To Be OFFERED AT AUCTIONEstimate:
£120,000 - £140,000
- Delivered new to Japan
- Reportedly the 29th built between 1994 and 1998
- Azurite Blue Metallic over Grey leather
- Accompanied by manuals, tools, spare, and service
documentation
Please note that this lot will need to be collected in Chobham,
U.K.
At a time when the price of a standard Mercedes-Benz SL 600 was
just 5% less than a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, it is unsurprising
that the SL70 always was an extremely rare car; the engine upgrade
alone cost roughly the equivalent of € 50,000. Nevertheless, the
reward was staggering: a hand-built 7.1-liter AMG-tuned version of
the exquisite M120 V-12 engine, producing a supercar-slaying 489
hp.
As with all SL 70 examples, this Azurite Blue Metallic over grey
chassis began life as an SL 600 for the Japanese market and was
completed in January of 1996. Records paired to the affixed AMG
Japan commission plate indicates that the SL 70 conversion was
begun on February 13 and completed on May 20, 1996. Additionally,
accompanying documentation confirms that this rarified chassis also
received the 'E70 Power Pack'-which uses an engine management
computer borrowed from the contemporaneous S72 AMG to achieve a
conservatively-rated 510 horsepower.
Inside, a muted collection of grey tones and factory finishes are
enriched by the host of aesthetic upgrades furnished to this
chassis by AMG Japan. An extended suite of grain-matched wood
veneers adorn almost every interior surface-from the gauge bezels
to the steering wheel and center console--and is further
complimented by an additional treatment of leather for the upper
dashboard. A correct set of three-piece AMG wheels and the 'AMG by
Sebring' sports exhaust system provide the requisite stance, and
sound, to this appealing roadster.
After many years of residence in Japan, this SL 70 AMG was imported
into the UK in 2012, and acquired by the consignor in 2015. Since
purchase it has been driven just several hundred kilometers while
part of their collection. Accompanying documentation show that the
consignor has furnished this chassis with a bevy of OEM replacement
parts including spark plugs, brake master cylinder, head and sump
gaskets, among others. Fresh off a requisite 'B Service' and
complete fluid flush, this SL 70 is an exceedingly rare
offering.
Should you want more information on the condition of this lot and
or discuss the possibility of an in-situ inspection, please contact
our office at
+44 (0) 20 7851 7070 or email Britta Buchmann
at
[email protected]To
view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf20.