This 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL was first registered in Knoxville, Tennessee and later moved to Arizona, where it remained before being offered by the current seller in California. The seller is representing the car on behalf of their cousin and reports approximately four years of ownership combined within their family. Finished in Diamond Blue Metallic (355) over Royal Blue Leather (272), power is provided by a 5.5-liter M117 V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. Factory equipment includes a color-matched removable hardtop, a Dark Blue folding soft top, automatic climate control, a Becker Mexico Grand Prix radio, an automatic antenna, heated exterior mirrors, an outside temperature indicator, and a folding center armrest. The odometer currently shows 58,862 miles. Notable recent service in 2023 included extensive transmission resealing and servicing, replacement of the rear main seal, an A/C evacuation and recharge, and a brake fluid flush. The seller reports that the car runs and drives well with strong air conditioning. This 560SL is now offered with original literature, three keys, factory tools, a spare tire, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Arizona title.
The body is finished in Diamond Blue Metallic (355) and features a matching removable hardtop along with a folding Dark Blue fabric soft top. Chrome trim accents the bumpers, beltline, windows, and exterior brightwork, while additional equipment includes heat-insulating glass, an automatic antenna, and heated exterior mirrors with power adjustment for the passenger side. Cosmetic wear includes a scratch near the antenna, and small paint chips around the door edges and rear driverside quarter panel. The lower chrome trim on the passenger side of the removable hardtop has a slight bend at the end with photos to highlight in the gallery. The seller reports no major rust, and the underside presents well for its age with no significant corrosion noted on the visible body, frame, or critical suspension components. Carfax shows no accidents or other damage reports.
Factory 15” Gullideckel alloy wheels are mounted with Arizonian Silver Edition All Season tires measuring 205/65 at all four corners and showing late-2022 date codes. The wheels display finish wear along their faces along with some minor curb rash. A full-size spare is included in the trunk. The 560SL is equipped with power steering, fully independent suspension, and power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes. Carfax records replacement of both the front and rear brake rotors at 46,889 miles.
The cabin is upholstered in Royal Blue Leather (272) with matching carpets and door panels, complemented by Burl Walnut wood trim along the center console. Factory amenities include automatic climate control, power windows, a Becker Mexico Grand Prix radio, a folding center armrest, illuminated vanity mirrors, and an outside temperature display. The interior remains in good overall condition for its age, with the seller reporting that the air conditioning operates well. The leather shows light age-related creasing but no tears, while the center-console wood veneer shows some cracking and warping.
The four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel fronts VDO instrumentation consisting of a 170-mph speedometer, 7k-rpm tachometer, analog clock, and gauges for fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel economy. The six-digit odometer currently indicates 58,862 miles.
Power comes from a 5.5-liter M117 V8 rated at 227 horsepower and 279 lb-ft of torque from the factory. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. Earlier documented maintenance includes an A/C service, antenna replacement, front and rear brake rotors, and an engine oil service at 46,889 miles in 2000. Work in 2007 included a coolant reservoir, distributor cap, fuel filter, radiator cap, spark plug wires, and valve cover gaskets.
More substantial work was completed at 57,984 miles in September 2023. The transmission was removed and received a new pump seal, brake-band seals, dipstick seal, downshift modulator seals, filter, pan gasket, and fresh fluid. The rear main crankshaft seal was replaced while the transmission was out. The same service also included an A/C evacuation and recharge, brake fluid flush, and attention to the hood insulation pad. A battery-service receipt from June 2026 is also included with the records.
The Carfax report shows registration history beginning in Tennessee in 1988. Additional ownership changes are documented in Tennessee before the car later moved to Arizona. Linear mileage updates are shown with no accidents or damage reports.
By 1988, the R107 had been in production for more than 15 years, yet the shape still looked every bit as elegant as it did when the model first arrived. That longevity says a lot about how right Mercedes got the basic formula. The long hood, upright windshield, generous chrome, removable hardtop, and compact two-seat proportions gave the SL a presence that never needed reinvention. The 560SL represents the most developed U.S. market version of that recipe, pairing the familiar R107 chassis with the 5.5-liter M117 V8 and the refinement of the final production years. Even today, the R107 is aging like a fine wine and oozes style and class. This example makes an especially strong case in Diamond Blue over Royal Blue and matching Blue soft top, a wonderfully period-correct combination that suits the car perfectly. With fewer than 59k miles, a clean Carfax, original and well-preserved condition, it presents far better than most surviving drivers. Recent transmission resealing, rear main seal work, brake-fluid service, and A/C attention also mean the car has gone deeper than cosmetics. This is the kind of 560SL that reminds you why the R107 stayed in production for so long in the first place and why you need it in your garage today.
