1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SL (R107)

• An original, UK right-hand drive R107 that has only covered 24,386 miles
• Purchased from Mercedes-Benz main dealer (Whitfields) in 2008 with 23,900 miles
• Placed in dry storage in 2008 as part of a large private collection
• Complete book pack with service invoices. Freshly MOT'd for the sale

Looking more handsome with every passing year, the R107-Series Mercedes SL was built at a time when the Stuttgart firm still had a reputation for building cars that made granite feel flimsy. Fast, comfortable and discreetly understated, it had an unparalleled ability to devour the miles for year after year without ever seeming to falter. No wonder it stayed in production fundamentally unaltered from 1971 until 1989 - the longest running chassis in Mercedes history.

The cars were offered with a wide range of power units using both straight-six and V8 engines, but one of the best was the 450SL V8 which developed 225bhp and 278lb/ft of torque, sufficient to propel the, by no means lightweight, cabriolet to a top speed of 130mph. A big favourite among the Hollywood jet-set (two-thirds of all these cars went to the States), no episode of Dallas was complete without an SL sweeping up to a Texan billionaire's ranch.

This 1997 450SL (R107) is an original UK-supplied, right-hand drive car finished in Nautic Blue Metallic with a matching blue interior and rare factory hardtop. It was purchased by our vendor from Mercedes main dealer Whitefields in 2008 at 23,900 miles and placed in dry storage as part of his private collection, which includes several other classic Mercedes-Benz. The car has covered very little mileage over the last 11 years remaining in the collection and only exercised occasionally and, as you can see, it remains in a condition that reflects its very low mileage and the way in which it has been kept. This really is a time warp example of this very desirable model from an era when these cars were truly over-engineered and represented the finest European roadsters available. It's accompanied by its complete book pack, service invoices and a fresh MOT.