1981 Mercedes-Benz 380 SL

First supplied by Neyland Motors of Swansea in South Wales in January 1981, this 380 SL left the showroom with a Signal Red body and a black hard top. The change in colour came about because a previous owner used the car in Spain for ten years, which may well have preserved the metalwork but it also faded the red paintwork.

Its return to the UK saw a change of colour to the silver you see today, and while opinion varies as to the exact shade – some think it’s Mercedes-Benz Anthracite Grey Metallic, others insist it’s a Range Rover colour – few would quibble with the choice of hue. 

We also understand that conversion to the US-style quad headlamps was done around that time and, as you’d hope, both the hood and the interior are finished in black, with the latter being the two-seat option and trimmed with hide.

A previous owner fitted a new soft-top in at a cost of around £1,000 in January 2023, four new Bilstein dampers and a host of other bits and bobs including new window seals, and a new battery four months later.

Unfortunately the soft top hood is now stuck in the raised position as the vendor tells us the release lever does not operate. 

Regardless of provenance we think the colour suits the R107’s iconic lines very well, especially as it blends so well with the (decent) chrome work, giving it a hewn-from-solid look that reinforces the R107 rock-solid credentials.

And we love the yellow foglamps, which harmonise with the indicator lenses and bring a flash of colour to an otherwise monochrome palette. The American-spec quad headlamps give another twist to an otherwise familiar recipe, and they, like all the lamp lenses, are in great shape. 

The 14-inch steel wheels are mission-perfect and in great shape. Enhanced with chrome and body-colour hubcaps, they’re also fitted with a matching set of Galaxy Vitour tyres, and although these date from 2019, they still have plenty of tread left on them as the car has covered very few miles since then.

The soft-top was retrimmed in January 2023, and the SL also comes with a decent body-coloured hard-top, which extends the car’s useability from summer-only to all year around.

As for flaws, there are some bubbles in the paintwork, most noticeably at the top of the driver’s door near the swage-line and on the boot lid underneath the 380 SL badge. The hard-top has an orange peel finish to it in places too, and if you poke about you can find traces of the original colour. The overall finish isn’t the best we’ve ever seen, but it looks very presentable as you walk up to it and could be improved as and when finances and motivation coincide.

As for the replacement soft-top, while it’s in a very good cosmetic condition it is stuck at the bottom of the rear screen near the rear bulkhead, so that’ll need carefully freeing off. There is also some rust around the hood compartment, which will need fixing. The windscreen has some scratches and is delaminating slightly around the edges.

The seats have that firm springiness that’s unique to the marque and which ensures long-distance comfort despite feeling a little hard initially. The covers are, as you can see, in great shape too with only light creasing to their surface. 

The area behind them has been fitted with a pair of speakers to play the music the modern Sony head unit sends them – and the Bluetooth connectivity it has also means you can channel your smartphone. 

The Mercedes Benz sports check fabric door cards lift the cabin a little – everything is solid black or grey otherwise – and they’re in a good condition.

We are told that the carpets were replaced fairly recently and have insulating foam underneath, although lifting the latter also reveals hints of the car’s original Signal Red colour.

The padded dash, which is topped with deformable safety foam, is in good condition and is free of sun damage. 

The instruments are a model of clarity and include a central speedometer, a rev counter and clock, and a multi-function dial that shows fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and economy. We believe all work with the exception of the odometer, which gave up the ghost in at least 2016 if the online MoT record is accurate.

When the car came to us the boot had suffered from water ingress and was very wet inside. We’ve dried this out but the damp interior smell is proving stubborn to remove. 

As for other faults, the heater fan is stuck on permanently, the driver’s headrest has a split seam, there’s some wear to the rear panels around the handles. The passenger’s vanity mirror in the sun visor is clouded, and the ashtray is rusty.

Being a post-1980 facelift example, this 380 SL is fitted with the desirable all alloy 3.8-litre V8 engine and four speed automatic gearbox combination, a set-up that probably best balances performance with reliability and fuel economy. 

As you can see, the V8 starts easily and revs well. It also shows good oil pressure but the idle speed is too high and the car therefore shoots forward or backwards when selecting a gear. This will need rectifying.

The custom Powerflow stainless-steel exhaust system gives a cracking exhaust note, being nicely subdued at low engine revolutions but taking on a harder-edged crackle when you rev the engine.

The engine bay is tidy but would benefit from a clean, and while the underside has had some welding repairs in the past, it was also Waxoyl’d in 2017. However, the underseal is cracked and peeling in places, so it would be prudent to get the loose material removed, any underlying rust treated, and the car resealed.

As for faults, the transmission is slow and reluctant to change up. We tried to check the transmission fluid level, but the dipstick is stuck, so that’s another job for you.

The Mercedes doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it’s exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it. The MoT gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the SL comes with the owner’s handbook, a stamped service history booklet, and a large number of old invoices and bills in addition to the with the build data card showing the factory options the car was built with. Sadly all the car’s accompanying documents were in the boot when the water got in, so have suffered from water damage.

The car’s current owner bought it last year but has found no time to enjoy it. Having used less than a third of a tank of fuel in that time, he’s reluctantly decided it’s time to pass it on to a new owner.

While this SL does have its cosmetic issues and is far from perfect, it’s also relatively low mileage and basically sound. What it really needs is an enthusiastic new owner to get to grips with its quibbles and put some miles under its belt.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.