1973 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC

Remarks

The most attractive thing about that this car in my opinion is that it’s unrestored and looks complete. There are one or two very minor things that a purist may wish to address, but the key point here is that you’re not dealing with the unknown quantity of someone else’s restoration – this is all as it came down the production line, so everything that you might wish to deal with can be done so with fresh eyes. In terms of corrosion, you should check and inspect the car for yourself at the Auction but there only appears to be a handful of very minor areas to the body – a little on either rear wheel arch, and a tiny bit on one edge of the bonnet, plus a little in the driver-side door-shut. Overall, the panels look solid and straight, and the paintwork is good. The correct chrome trim is all in place, and looks largely free from pitting or patination. The light lenses are in good condition, and all the window glass is fine. (You may spot that the outer panes on the louvred side windows are absent – I have these pieces.) The alloy wheels are tidy, and wear matching tyres with good tread. As the photos show, it does all appear to be pretty solid underneath, and since the photos were taken it has all been undersealed.

Remarks

I think the seats are in superb condition with minimal wear, and the fronts recline properly to allow access to the pleasantly squishy rear bench. The carpets are very good throughout, and the dash is in great condition with no visable cracks on the top and all the eyeball vents swivelling properly. Aside from the fitment of a modern Sony CD head unit, everything looks factory-original. The headlining is all complete and clean with no sagging, and the centre console is solid. The doorcards are great, and there’s no excess wear to the steering wheel or gearknob.

Remarks

This car has potential. The 450 SLC is a very sought-after model at the moment, and the chances of finding an original and unrestored example with such low miles is small. Sure, this car has been largely unused for a very long time. All of the original bits are there, it’s running and driving with a current MOT.

Remarks

An original and unrestored example of a ’73 SLC. Interestingly the DVLA shows it being first registered in the UK in March 1977 – and what’s even more interesting is the mileage: the clock shows just 19,750 miles, which is unverified but believed to be genuine. The car has spent the last decade or so largely in storage in south-west London; it has been MOT’d on-and-off (it has a current MOT, and the history shows it being tested in 2013 and 2014).