Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL.
I’ve said this over and over again, but I will repeat myself. If you are looking for a 1970s-80s European convertible to drive and enjoy with the potential of no hassles, you should look no further than the R107 Mercedes cars that were built between 1973 and 1989.
These cars, of which this AutoHunter Spotlight is one, offered build quality of such a high order that we have honestly never seen anything like them since. Sure the early W113 Pagoda SLs, and the later R129 SLs, were well made, but I truly feel that the R107 SL is the very best car Mercedes has ever built.
The 1987 560SL we have here is the last model of the R107 Roadster that Mercedes built. Mercedes sold lots of these cars in the U.S., and the only complaint people had about them was that they wished the cars were faster. Mercedes answered that in 1986 by increasing the engine size of the V8 to 5.5 liters. This change made the SL not only well built but fast for the era. Instead of 0-60 times of 10 seconds with the old 380SL, this new car did it in seconds flat. This is what makes the 560SL the most desirable of the entire R107 SL series of cars.
The car is said to have had only two owners from new and has covered a total of only 52,000 miles. The car is finished in Dark Blue paint over a black leather interior, and the exterior of the car looks to be in excellent condition. This comes as no surprise that the seller states this 560SL has received approximately $40,000 in exterior, interior, engine, transmission, suspension, and braking system updates since 2014.
The interior of the car looks stellar, and that’s likely due to not only the mileage but also because the black leather upholstery, woodgrain trim, carpeting, and gauges are all new. Standard features include power windows and locks, power steering, a driver-side airbag, cruise control, a center console-mounted automatic transmission shifter, a seller-added Kenwood AM/FM/CD/Bluetooth stereo with a remote, and air conditioning, which the selling dealer states was overhauled.
Under the hood is the car’s original fuel-injected 5.5-liter V8 backed by a four-speed automatic transmission. The selling dealer states the top end of the engine was rebuilt less than 500 miles ago. In addition a front-end alignment has been performed, the suspension bushings and shocker were replaced, and the transmission, steering box, and brakes have been serviced. This sounds like a well sorted example.
The car includes a CARFAX report that starts in March 1987 when the car was new and shows an accident-free history with ownership in Illinois, Florida, and California. The car includes its removable hardtop, service records, and the original radio as part of the sale.
These cars truly represent the best that Mercedes can deliver and are stylish, fun to drive, comfortable, and truly classic roadsters. I have owned two over the years and they are simply wonderful cars to own and drive, delivering style and quality better than any other roadster built.
The auction for this 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL ends Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. (MST)
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