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32 Comments
Did it not reach reserve?$21,750 bid placed by @AMA500
$21,500 bid placed by @Mwarner
$21,250 bid placed by @AMA500
$21,000 bid placed by @Mwarner
$20,500 bid placed by @AMA500
$20,250 bid placed by @nonamenoface
$19,750 bid placed by @Oldcarlife
$19,500 bid placed by @nonamenoface
$19,250 bid placed by @Mwarner
$19,000 bid placed by @Oldcarlife
$18,750 bid placed by @Brett
$18,500 bid placed by @nonamenoface
$18,250 bid placed by @Oldcarlife
is car selling?$18,000 bid placed by @nonamenoface
$17,500 bid placed by @LIlife
$16,750 bid placed by @AMA500
$16,500 bid placed by @nonamenoface
$16,000 bid placed by @AMA500
$15,750 bid placed by @Brett
@alex_MB_R107 its in Rancho Cucamonga, CA@alex_MB_R107 I believe this one is in California!$15,500 bid placed by @Oldcarlife
Where is the car currently? Where would the winner pick it up from?$15,000 bid placed by @LIlife
Paint meter readings have been added to the gallery.@TCSFrankfurt No problem at all, Thomas. Thanks for letting me know. Sorry your friend won’t be able to make it, but I’m happy to answer anything else or provide any additional photos or videos that might help before the auction ends.$13,000 bid placed by @Bibs1144
$10,000 bid placed by @LIlife
Photos of the hardtop and soft top have been added the the gallery.$6,750 bid placed by @rjtoronto
Dear Abraham: My friend just advised that he’s out of town. Thanks for being prepared to have him come by! Best regards, Thomas@JGF000 Hi John, I’ll recheck those specific door seals and the driver-side rear taillight seal carefully in the morning and will report back with their current condition and whether anything appears to have been repaired or replaced.@TCSFrankfurt Hi Thomas, thank you, I really appreciate that. 1. Inspection: Absolutely. Your friend is welcome to come by and inspect the car on your behalf. I’m available and can accommodate a short-notice visit. Just let me know what time works for him. 2. Paint meter: I haven’t been able to get the paint meter yet, but I may be able to get it tomorrow morning. If I do, I’ll take readings from multiple areas of the car and share them as soon as possible. Thanks again, and I’m happy to help with anything else before the auction closes.Dear Abraham: Thank you for your transparent and honest responses! It is highly appreciated and gives me confidence in possibly bidding on this 560SL. Since the auction is closing tomorrow, I just wanted to quickly check back on my previous message: 1. Inspection: Would it be possible for my friend from Glendale to drop by briefly to look at the car on my behalf? If you or your cousin could accommodate a quick short-notice visit today or tomorrow morning, please let me know how he can best contact you to arrange it. 2. Paint Meter: Were you able to track down that paint meter from your friend? If you could share a few quick readings (especially from the hood, trunk, and sides), that would be the absolute icing on the cake for my final bidding strategy. Thanks again for being such a great and helpful seller throughout this auction! Best regards, ThomasHi Abraham, can you advise on the following rubber weather seals current condition or if they have been replaced sice photos taken. Door seal photos 106/107/117/112/-162/163/-165 and advise on drivers side rear tail light rubber seal condition/repair. Thanks John.@TCSFrankfurt Hi Thomas, no problem at all — happy to clarify: 1. Paintwork: I’m not a paint expert, but from what I can see, the paint appears to be original. I do have a friend with a paint meter, and I can try to borrow it and take readings from multiple areas of the car to give you a more definitive answer. 2. Corrosion: I have not found any rust spots. I’ve tried to document the car as thoroughly and honestly as possible, and photographed every area I could access. Please review the photos, and if there is any specific area you’d like to see more closely, I’d be happy to take additional pictures. 3. Features & Electrics: The power windows work great, and the central locking works perfectly. I have not personally tested the cruise control yet. 4. Air Conditioning: The A/C works very well and blows cold. I’m not sure whether it is still running R12 or has been converted to R134a, so I don’t want to guess on that. Please let me know if you’d like any additional photos or details.@JGF000 Hi John, all of the rubber and weather seals are documented in the photos currently uploaded to the listing. If there’s any specific seal or area you’d like to see in more detail, please let me know and I’d be happy to take some additional close-up photos for you.@TCSFrankfurt Hi Thomas, yes — the car is owned and currently registered in Arizona with current Arizona registration and tags. It’s only in California because I’m presenting the car and handling the auction for my cousin, as he doesn’t have the time to do it himself. So this is not a California-registered vehicle. Any applicable taxes and registration fees would be based on where the next owner registers the car.