’s done fairly well and with decent leather, but it won’t be to everyone’s tastes. The dash-top has cracked in a number of places due to sun damage, but the upright portion of the wooden dashboard, as well as the instruments, are in good condition. The wood insert that forms the upward facing part of the centre console is peeling and would ideally be replaced, as would the carpet insert here too. Otherwise, the MB-Tex seats are passable, with just minor cracking to the non-perforated sections of the upholstery and a small amount of discolouration on the driver’s door-side bolster.
UNDER THE BONNET
There’s small amounts of surface corrosion dotted around in the engine bay, but overall, this looks a tidy, wellmaintained engine bay. There’s no sign of any leaks. While there’s lots of recent receipts for work on this car, our main concern would be the lack of use this car has had, covering only about 1000 miles in the past five years. As such, we’d expect a minor issue or two to crop up once the car is pressed into more regular service. When starting the engine up from cold, we did find the idle to be hunting, but this levelled out once the car was warm.
THE CCW VIEW
This car has clearly lead a pampered life up until now. It’s only the extremely low mileage part of its recent ownership that is cause for concern. Otherwise, A set of new seat covers and a few new interior trim pieces would make this car a perfect ‘driver’.