Vehicle Description
Original California car. Clean CarFax. Higher mileage but
exceptional maintenance with receipts. Attractive color combination
with beautiful leather interior. Two tops included. The affordable
SL that still looks like a million bucks!In the '80s, if they
wanted to portray a TV character as extremely wealthy, they gave
them a Mercedes-Benz R107 SL to drive. It was the epitome of style,
comfort, and performance for the discerning owner. Today, all of
those attributes remain true, although cars like this 1985
Mercedes-Benz 380SL are now extraordinarily affordable. You still
look like a millionaire, you still get the best-driving 2-seater of
the period, but now it costs about the same as a 5-year-old
Hyundai. We'd call that a screaming bargain. This handsome SL hails
from California, and it's true what they say about west coast cars:
they really are better. It came to Ohio to be a fair-weather toy so
it has never suffered winter salt or slush meaning that it's
completely solid throughout. That's original paint, so you know
there are no surprises hiding underneath, and the quality of
Mercedes' workmanship is evident in the high-gloss finish that
still looks awesome 40 years later. There's a hint of beige in the
gray paint, giving it a warmer, more appealing look than basic
silver, and with the accessory chrome fender flares, it looks crisp
and well-tailored. The factory chrome and stainless trim is
excellent and the rubber trim has not degraded, another testament
to proper care over the years. The gray leather interior remains in
very good condition with only minor signs of use. Again, this is
due to the extremely high quality of Mercedes materials and the
care it received. The driver's seat is comfortable?not perfect, but
still quite good. The carpets are protected by matching gray mats
so they remain in excellent shape and the dash pad isn't cracked or
faded. The massive steering wheel makes you feel like you're at the
helm of something important, and the big, round gauges are fully
operational and easy to read. There's some minor cracking and
delamination on the veneers on the center console, but otherwise
the wood is in good condition, too. Everything works, including the
A/C and the original Becker Grand Prix AM/FM/cassette stereo. That
cell phone holder is a remnant of the 1980s that's actually kind of
cool, and the package shelf behind the seats looks unused. The
additional speakers were installed years ago, but are cleverly
attached so that you can still operate the convertible top release
handle. We believe that's the original black canvas convertible
top, which remains in surprisingly good condition with a clear rear
window and no rips or tears?nice! There's also a color-matched
hardtop that turns the 2-seat roadster into a tight, quiet closed
car for late fall drives. There's also a decent trunk that's
upholstered in the same high-quality carpet and a full-sized spare
tire assembly still lives underneath. The '380' part of 380SL
refers to the 3.8 liter SOHC V8 living under the hood. As reliable
and rugged as anything wearing the three-pointed star, it delivers
the kind of effortless performance that buyers of the SL would
expect. No, it's not going to win any drag races, but it's torquey
and energetic and feels expensive in everything it does. There are
many signs of proper maintenance, including a recent tune-up, and
it does indeed run beautifully. Thanks to fuel injection, it always
starts quickly and easily, idles nicely, and just goes about its
business like a competent servant should. Prod it a bit and it's
happy to rev, although this is not a sports car. It's all about
grand touring with comfort and ease. The 3-speed automatic
transmission is smooth and serves up downshifts as needed, and with
2.65 gears in back, it's a peerless highway cruiser bred for the
Autobahn. The suspension is supple yet confident, so it doesn't
mind hustling a bit, and there's a disc brake at all four corners.
You'll also note a recent exhaust system, super clean floors, newer
fuel pumps, and fresh 205/70/14 radials on polished factory alloys.
Documentation includes the original books and manuals, owner card,
as well as some recent service receipts.If you haven't experienced
that perfect blend of sport, luxury, and quality that is an R107
SL, then perhaps this is your opportunity. This is a
well-maintained example (these cars routinely run to 500,000 miles
with proper care) that just works like it should. Add in the
beautiful colors, the California heritage, and nice documentation,
and you get a great all-around hobby car that costs far less than
something like this should. Call today!Harwood Motors always
recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any
vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
