This 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL is finished in Champagne Metallic (473) over Brazil (273) leather and is powered by a 3.8-liter M116 V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Equipment includes a dark brown soft top, a removable body-color hardtop, climate control, power windows, Zebrano wood trim and the original Becker Grand Prix cassette player among other features. This unmolested R107 shows just 67,500 miles and is now offered by the selling dealer on behalf of the former President of the Central Oklahoma chapter of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. The car includes original, dealer-stamped owner’s books, manufacturer’s literature, and trophies for the car's multiple local concours and show awards. This roadster also boasts a clean Carfax report and a clean Oklahoma title. This car was previously sold on another auction site but is being relisted on The MB Market due to a nonpaying buyer.
The cabin is finished in Brazil leather upholstery (273) on the seats and door panels, along with Zebrano wood accents on the dashboard and center console that appear free of cracks or major fading. Amenities include power windows, a power radio antenna, cruise control, climate control, fog lights and a Becker cassette stereo. The car is also fitted with a set of era-correct sheepskin seat covers for the front seats and the factory 14″ Bundt wheels wear a set of Michelin MX4 tires that appear to be in excellent shape.
The 3.8-liter M116 V8 was rated from the factory at 155 horsepower and 196 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. The seller reports that the timing chain was previously upgraded to a double-row chain at some point during the current owner's tenure but the fuel gauge does not always read accurately. The dealer-stamped owner’s manual and the attached Carfax report details most of the regular maintenance this R107 has received throughout its life, and the seller reports that an oil service was performed in preparation for sale. The seller reports that all service records are available for the car since new and that over $20,000 in documented preventative maintenance and repair has been spent on this R107 in the past 15 years.
The VDO instrumentation includes a 160-mph speedometer along with a 7k-rpm tachometer, and the six-digit odometer reads just under 67,500 miles. The present owner reportedly acquired this R107 in 1990 and has owned and maintained the car continuously for the past 31 years. The Carfax report shows no accidents or other damage and lists ownership exclusive to Oklahoma and multiple dealer services throughout its life at Mercedes-Benz of Oklahoma City.
Included with the sale are the original books and manuals, the factory color-matched hardtop, the sheepskin seat cover, factory touch-up paint and Concours trophies and awards as pictured in the gallery.
A video provided by the seller shows the vehicle running smoothly with the hood open.
The R107 is one of Mercedes best known and longest living chassis designs. Introduced for the 1972 model year, the R107 was in continuous production for 17 years until 1989 when the last 560sl was produced. While the R107 underwent several powertrain changes and minor cosmetic updates, the platform remained largely unchanged throughout the run making it one of the most iconic MBs of all time. These long nose roadsters elicit immediate nostalgic reactions and offer tremendous driving enjoyment for a very reasonable price. While prices for low-mile 560sl examples have skyrocketed in recent years, the 380SL & 450SL variants have remained comparatively affordable while offering virtually all of the ownership enjoyment of their larger displacement brethren. These are wonderful collector MBs that can be enjoyed frequently with very few headaches or major mechanical concerns; especially when the timing chain has been updated, as with this example.
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The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
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11 Comments
Congrats - nicely done!Congrats to buyer and seller! This is a clean R107 and I was super tempted myself!Awesome dealHe just got cold feet and they let him off the hook.Buyer never even looked at it$10,500 bid placed by @Luxury_Girl
@EvilLair Cars rarely do well when you double-list. People assume the worst...it's so clean.Wow 5k less than what it brought on cars and bids....@zeuswgn and @EuropeanC are you guys out of gas? I'd be bidding on this if I had the space@EvilLair Fingers crossed this goes to a good home! It deserves another pampered 40 yearsIt’s no reserve and must be sold to settle the estate. It’s always been pampered and maintained. You can’t find a better car anywhere at this price.This has to be a steal, eh? Perfect car to cruise for the summer and get everything back out of in the Fall$10,250 bid placed by @Benzo
$9,000 bid placed by @zeuswgn
$7,250 bid placed by @EuropeanC
$7,000 bid placed by @zeuswgn
$6,250 bid placed by @EuropeanC
$6,000 bid placed by @zeuswgn
$2,500 bid placed by @EuropeanC