Vehicle Description
1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SL Roadster
"The legendary SL roadster has earned its unique niche in the
motoring world by blending two rich automotive themes: the lure of
a lithe and eager top down sporting machine and the reassurance of
a strong, secure, supremely livable Mercedes-Benz.". This bit of
lofty prose is from the sales brochure for the 1986 560SL and is
about as good a well crafted elevator speech on a car we've ever
seen. They were proud of the car they were marketing, and for good
reason.
For consignment, a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SL roadster, a two top car
in Black Metallic paint that will come with service records. Our
consignor has owned it 17 years and has kept up with maintenance
and most repairs.
Exterior
Black Metallic is aptly named as it shimmers like a wet raven in
the sunlight. This is a body style that remained virtually
unchanged from 1972 to 1989 and we know why. It's well balanced,
sleek, and practical without losing sportiness. Our example's
chrome bumpers and trim are in very good shape including the chrome
side mirrors, door handle plates, and ribbons that run along the
hardtop. The 15-inch wheels could use a deep detail and flank a
distinctive ribbed rocker panel. The removable hardtop is in
fantastic condition, also in Black Metallic, and the canvas roof is
slightly faded but in good overall shape, the plastic just starting
to show slight haze. There's no mistaking the distinct twin
headlight with winged marker lights to the side that flanks a
center Benz star, and the 3 colored horizontal tail lights, a
version of which appeared on every Benz model in this era. Other
than a touched up door edge chip, we couldn't find any exterior
flaws on this pampered ride.
Interior
Simple black door panels welcome occupants and are composed of
leather and MB-Tex, a vinyl-based material that was manufactured to
closely resemble leather but without the high price. Black leather
bucket seats with good side bolstering and headrests are amazingly
comfortable. Robust hardware accompanies the seats in polished
metal. We note slight wear on the entry contact point of the
driver's seat, but we've seen worse. The rear shelf is carpeted in
charcoal and provides plenty of cargo space. The airbag equipped
steering wheel is appropriately sporty and has just a bit of patina
while the gauges are black faced and easy to read with white or
bright numbering. In true European fashion, idiot lights have
graphics on their face before they light up. Burl wood applique
backs the center stack where a Sony AM/FM/CD radio resides, and our
consignor states the original Becker radio will come with the car.
A dash crack between the vent and temperature gauge was noted. Wood
applique continues on the center console and shows the start of
glaze cracking, typical for this vintage. The stout shifter lives
in front of the window switches on this panel which spills to a
velvet lined change bin. Plush low pile gray carpet covers the
floor, protected by Mercedes branded carpeted mats which have
absorbed the wear. The trunk is lined in plush gray carpet and is
very nice.
Drivetrain
A 5.6 liter SOHC V8 is under the long low hood and is rated at 227
horsepower. It is fuel injected and moves via a 4-speed automatic
transmission sending power to the rear axle and 2.47 gears.
Mercedes doesn't mess around, so power disc brakes are found on all
four corners! Within the last 10,000 miles, the brakes, lines, and
master cylinder have been replaced. Gazing into the engine bay, we
find a relatively clean engine, driver quality, with accessories in
the typical crowded layout.
Undercarriage
Driver quality conditions prevail underneath where there's an
efficient use of space and lots of flat belly surfaces. The single
exhaust runs through a uniquely flat, wide, and shielded portion,
then splits into two pipes before entering a stock style muffler
and finally exiting discreetly under the rear bumper. There's a
little bit of residual oil on the rear diff, drips on the flywheel
cover, and residual oil on the oil and transmission pans. This was
known to the consignor who states it does not lose a lot of oil.
Meanwhile, coil springs occupy the independent suspension on the
front and back of the car. Newer shocks are on the car.
Drive-Ability
The solid thud of the door closing is a primer for the anticipation
of a great driving experience. This black diamond fired up and
rolled onto the test loop surefooted and stable. We forget how
powerful they are but are reminded each time we get behind the
wheel. There's plenty of horses on tap and the low center of
gravity provides for a sportscar like drive. Except for the
interior clock, all functions operate properly. While Classic Auto
Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of
our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working
at the time of your purchase.
The SL's combine comfort, good power, and luxury in a maneuverable
car that's not too big and not too small. Goldilocks might say,
"this one is just right!". Well don't get caught sleeping because
this one might not last long. It's a beautiful example of a long
lasting and somewhat legendary German design.
WDBBA48D6GA038632
W-Germany
D-Mercedes Benz
B-Passenger Car
B-SL Class
A-Roadster
48-560SL
D-Manual Belts, Driver's Airbag
6-Check Digit
G-1987
A-Sindelfingen Assy Plant
038632-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
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