@JGF000 Hi John, yes, the dashboard is original. There are no visible cracks or repairs anywhere, and there is no plastic dash cover fitted.Hi Abraham: Apologies for piecemealing my questions, but a close friend of mine who owns a 450SL just went through the listing with me and brought up a few classic R107 points that I wanted to double-check with you to be absolutely certain. Could you please shed some light on these final details? 1. Paintwork: Since the car is described as highly original, can you confirm if the paint is 100% factory original, or has it seen any repaints or touch-ups over the years? 2. Corrosion: You mentioned there is "no major rust." To be precise, are the typical R107 critical areas—like the jack points, floor pans, and lower body panels—entirely rust-free? 3. Features & Electrics: Are the central locking, power windows, and especially the cruise control currently in good, fully operational condition? 4. Air Conditioning: I noticed it was serviced recently. Is the A/C still running on the old R12 refrigerant, or has it already been converted to R134a? (This is quite important for me regarding import regulations). Thank you again for your patience and for helping me get the full picture of this beautiful SL! Best regards, ThomasHi Abraham, can you please confirm if the dashboard is original to the car and if it has any cracks or repairs or had a plastic cover fitted. Can you also shed some light on the convertible top and other rubber seals purchased. Have they been installed as I notice some of the rubber door seals and other seals look in poor condition. Thank you John.Hi Abraham: One further practical question: The listing mentions an Arizona title, while the car is currently located in Rancho Cucamonga. Could you please confirm whether the Arizona registration is still current and whether your cousin resides in Arizona? Would this be considered a California or an Arizona sale? These questions are quite relevant from a tax point of view (e.g. CA raises an 11% use tax, AZ does not), and I would like to clarify the applicable registration and tax requirements before bidding. Many thanks for your help. Best regards, ThomasThank you Abraham, Can you please confirm if the Dashboard is original to the car, has any cracks/repairs or has a plastic Dash cover fitted. Many thanks John.Hi Abraham: Thank you very much for your detailed response. One further question: Is the car currently in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, as indicated in the listing? I have a longtime close friend living 45 minutes away who may be able to come and look at it on my behalf before the auction ends. Would a visit be possible? I’m not yet sure whether he can make it on such short notice, but I wanted to confirm the location and check that a visit would be welcome before asking him. Best regards, ThomasQuick update: I was able to get some help and remove the hardtop today. I took plenty of photos of the car with the top off, including detailed photos of the soft top, and have already sent/uploaded them to The MB Market. Their team should have the new photos added to the listing in the morning. Thanks everyone for your patience, and please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything else you’d like to see.@JGF000 Hi John, thank you. I’ve just posted a detailed response to Thomas’s questions. I’m also working on the cold start/walk-around video and soft top photos and will get those up as soon as possible.@TCSFrankfurt Hi Thomas, thank you for taking the time to go through everything so carefully. I’ll answer your questions point by point: 1. Regarding the Lakeview Mercedes-Benz invoice, I’m not sure why that document was included. It came with the car and we honestly never noticed the discrepancy. It may have been placed with the records by mistake, or the previous owner may have owned both vehicles and accidentally mixed the paperwork together. 2. Regarding the G Tech Imports invoice, the engine size may simply have been entered incorrectly by the shop. Mechanics and service writers sometimes make administrative errors like this. I don’t want to speculate beyond that, but the document came with the car’s service records. 3. The March 2025 service was completed on this car. The A/C is currently working very well and has not required any further repairs that I’m aware of. 4. The car did spend time in storage, which is one of the reasons that when we got the car back into use in 2022, a significant amount of servicing was performed — over $10,000 worth. My cousin is a doctor and was extremely busy, and unfortunately not all of the original invoices were saved. The screenshots and records uploaded are what we currently have available. 5. As far as odors, I have personally driven the car recently while taking the auction photos and did not notice any fuel smell, exhaust smell, musty odor, cigarette smell, or anything unusual inside the cabin or trunk. 