Vehicle Description
Fantastic color combination. Well maintained. Two tops. 104,000
miles. Recent service, including A/C. Long-term ownership history.
Strong runner that's still an A-list celebrity.If you could afford
one of these when it was new, it meant you had well and truly
arrived, and that you cared about smart investing as much as making
a good first impression. This lovely Midnight Blue 560SL has been a
fair-weather toy since new and has been with the same owners since
the early 2000s. The handsome and unusual Midnight Blue paint is
the perfect color on a grand tourer such as this, and you probably
won't see many others in this particular shade. It has clearly led
an easy life, and at 34 years old it is still in fantastic
condition, indicative of a car that's never been hit or used in
inclement weather. Panel gaps are exemplary and the trim fits with
a precision that was typical of Mercedes-Benz quality of the era,
and the 'built like a bank vault' term was coined just for these
cars. The heavy chrome and rubber bumpers were an unfortunate
by-product of federal regulations, but they, too, add to the car's
appeal with their purposeful look, as if Mercedes didn't care about
appearance as much as function. There's also a handsome contrasting
pinstripe running the length of the body, just to tie it together
with the elegant dark red interior. The luscious burgundy leather
interior is incredibly inviting and looks upscale even in today's
world. The leather used in these cars is not only lovely to look
at, but wears like iron, and the bucket seats have a comfortable
look while still being supportive and firm. There's a bit of wear
and age, of course, which is probably inevitable in a convertible,
but thanks to proper care and attention over the years, it is still
quite appealing. Matching dark red carpets look unaffected by the
sun's rays or dirty shoes, and burled walnut trim warms up the
interior without detracting from the all-business controls. There's
a bit of fading on the carpets in the package shelf area behind the
seats, but most of it is hidden by the aftermarket stereo speaker
boxes, which have been neatly installed there. A modern Pioneer
AM/FM/CD stereo has been retrofitted in the dash and uses a
trunk-mounted CD changer to feed those speakers. There's also an
accessory wind blocker behind the seats that really makes it
pleasant to drive. The trunk is beautifully upholstered in plush
carpet that's nicer than the stuff found in the passenger
compartments of lesser automobiles and the original, unused Pirelli
spare and tool kit are included. This car also offers two tops, a
blue cloth top and a color-matched hardtop. The final evolution of
the 5.6 liter SOHC V8 was designed to run for hundreds of thousands
of miles with only routine maintenance, and with only 104,846
original miles, this one is still quite healthy. With a bubbly,
bouncy idle and seemingly limitless reserves of torque, it moves
the two-seat roadster effortlessly without the high-strung
theatrics of lesser machines. On the other hand, it also does a
compelling impersonation of a muscle car, because stomping the
throttle from stop will encourage a drop to first gear and a most
un-gentlemanly spinning of the rear tires. The engine bay shows
signs of conscientious maintenance, while the chassis is clean and
obviously rust-free thanks to a life spent in the warmth of summer
and never in snow or salt. A 4-speed automatic transmission swaps
gears unobtrusively, and the supple, all-independent suspension is
always willing to dance, but is equally comfortable on long
stretches of highway making this a fantastic high-speed tourer for
road trips. It even appears to still be carrying its original
exhaust system, which speaks highly of the climate in which it has
been used. Mercedes-Benz 'Gullidekel' alloy wheels are in excellent
condition and wear recent 205/65/15 radials.There are cheaper SLs
out there, but with these cars in particular, you always get what
you pay for and some claim that a cheap SL is the most expensive
car you can own. Renowned for their engineering, cars like this SL
are a reminder of when the gap between the ordinary and the
extraordinary was wide indeed. Call today!Harwood Motors always
recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any
vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
