1981 Mercedes-Benz SL 380 Conv W107 ONE OWNER ALL ORIGINAL w/Hard Top

On the block - This is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz SL 380 convertible owned and operated by its original owner locally in southern Westchester, NY since its import. This is a GREY MARKET/EUROPEAN IMPORT vehicle. This means that there are some variances between this vehicle and its American market cousins. Most notably the aesthetics are as designed with no Federally mandated 5 MPH bumpers. This version also came with more horsepower thanks to the more lax emissions standards Europe had at the time, with this having 205 HP instead of 155 HP US Spec.
VIN# -WDB10704512005854 - PLEASE NOTE - VIN formats changed from 14 to 17 characters in 1981. As a result, Mercedes simply slapped 'WDB' at the front of every 14-digit ID number.
More information on the Grey Market/US difference can be by searching Google. The M-B Owners club site is a great source.
Now onto this vehicle.The widow of the original owner enlisted us to sell it for her about 3 weeks ago. With such a car, we wanted to know what we had before putting it on the market. After driving it a bit and having our German car specialist look at it, we are very positive about its overall mechanical condition. The engine is running strong with no-minimal leaks noticed. Seals are good, idles smooth, no unusual noises or knock, and nothing stood out as a red flag issue. The only thing we had to do was a fan clutch to get the main radiator fan working again. Power steering is strong and has no known issues (no whining noises or dead spots in steering, no power cut out.) Brakes are very good. Strong and smooth stop, no squealing noises or vibrations in the pedal.
Electrically the car is in good order. Windows work without issue. Cluster is fully operational. Head and tail lights are working. Aftermarket Blaupunkt stereo works. Cant profess to the versatility of the aftermarket 80's speakers mounted behind the seats. Power antenna raises and drops.The biggest electrical snafu is that the A/C seems to have seized. That is not something that the owner nor ourselves wish to get into replacing/repairing.
The transmission shifts hard on occasion and feels like a possible bad motor or transmission mount(s). Other than that there seems to be no issues and it functions as one would expect an automatic transmission from this era would.
Body is clean and free of rot and rust (which is expected as this was a summer car and garaged its entire life.) Chassis looks clean with only minimal surface blemishing which is to be expected. Splash pan is missing.
Glass is perfect all around except for the windshield. There is a crack at the lower left (if youre sitting in the car) that runs up a few inches to just past where you would typically put a registration sticker. Does not affect its structural integrity.
Convertible top is like-new. Replaced fairly recently. Rear windshield is in good condition. All locking mechanisms for the top are in fine working order. Hard top is in great condition though the clearcoat has areas of cloudiness. Still has its original storage bag and wheeled storage cart.
ORIGINAL books/user manuals included.
Chrome trim is in good condition. Paint is in very good condition. Some small blemishes and scratches consistent with a vehicle of this age but nothing that spoils the look of the vehicle. Wheels need surface reconditioning but are 100% structurally in tact. Tires are in very good shape, > 70% and should be good for a long time to come.
Interior leather is in very good condition. Minimal wear, no tears we noticed. Dashboard and center stack console are also in excellent condition. There is a small tear on the drivers door pocket (pictured). Carpets are in tact and in good condition. Overall this interior is a prime candidate for a full showroom/concourse restoration if that is what you're looking for.
If there is anything you would like a more detailed description and/or pictures of, please email with your request and we will supply you with what you need (within reason, we're not going to start taking parts off.)
If you are able, please come and see the vehicle in person before/after bidding. We are Better Wheels, located at 27 Halstead Ave., in Harrison, NY 10528. Our shop hours are Monday - Friday 10AM - 7PM and Saturday 10AM - 5PM. Closed Sundays. You can call us @ 914-777-7111 or email us @ BetterWheelsNY@Hotmail.com and we will reply to you promptly.
We expect $1000 deposit via PayPal within 24 hours of the auctions end by the winning bidder, with balanced paid and pick up/shipping arranged for no more than one week later. Any shipping is at the buyers expense but we will do what we can to help facilitate. If you plan on picking the vehicle up, please make sure you nail down a pick up time with us. If you plan to drive the vehicle home, please make sure to have valid IN TRANSIT permits or plates and accompanying insurance. IN ANY SCENARIO please make sure to account for the transport of the hard top and wheeled cart. You cant just throw these things in the trunk!
Again, please contact us with any questions or concerns. Thanks for looking and here's to wishing you many years of joy with your newly acquired classic Mercedes-Benz!