Mercedes Benz SL500 - R129
1997 SL500 Cabriolet fitted with a 5-litre Quad Cam 119 V8 engine. This particular car is in immaculate condition, having had four very careful owners, the last for 8 years, and has one of the best engines Mercedes Benz has ever made. The 500 SL R129 was at its best for the years 1996, 1997 and 1998, as these were the only years to have both the quad-cam V8 engine and a 5-speed transmission. They are the best SL500s ever made and are real Mercedes cars in their best tradition of quality manufacturing.
Although not an SL500, take a look at this video of an SL600, the V12 version of our SL500.
Exterior
Recently detailed, the exterior is in superb condition. The wheels are unmarked and have top quality Michelin tyres all with plenty of tread. Finished in Aquamarine Blue metallic, available only for 1997, the paint is flawless with no swirl marks, the bonnet does have some light stone chips - typical for a car of 18 years young! For originality we have left the bonnet as is, for an additional charge we can arrange for the bonnet area to be tidied prior to delivery.
Exceptionally rare and at quite an additional cost when new, this car is complete with a panoramic roof hardtop and also comes with a genuine Mercedes Benz hard top stand, the dark blue fabric roof is also in fantastic condition. The factory fitted wind defector also comes with this car.
The previous owner never drove this car in the rain and stored it in a dry garage with a fitted fabric cover (which also comes with the car), and this is reflected in the overall condition. The underside of the car is almost as new with no oil leaks or corrosion.
Interior
The interior is of equal quality to the exterior, with a tasteful carpets and leather upholstery in mushroom beige, complemented by a chocolate brown dash top and steering wheel. All the wooden veneers are great condition, with no scratches or delamination, this all provides a tasteful and complimentary look with the Aquamarine Blue paintwork., and stands out from the black or beige interiors normally available.
Options
Listed options for this car include: electrically adjustable and heated passenger and drivers seats, electronic stability control and dynamic handling control system, Becker Europa Cassette and FM radio with 6 disc CD player - boot mounted.
This unusual SL500 has a fastidious service history with receipts for everything, going back to when the car was new. It has been maintained to a very high standard with all stamps present and correct from main dealer and specialist service providers. Prestige Car Service has maintained the car for the last few years and have recently given it a clean bill of health.
Not only is this car in impeccable condition it also drives like an SL500 should; Perfect ride, fluid gear change, responsive steering and a lovely powerful, yet smooth engine. The perfect car for summer or winter and with the values of the previous model (R109) running up to around £40,000 for the best, this model is bound to have future classic status, with prices to match. Jump in while they are still affordable!
This SL500 was serviced in April of this year and the MOT runs until May 14th 2016.
Viewing by appointment and we welcome any inspections and test-drive requests from serious buyers.
For a detailed history of the SL500 R129, please visit this very informative website: http://www.kenrockwell.com/sl/r129history.htm