This 2002 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Silver Arrow was sold new by Sears Imported Autos Mercedes-Benz out of Minnetonka, Minnesota in March of 2002 and remained with the original owner until June of 2017 when it moved to Salem, New Hampshire then spent two years in New Jersey, and is now stationed in Marietta, Georgia. Finished in Silver Arrow Metallic (777) over two-tone Black and Silver Nappa leather (231) interior, power is provided by a 5.0-liter M113 V8 engine paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. This R129 is 1 of 1,550 Silver Arrow editions offered for the North American market across all year models. Features include a hydraulic folding soft-top, removable matching hardtop, Xenon headlights, electrically adjustable and heated seats, and illuminated door sills. This Silver Arrow now shows just over 5k miles and is being offered by the selling dealer in Marietta, Georgia with factory literature, complete tool kit, two factory keys, window sticker, a clean Carfax report, and a clean New Jersey title.
The car is finished in Silver Arrow Metallic (777) with a matching removable hardtop. Additional exterior features include Xenon headlamps, Silver Arrow-specific fender badges and an AMG sport styling package which provides sculpted bumpers, side skirts, and a chrome exhaust outlet. The Carfax report lists no accidents or damage since new and the provided paint meter readings show original paint. Detailed photos of the exterior can be seen in the gallery.
Factory 18” Silver Arrow alloy wheels made by BBS are wrapped in newly installed Michel Pilot Sport 4S tires and measure 245/40 in the front and 275/35 in the rear with 2023 date codes. The Silver Arrow editions feature factory-drilled brake rotors and silver painted calipers. Installed by the current owner to get a OEM+ ride height are H&R lowering springs and Bilstein B8 shocks on all four corners with an alignment. The original suspension comes with the car. All four beauty rings show in excellent condition.
The cabin is trimmed in two-tone Black and Silver Nappa leather (231) across the seats, door cards, head rests, shift knob, and steering wheel. Ebony birdseye Maple wood accents adorn the door cards and center console with no UV damage or fading visible. Additional features include automatic climate control, power adjustable and heated seats, and original silver leather trimmed floor mats. Unique Silver Arrow features include an engine turned aluminum instrument cluster, aluminum trim on the shift gate and pedals, and illuminated door sills. Included with the car is the Silver Arrow specific brushed aluminum wind deflector. A Becker modified OEM head unit is installed that includes bluetooth capabilities with a high quality cassette for operation.
The two-tone, Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel frames instrumentation including a 160-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, and gauges for fuel level and coolant temperature. The digital odometer shows just over 5k miles. The gauges are trimmed with chrome rings and engine turned aluminum trim exclusive to the Silver Arrow.
The 5.0-liter M113 V8 engine was factory rated at 302 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed 722.6 automatic transmission. Recent services include hydraulic soft top recalibration and rear differential service by the current seller in preparation for the sale. The precious owner had new convertible top hydraulics serviced in August of 2020 as well as a fuel pump.
The included Carfax report shows no accidents or damage, linear mileage updates, and registration in Minnesota and New Hampshire since new. Now with just over 5k miles, this Silver Arrow is being offered with factory literature, two factory keys, Silver Arrow key chain, window sticker, Silver Arrow specific wind deflector, a clean Carfax report, and a clean New Jersey title.
The seller has included the following videos:
The pre-war German racing color was white. So where did the legendary “Silver Arrow” moniker come from? Legend has it Mercedes-Benz stripped their Gran Prix cars of white paint baring the mean and slick hand-pounded aluminum body of their racing machines in favor of weight savings. This was the genesis of the Silver Arrows, a weapon that Mercedes-Benz carried in their quiver even up to the current Formula 1 season. Juan Manuel Fangio, Sterling Moss, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, and Lewis Hamilton are some of the legends that piloted these cars, which makes the Silver Arrow edition of the R129 so special to collectors. The historical pedigree is one thing, but the special features the Silver Arrow came equipped with is unlike any of the other R129s that came off the production line. This specific SL500 is even more spectacular as it has only 5,000 miles! This thing is basically brand new. Late ‘90s and very early 2000 cars, specifically Mercedes-Benz, all sat pretty high from the factory for the North American market because of brake light laws. The current seller fixed the stilted stance with quality suspension OEM+ modifications and wrapped the two-piece BBS wheels in sticky Michelins. With the top hydraulics also being serviced, original paint, window sticker, and impeccable condition, this is a younger timer roadster that is going to continue to appreciate and time goes by.