6. I’m still trying to arrange for someone to help me remove the hardtop, since it’s quite heavy. I’m hoping to have that done today or tomorrow at the latest, and I’ll post photos of the soft top raised and lowered, including closer photos of the fabric and rear windows. 7. The car has a clean Arizona title with no liens. The MB Market has a copy of the title, front and back, and they can verify that information as well. The title is in my cousin’s name, he is available to sign all necessary transfer paperwork, and payment will go directly to him. I hope that helps clarify everything. Please feel free to ask anything else, I’m happy to provide as much information as I can before the auction ends.Hi Abraham, I would also like to request the answers to questions asked by Thomas to allow me to bid. Looking forward to your cold start and walk around video and photos of the soft top .Best Regards, John.Hello Abraham: Having reviewed the listing, CARFAX report, and photographs, I have a few questions about the service records and the car’s condition. The VIN photographs, manufacturer’s label, and warranty registration card appear consistent with the advertised vehicle. However, I noticed a few discrepancies in the service documents: 1. The Lakeview Mercedes-Benz invoice dated October 12, 1995 appears to refer to a 1984 vehicle, with the color described as “RED/251,” a delivery date of October 29, 1983, and a different VIN ending in 001466. Could this document have been included inadvertently? 2. The G Tech Imports invoice dated September 29, 2023 appears to contain a zero instead of “D” in the VIN and describes the engine as a 4.5-liter V8. Could you confirm whether these are administrative errors and that the invoice relates to this car? A complete, legible copy of both invoice pages would also be appreciated. 3. The German Car Service document from March 2025 has no VIN entered. Could you confirm that it relates to this car? Following the A/C hose replacement described there, has the system required any further repairs or refrigerant? Regarding the earlier maintenance history, do you have any additional service book entries, workshop invoices, or other records covering the gaps in CARFAX between first registration and 2000, between 2000 and 2006, and between 2013 and 2022? I appreciate that maintenance may have been performed without appearing on CARFAX. Given the relatively low mileage, it would also be helpful to know whether the car spent any extended periods in storage or otherwise off the road. If so, could you provide some background on the storage conditions, maintenance during those periods, and any work performed before returning it to use? Could you also comment on any unusual or persistent odors in the cabin or trunk, particularly gasoline, exhaust fumes, mustiness, or cigarette smoke? I am especially interested in whether there is any fuel smell after the car has been parked with the windows closed or while driving. I also saw your comment about arranging to remove the hardtop. Please could you add photos with the soft top both raised and fully lowered, including close-ups of the fabric and rear windows? Finally, could you also provide clear photos of the current Arizona title, front and back, or a copy of the current electronic title record, with the VIN and any title-brand or lien information visible? The owner’s name, address, and signature may of course be redacted from any publicly posted images. Please also confirm that the title is unbranded, there are no outstanding liens, and, as you are representing your cousin, that the title is in your cousin’s name and they will be available to sign the necessary transfer documents. With the auction ending in just three days, I would appreciate your clarification and the additional photos as soon as possible, allowing sufficient time to review everything before it closes. Many thanks for your help. Kind regards, Thomas$6,500 bid placed by @Vailchef
@Motorhead55 yes it is$5,810 bid placed by @kurtglen
Beautiful 560SL! I assume it is accident free?$5,560 bid placed by @Diver10
@SkiSullivan Sorry about that! I wasn’t able to remove the hardtop by myself, as you probably know, it’s pretty heavy. I’m waiting for a friend to come over and help me take it off, and I’ll post photos with the top down as soon as we do. The soft top is blue and in clean condition with no rips or damage.Hi everyone! I’m Abraham, Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions at all. I’ll be available throughout the auction and I’m happy to provide any additional photos, videos, or details that can help answer your questions. I’m also working on a quick video with a cold start and a full walk-around of the car, and I’ll have that posted soon. Thanks everyone, and good luck with the auction!ALL these photos and documentation, and um, not a single pic of soft top or top down? It's a convertible, right?$1,000 bid placed by @TheGerman