One owner. Higher mileage but EXCEPTIONAL maintenance with documentation and receipts. Two tops, new seat covers, custom chrome wheels. Everything works, runs and drives superbly. An affordable 560SL that lives up to the legend.

This flashy 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL is a fantastic combination of affordable price, great specifications, and strong pedigree. The bright red over tan leather combination is elegant and intimidating at once, the perfect choice for the top-of-the-line SL and perennially popular with enthusiasts. On the trim SL, it looks like the sheetmetal was shrink-wrapped over the mechanicals and the chiseled character lines along the bodywork really stand out. This car has never been hit or rusty, and that’s mostly original 1987 paint, which means there are no nasty surprises waiting for you underneath (the hood has been repainted). Build quality is exemplary, which you’d expect from a car whose engineers referred to as “der Panzerwagon,” or “The Tank.” It feels incredibly robust, and this is a 35-year-old machine! The US-spec rubber bumpers have become so familiar that they’re not really a demerit today and they remain in excellent condition with no UV damage or cracks. There’s still quite a bit of chrome and it’s all excellent, from the grille to the windshield surround to the wonderfully heavy-feeling bright trim on the trunk lid. Like most SLs, this car has led an easy life with just a single owner who used it as a summertime toy.

With the 560, leather upholstery was now standard, wrapped around supportive seats that hold you in place without feeling tight or restrictive. The seat covers are recent, so they remain in excellent condition with no issues, and despite being original, the rest is in fantastic shape. Carpets, door panels, and the real burled walnut on the console all remain excellent. The big steering wheel was leather-wrapped in the 560, and the big, round gauges are a model of functionality, able to be read at a glance. There’s a newer JVC AM/FM/CD/USB stereo, but it sounds great and still triggers the power antenna properly. The A/C blows cold, the windows power up and down properly, and even the temperature gauge in the center of the dash keeps an accurate eye on exterior temperatures (this is not an owner add-on). You’ll note that this car has an upholstered rear seat area, which is obviously for children, and it has seat belts for safety, so don’t be afraid to bring the kids for some top-down fun. The trunk is beautifully upholstered using the same plush carpets as the interior, and you’ll find the original unused spare and jack tucked underneath. All SLs came standard with both a folding cloth top and a removable hardtop, with the cloth top being recent and in excellent condition.

But the biggest improvements to the 560SL came under the skin, starting with the big 5.6 liter SOHC V8 engine, which powered all Mercedes-Benz flagship sedans in the 1980s. In the relatively lightweight SL, performance is impressive, even bearing in mind that the transmission usually starts in 2nd gear. There’s torque available at any speed and I would liken this SL more to a German Mustang than a lightweight sports car. It’s impeccably smooth at all times, even when you’re running hard, and it has proven itself over the decades as one of the toughest machines ever to come out of the Mercedes-Benz factory. There’s some concern over the timing chain and gears, but fortunately, this car has a recent and extensive service to eliminate that worry. That work included the timing chain upgrade, making it something that the new owner will never, ever have to worry about again. Mileage on these cars seems to be a non-issue, as they’ll seemingly run for hundreds of thousands of miles without any diminution in performance or reliability, so it’s a mistake to regard a car with mileage like this one as second-best. Maintenance is what really matters, and this car has been properly maintained all its life, a fact that is more than demonstrated by its extensive service receipts.

All 560SLs received a 4-speed automatic transmission with a deep overdrive gear, so it’s an effortless high-speed cruiser, especially with 2.47 gears out back (remember this car was born to run the Autobahn). For smoothness, it is programmed to start in 2nd gear, which makes it feel a little sleepy, but a quick prod of the throttle will drop it into 1st and the car takes off like a rocket—German Mustang indeed! Otherwise, shifts are smooth and unobtrusive, and only Mercedes-Benz seems to have mastered the ride/handling compromise that makes the SL so much fun. Drive gently, and it feels luxury car smooth, with bumps feeling far away and never upsetting the rock-solid platform. Drive it aggressively and it is happy to run with you, with good reflexes and a surprisingly amount of grip. Powerful 4-wheel disc brakes are augmented by ABS, another 560 upgrade, and there’s a wonderful V8 burble from the tailpipes out back. This car sits on a set of chrome alloys as well as recent 205/65/15 Continental radials, so it’s ready to drive anywhere.

Extras include the original owner’s manuals, a chassis manual, large binder full of receipts, as well as numerous spare parts including the original package shelf if you’d like to remove the back seat.

We’ve sold quite a few of these and their enduring appeal surely comes down to their awesome build quality and fun-to-drive road manners. This is a whole lot of car for the money, and if you’ve been watching R107 prices lately, you know that these are on the move in a big way. We can’t promise this one will make you rich overnight, but we can promise that you’ll be having too much fun to worry about it. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.