Lot details Registration No: C916HRL Chassis No: 1070452A021434 Mot Expiry: Sept 2012
"If you are looking for a practical roadster with style, fine handling, comfort, reliability and high build quality, the Mercedes-Benz 380SL is the answer". (Sports Car Market, August 2002)
Nicknamed 'der Panzerwagen' by Mercedes-Benz's own development engineers, the R107-series SL was the result of an extremely thorough design process. In an attempt to avoid falling foul of threatened American safety legislation, Stuttgart produced an open car whose structural rigidity surpassed that of some contemporary saloons! Indeed, even now some forty years after its introduction the R107 retains a reassuring air of solidity. Successor to the initial European 350SL and American 450SL models, the 380SL was introduced in March 1980. Utilising the same two-door monocoque bodyshell equipped with all-round coil-sprung independent suspension (wishbone front / semi-trailing arm rear), power assisted recirculating ball steering and four-wheel disc brakes as its predecessors, the newcomer boasted an enlarged 3839cc SOHC V8 engine and improved four-speed automatic transmission. Credited with some 204bhp and 232lbft of torque, European specification cars were reputedly capable of 0-60mph in 9.1 seconds and 127mph. A strong seller throughout its production run, the last 380SL was apparently despatched by the factory in October 1985.
Finished in White with Blue upholstery, this particular example is understood to have covered just 55,000 miles from new (a figure reportedly substantiated by various old MOT certificates and Mercedes-Benz paperwork on file). Riding on alloy wheels, 'C916 HRL' is described by the vendor as being in "very good" condition with regard to its engine, automatic transmission, electrical equipment, interior trim, bodywork and paintwork. Sporting such niceties as a factory hardtop, cruise control and rear seats, this well-specified and notably low mileage 380SL is offered for sale with the aforementioned documentation and MOT certificate valid until September 2012.
PLEASE NOTE: The photos reproduced in the printed catalogue are of a similar vehicle. Images showing the actual 'C916 HRL' will be uploaded shortly.
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