Vehicle Description
*** NOT A 450SL *** 1976 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Euro Spec - Rare 4
Speed SL - Brought into the U.S. in 2002 - Recent German Automotive
Services tune up - All Books and Manuals (Please note: If you
happen to be viewing this 1976 Mercedes-Benz 280SL on a website
other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've
only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to
third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more
than 155 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around
video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.) Supercar
status twinned with old school Mercedes durability makes the R107
SL the thinking person's sports classic �€" Classic Motoring,
August 2011 Classic Motoring Magazine offered a similar take on
these classic Mercedes sportscars: When it comes to real-world
affordable cars, none are better engineered than a Seventies or
Eighties Mercedes. One of the best was the R107 SL, which was
produced at a time when build quality was all; engineers ruled
instead of bean counters. However, while everyone clamors for its
predecessor (the 'Pagoda-roofed' W113), the second-generation SL
offers everything the older car does �€" and much better value
besides. Although these cars were built up to a standard rather
than down to a price, you don't need the wealth of Bill Gates to
buy or run one. Indeed, many of the mechanical components are
surprisingly cheap as they're shared with contemporary (Mercedes
cars). Simple enough for home maintenance, there's also a raft of
specialists out there, ready to help you keep an SL in fine fettle
if you're not so handy with the spanners. Offered here is a 1976
Mercedes-Benz 280SL (R107 series) in silver over black. Adding to
the car's uniqueness, the transmission is a 4-speed manual rather
than the far more common (especially in the U.S.) automatic.
Currently showing 66,395 miles on its odometer, this proper
Euro-spec 280SL (note the Euro headlights) has traveled fewer than
1,500 miles per-year on average since new. The metallic silver
exterior paint demonstrates the high quality of Mercedes
paint-application in the mid-Seventies. The finish retains much of
its showroom-new appearance. (To best assess the quality of the
paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs
of the car in the accompanying gallery.) There is no damage to the
sheet metal panels; no dents, dings, or abrasions (lower-body metal
shows slight surface rust). In the same way, the chrome
elements-the bespoke front grille (with large 3-pointed star emblem
in the grille, a design the company has relatively recently
resurrected), window surrounds, and body-side trim-all display
excellent shine and an absence of noteworthy damage. The car's
black soft top is also in excellent condition, and a
black-vinyl-covered removable hardtop is in overall very good
condition (including the chrome top-trim details) with slight
deterioration inside at the base of the rear window. Cabin glass
and lighting lenses are clear (including the lower front driving
lights and adjacent amber turn-signals required for U.S.
importation). Factory 14-inch (bottle-cap style) alloy wheels with
3-pointed-star center emblems are mounted with General® Altimax RT
205/70 all-season radial tires. Inside, the condition and feel of
the cabin surfaces is excellent. Black door trim fits well and is
free of damage; door sills have been treated with care. The lack of
wear on the original MB-vinyl seat upholstery is amazing and fully
up to the material's legendary quality reputation. The
textured-vinyl surface and its vertically pleated design is a
Mercedes hallmark. Black carpeting covers the floors and
(removable) Pioneer® audio speaker boxes are mounted behind the
seats. The original 4-spoke, 3-point-star-emblem steering wheel
frames a very well-maintained black padded dashboard. The
instrument cluster includes a 160-mph speedometer,
6,500-rpm-redline tachometer, and a si
