1985 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL

Some cars just get better looking with age and the R107 Series Mercedes-Benz SL is definitely among them.

Overshadowed for a long time by its graceful "Pagoda' predecessor, it's now becoming better appreciated for what it is - a beautifully built sports roadster that is totally dependable. To this day, no car door closes with a more reassuring "thunk' than a Mercedes SL, and everything about the car suggests solid engineering.

Fast, comfortable and discreetly understated, the SL has a matchless ability to munch up the miles for year after year without ever seeming to falter. No wonder it stayed in production, fundamentally unaltered, from 1971 until 1989 - the longest production run of any Mercedes car to date.

The 280SL continued in production until September 1985 when it was replaced by the 300SL which differed little apart from a slightly larger engine. The 280SL was powered by a fuel injected, straight six displacing 2,746cc and producing 182bhp and the later three-litre car only managed 3bhp more.

This, head-turning, 280SL was first registered on the 1st August 1985 and must have been one of the last of the 280s. It spent two years in the UK (Lincolnshire) before moving to the Isle of Man in May '86, where it was adopted by another member of the same family and there it has remained ever since. It was passed from Father to Daughter, and with the car is a letter from her confirming the fact that this remarkable vehicle has remained in the one family from new.

Finished in Signal Red with a Beige check cloth interior this elegant convertible has been spoodling about the Isle of Man for 29 years and in that time has only covered 6,400 miles!! This unbelievable figure can be confirmed by its service history. The initial service was carried out by Bargate Mercedes in Boston and later services were undertaken by Mercedes specialists, M&K in the Isle of Man in 1999 at 4,184 miles and in 2014 at 5,217 miles. The car was recently MoT'd with an odometer reading of 6,400 and now reads just short of 6,500.

The car still has its original manuals, tool kit, jack, and first aid kit and has recently been treated to a set of new, period tyres. Registered in the Isle of Man currently, but is in possession of a fresh MoT, so a new buyer will need to register it in the UK, a simple process with a V55/5 document.

This delightful, bright red, mid-eighties Mercedes convertible appears to be in superb condition and is an unrestored, original, one family from new example. Demand for the R107 SL is growing daily, particularly for really good cars and SLs as good as this do not come along very often.