This 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450SL was originally sold via Ken Garff Imports in Salt Lake City, UT; reportedly to a member of the Ford family. It was subsequently sold to the President of Coca-Cola (HK) before being acquired by the current owner approximately 40 years ago. This roadster is finished in Yellow (624) over Tan MB-Tex interior and powered by a 4.5-liter V8 paired with a 3-speed automatic. The car has been under current ownership for four decades, driven with occasional consistency and stored in a climate controlled garage when not in use. This R107 SL shows 53k miles and is offered from the collection of a two-time Pebble Beach Concours winning collector. This roadster comes with a matching hardtop, tool kit, factory literature, stamped service booklet, a matching minature scale model, and a clean Michigan title in the seller’s name.
The car is finished in its original color of Yellow (624), and the condition of the original paint is shown in a number of close-up gallery photos below. The paint is believed to be all original with no known paint or bodywork and the car has no history of accidents or other damage. Features include fog lights and chrome mirror caps. Close-ups of the wheel arches, rocker panels and wheel wells are highlighted in the gallery below.
The car retains US-market lighting and bumpers, and is fitted with factory steel wheels with color-matched hubcaps and older Michelin tires all around. The chocolate brown soft top is shown in detailed photos below will likely need replacement due to a tear in the fabric and the window plastics. A brand-new, uninstalled, Tan colored soft top is included with the sale.
The cabin is finished in tan MB-Tex with matching carpets and trim. A small imperfection in the driver's bolster is visible in the gallery below and the horsehair seats are have reportedly softened over the years but the MB-Tex remains extremely presentable. The air conditioning system has not been converted to modern refrigerant according to the seller and the some of the dash light bulbs are reportedly inoperable. A period Becker Europa II radio remains mounted in the center stack and the original Becker documentation accompanies the sale.
The fuel-injected 4.5L SOHC V8 originally made 180 horsepower for the US market. Power is routed to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transmission. Additional underside photos can be seen in the gallery along with those showing hardtop removal tools and an OEM tool roll. The seller reports that the car recently received an undercarriage cleaning to check for possible leaks and none were observed.
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. This specific low-mileage example benefits from an exceptionally long, 40-year ownership history by a well-known collector. The color palette of the 70’s was unique and bold such as this example finished in a pitch perfect, era-correct shade of Yellow; which always attracts enthusiasts’ attention on the road. These are wonderful collector MBs that can be enjoyed frequently with very few headaches or major mechanical concerns, and we expect to see this 450SL on the road for many more years to come.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
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4 Comments
Who can I contact in order to potentially facilitate a post auction sale? Thankssuper nice car.. my dad had one and I just remember it being a good cruiser.. nothing as nimble as the 280SL before, and with the top and likely some deferred maintenance items, i dont think this price is that far off despite the excellent condition. i wish I had kept bidding$14,250 bid placed by @RyburnMD
$13,750 bid placed by @Sgtbueno
$13,500 bid placed by @RyburnMD
$13,250 bid placed by @Sgtbueno
What a steal for such a well-kept example! I have a friend who's spent $10k trying to make his R107 this nice and it still isn't at this level$13,000 bid placed by @mibi
$11,750 bid placed by @Sgtbueno
$11,500 bid placed by @Nilspettter
$10,751 bid placed by @Sgtbueno
$10,501 bid placed by @BenzDoc
$10,251 bid placed by @Sgtbueno
$10,001 bid placed by @ppulcini42
$8,750 bid placed by @Sgtbueno
$8,500 bid placed by @mji1984
Curious to know what other Benzes might be in this collection. Winning at Pebble beach is no small feat!$8,250 bid placed by @BenzDoc
$8,000 bid placed by @RyburnMD
$7,500 bid placed by @BenzDoc
$5,250 bid placed by @mji1984
$5,000 bid placed by @RyburnMD