A SLSHOP, Avon’s company specialized in classic Mercedes automobiles, has discovered, in the United Kingdom, a unique specimen of the 500SL (R107), produced in 1982, which has the additional distinction of having only 67 km (42 miles). The vehicle has never been registered, and there are no records of it ever having been driven on public roads. It is believed that, aside from the one that the star brand has on display in its museum in Stuttgart, Germany, there is no other identical and fully original example.
Nicknamed the “time capsule” by SLSHOP itself, this 1982 500SL with right-hand drive is presented in its original condition, having been purchased by a British watchmaker named Hough on November 30, 1982, for £24,400 (approximately £87,000 in current values, which is around €100,250). Painted in “Blue Green Metallic,” it features practically all the available options at the time, including original factory stickers, air conditioning, heated seats, leather upholstery, and ABS. Launched in 1980, the 500SL of this generation was powered by a 5.0-V8 engine with 231 hp, capable of delivering noteworthy performance, even more so for its time, as demonstrated by the 0-100 km/h time of 8.1 seconds, or a top speed of 220 km/h.
The history of this 500SL is curious, as its buyer transported it by trailer to his home in Gnosall, in the Staffordshire region of England, where it was meticulously preserved inside a garage with temperature and humidity controls. And it remained that way for 42 years, a care that is reflected in the fact that it shows not a single trace of corrosion, despite all the time that has passed. For all these reasons, SLSHOP believes that this is the only original and unrestored 500SL, apart from the one in the Mercedes museum: “We first learned about this 15 years ago when we were approached by Hough at the NEC Classic Car Show, and we agreed that SLSHOP would one day become the guardian of the car. This Mercedes will not be sold! We are creating a dedicated space with controlled climate where this remarkable ‘time capsule’ will remain on display,” says Sam Bailey, the founder of the company. There are also plans to exhibit it at the Mercedes-Benz World built inside what was the Brooklands circuit in Weybridge, Surrey, England.