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Enclosed Transit:
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17 Comments
@ProdigalPetrolHead : see the black plastic sliding drawer surround https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-mercedes-benz-sl500-silver-arrow-100/@LanEvo7RS2 Congrats on the win. I have the missing items if you are interested (Briefcase, keychain, Pen).As a fellow R129 owner, this particular example is the pinnacle... great to see these being appreciated by all. Congrats to the winner!Excellent win @Lanevo7rs2Congrats! What a car.$68,000 bid placed by @LanEvo7RS2
$66,500 bid placed by @RADSTR
$66,000 bid placed by @LanEvo7RS2
$65,500 bid placed by @RADSTR
$65,000 bid placed by @LanEvo7RS2
$64,000 bid placed by @RADSTR
$63,000 bid placed by @LanEvo7RS2
$62,500 bid placed by @RADSTR
$62,000 bid placed by @LanEvo7RS2
$60,000 bid placed by @RADSTR
$58,500 bid placed by @LanEvo7RS2
I got to photo this car and it's the nicest R129 I've ever interacted with. Whoever wins this will love it. Absolutely unapologetic example.$58,000 bid placed by @RADSTR
$55,000 bid placed by @hhmiami
$54,500 bid placed by @Fahads50
$54,000 bid placed by @Rekesee82
$53,500 bid placed by @hhmiami
$53,000 bid placed by @Jazzman
$52,500 bid placed by @hhmiami
$52,000 bid placed by @RADSTR
$51,500 bid placed by @hhmiami
$51,000 bid placed by @Rekesee82
$50,500 bid placed by @hhmiami
$50,000 bid placed by @Fahads50
$48,500 bid placed by @hhmiami
$48,000 bid placed by @LanEvo7RS2
$47,500 bid placed by @PB42
$47,000 bid placed by @Rekesee82
$46,000 bid placed by @Jazzman
$45,500 bid placed by @Rekesee82
$45,000 bid placed by @Jazzman
$44,500 bid placed by @diamondmotorwork
$44,000 bid placed by @RADSTR
$43,500 bid placed by @hhmiami
$43,000 bid placed by @diamondmotorwork
Good morning all! We've had a lot of great feedback from bidders here and want to thank all who have reached out and those who have come to see the car. As we get into the final hours of the auction, we'll be available for last minute calls, FaceTimes, emails, etc. Hopefully we'll be helping this rare Silver Arrow find a new home today.$42,500 bid placed by @Rekesee82
Best modern Benz to invest in right now if you look at prior pricing trends of SL lineage. 2002 was the absolute last year for them. The R230 that followed and each generation since has not been the same.$40,500 bid placed by @diamondmotorwork
$40,000 bid placed by @CannedHeat2
$35,500 bid placed by @diamondmotorwork
$35,000 bid placed by @Rekesee82
Absolute perfection! This is a car that will only become more valuable with time showing these miles.$26,500 bid placed by @diamondmotorwork
@EmmaLab These didn't get "plastic" trim of any kind and while I'm sure there's a Silver Arrow somewhere with designo trim or veneer as a one-off, 99.9% got this wood. Black Birdseye can easily turn brown with prolonged UV exposure (more typically seen in higher mileage W210 E55's). It's rare to find them with veneer in this condition. No matter how much reconditioning is done, it's nearly impossible to re-match.Question for the experts here...... I have seen many many R129 SA auctions, and the (wood) trim around the drink holder in the center console varies. My R129 SA had 38k when I purchased it, and that wood trim has more brown than the rest of the black birds eye maple. Most I've seen online have been similar with that one piece of wood trim different from the rest of the wood. This is actually the first one I've seen with a well-matched black birds eye. I've even seen black plastic as trim with the seller stating it was original. What is your experience with your cars?@peterten Unfortunately it's not been with the car for sometime as best we've found. Tried like hell to track it down but no luck.Missing from photos and description is the attaché. Can we assume it is no longer with the car?$26,000 bid placed by @R129hoarder
Perfectly done Silver Arrow. The H&Rs make such a big improvement. These all sit high in the front from the factory and should've come just like this. Well done$25,000 bid placed by @YellowCoupe
$20,000 bid placed by @merlinautogroup
$5,000 bid placed by @MB8605
Additional photos of historic records for this car have been uploaded to the gallery.Spent the better part of an hour going through this gallery. One of the nicest SL's I've seen in years! That leather has to feel brand new still.Hey everyone! Welcome to the auction of our 5,000 mile M113 R129 Silver Arrow! We're super happy to host this one on The MB Market as it's probably one of the nicest surviving examples left in North America. Please look through all the photographs and watch the video our auction specialist put together going over the fine details of the Silver Arrow. This is a totally unapologetic example with recent services, fresh Michelin tires, and an immaculate underside. Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to comment any and all questions in case we missed anything. Good luck everyone!$2,250 bid placed by @Jesse
$2,000 bid placed by @beaver307