The Mercedes-Benz R107 500SL remains one of the most recognisable and desirable luxury roadsters of its era, combining timeless styling with the engineering solidity for which Mercedes-Benz became renowned. Elegant without being ostentatious, the SL successfully blended sports-car character with genuine grand-touring refinement. Its long production life and enduring popularity helped establish the SL as one of the great upmarket roadsters, and today the R107 has matured into a highly regarded modern classic with appeal extending well beyond traditional Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts.

With V8 power, the SL takes on the character of what could best be described as a gentleman’s muscle car. There is ample torque and effortless performance, yet everything is delivered with the refinement expected of a Mercedes-Benz. Rather than demanding to be driven hard, the V8 suits the SL’s personality beautifully: relaxed and smooth when cruising, but with considerable performance available when required. Its combination of substantial build quality, confident road manners and muscular power gives the car a sense of occasion that remains impressive decades later.

Perhaps the SL’s greatest strength is its versatility. With the roof down it is an elegant open-air roadster; with the hardtop fitted it becomes a refined grand tourer capable of covering long distances in considerable comfort. On flowing roads it settles effortlessly into its stride, soaking up the miles while retaining enough sporting ability to make the journey enjoyable. Few cars combine elegance, performance and usability quite so successfully, which is why the R107 continues to attract collectors seeking a classic that can be admired, enjoyed and regularly driven rather than simply stored away.

The Mercedes-Benz R107 has firmly established itself as one of the most desirable modern-classic Mercedes models, with the best examples increasingly being viewed as genuine collector cars rather than simply older luxury roadsters. Its appeal is easy to understand: glamorous styling, V8 performance, exceptional build quality and an unmistakable sense of 1970s and 1980s prestige. The R107 also carries enormous nostalgia, recalling an era when the SL was associated with success, celebrities and effortless continental motoring. Later-production V8 examples are particularly appealing to enthusiasts, combining the classic chrome-era appearance with the benefit of years of development and refinement. As collectors increasingly seek usable classics with strong marque recognition, good provenance and originality, well-preserved R107s are becoming increasingly difficult to replace.

From an investment perspective, the R107 has already moved considerably beyond the days when these cars were simply inexpensive used Mercedes-Benz convertibles. Values have increasingly separated according to condition, specification, originality and history, with exceptional cars commanding a significant premium over average examples. There remains good reason to believe that the finest V8 R107s have further long-term appreciation potential: they are instantly recognisable, relatively practical to own, glamorous enough for special occasions and still thoroughly enjoyable to drive. Most importantly, they possess the combination of nostalgia, desirability and genuine collectibility that tends to underpin the strongest classic-car markets. The R107 may have been produced in substantial numbers, but truly outstanding examples are another matter altogether and it is those cars that collectors are increasingly chasing.

New Zealand Sales
Unless otherwise stated, vehicles sold for use in New Zealand will be supplied with a new Warrant of Fitness (WoF) and 12 months New Zealand registration at the time of sale.

Transport & Shipping
New Zealand transport and worldwide shipping can be arranged on the Buyer’s behalf and at the Buyer’s cost and risk. Any freight, shipping, insurance, customs charges, duties, taxes, import costs, certification or compliance costs are the responsibility of the Buyer unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Export Sales
For vehicles purchased for export, the Buyer is responsible for determining and satisfying all import, registration, certification, compliance, tax and regulatory requirements applicable in the destination country.

Viewing
All vehicle inspections and viewings are strictly by appointment only.

Applicable Law
All sales are subject to applicable New Zealand law. Nothing in these Conditions of Sale excludes or limits any statutory rights or obligations that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

For more information about this vehicle, please contact us Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 6:00pm (New Zealand Standard Time) on +64 (0) 3 310-6485. Alternatively, you may email us at [email protected] anytime, or contact us through the form below.

The Purchaser is encouraged to personally fully inspect the vehicle and also to have the vehicle inspected, and fully assessed by an experienced, independent, specialist garage - before committing to purchase. While the Purchaser is entitled to rely on statements given by Waimak Group Ltd as being correct, where goods such as vehicles are concerned, with so many moving parts and rust being an issue with older vehicles; a Purchaser who chooses not to seek independent professional assistance when assessing the quality of what they propose to buy is considered as buying at their own risk, and if the vehicle then turns out to be of less than the represented quality, or not up to the Purchaser's expectation, or in the Purchaser opinion not fit for purpose; then the Purchaser is considered to have contributed to their own loss and should not expect any refunds or betterment from Waimak.

NOTIFICATION AS TO NATURE OF GOODS IN TERMS OF THE CONSUMER GUARANTEES ACT 1993

Waimak Group Ltd is a New Zealand registered company and accepts that the vehicle being sold must be of “acceptable quality” in terms of section 7 of the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (the Act) having regard to “the nature of the goods”. Waimak Group Ltd is not aware of any specific defects with the vehicle, however (a) such a vehicle being a classic vehicle may have mechanical breakdowns, electrical failures at inconvenient times and maintenance costs being part of and parcel of ownership of a classic vehicle; (b) reliability is a combination of the particular nature of the classic vehicle, how it is being driven, how it has been maintained, and to a certain extent luck; (c) because of the age of the vehicle, and its propensity to rust, it is likely that the vehicle would have been fully or partially restored, or at least repainted at some point in its life, maybe even more than once. Waimak Group Ltd does not know, and cannot give advice on how good any restoration work on the vehicle had been.

The Purchaser acknowledges that the vehicle is being sold as a classic car; that in terms of the Act and the nature of the goods, the vehicle is an old car, bike or boat, that may have visual and hidden faults, unlike a new motor vehicle.

The Purchaser is encouraged to personally fully inspect the vehicle and also to have the vehicle inspected, and fully assessed by an experienced, independent, specialist garage - before committing to purchase. While the Purchaser is entitled to rely on statements given by Waimak Group Ltd as being correct, where goods such as vehicles are concerned, with so many moving parts and rust being an issue with older vehicles; a Purchaser who chooses not to seek independent professional assistance when assessing the quality of what they propose to buy is considered as buying at their own risk, and if the vehicle then turns out to be of less than the represented quality, or not up to the Purchaser's expectation, or in the Purchaser opinion not fit for purpose; then the Purchaser is considered to have contributed to their own loss and should not expect any refunds or betterment from Waimak Group Ltd.

The Purchaser acknowledges that they have read and fully understand this notification and the nature of a car which is many years old.