1986 Mercedes 560SL!

Mercedes 560SL, 5.6 Liter V8.  Under 300 miles, brand new.  Possibly the finest R107 in the world, at least close.  For those demanding absolute perfection, there is nothing you can get in an old car that will fulfill the perfectionist's demands as well as a car like this can.  Simply undriven, simply as new in ever manner, simply museum level storage and ownership since new.  If you ask me what color the soft top is... I don't know.... The roof has never been off of this car. much less the soft top up.   I will find out later, but right now I just keep it a surprise for later.  This car is actually special ordered in its color and matching interior too, so I would not be surprised if the top was grey too.. but that is yet to be known.   What is known is that all the money in the world on top of a full lifetime commitment backed by a full staff of skilled workers to assist could not duplicate this car by trying to restore one...   They are only new once... and more important... they are only original once.   Quite possibly the finest 80s Mercedes in the world.... but if not the finest, darn close.

The Mercedes R107 began in 1971 and ended in 1989.   The 107 is probably THE car that represents Mercedes at its finest and may go down in history as the face of Mercedes Benz.  Even in the last year 89, this car had a vintage flair to it by that point as the body style had run so long.  Having a body style run for so long is the best thing in the world for the integrity of a vehicle... Every year they figured something out to make it better or correct the mistakes of the previous.   The crown vic and town car is the best US car ever simply for the fact by the time they ended the run there was little left to chance due to the length of the run.  The holy grail of the R107 is the 560SL, and that was the 86-89, then they were over.  86-89 are virtually the same with only some very small insignificant changes in the 4 years.  But as a whole other than the rear positioning of the 3rd brake light in 86-87 and forward positioning in 88-89, there is little to no difference in the 560 cars.  The extensive run of this body style also helped the car become a classic as its not a car (like newer Mercedes) that they literally change the style on almost every 2 years making the former car just a recyclable item like a water bottle. These cars were built to last, more in the quality level vs the bell and whistle check box that seems to mandate what sells today.  Also the crowd that bought these cars new were a whole lot more savvy than the current buyers.  These cars actually held a good % of their resale for many years. A new Mercedes can literally lose 100K in less than 2 years when that water bottle is ready for the bin yet people are still lining up.   They really have me asking why.  Many 560s survived well as they were a "toy" car vs daily transportation for many.   If you could afford one of these new, you probably had another car to drive, but then many were heavily neglected too then later pieced together to try and recover funds.  Today the resale of the mega low mile as new 560SLs have seen as high as 80K, but the high mile ones are literally almost free.  However you do see a few good high mile ones still sell at a higher price.... and condition is everything on these cars... and it is a car that either you will love if you buy a good one, or you will absolutely hate it if you go for that "deal"..... No free lunches on good cars, especially more complex good cars....  That is the best advice I can give anyone.

The nice thing about the 560 to me is the 5.6 liter engine.  It is what makes the car.  Just Google the 560 and find out these cars are no slouch.  They are very powerful and at their 227HP rating, it really is quite common knowledge today that they were underrated a good % to what they really are.  I can testify they are stronger that a later R129 500SL... but not a 600SL.  Even today the car is beyond decent in power and I am a high power car nut.  No complaints at all on these 560SLs... they do everything you want them to and more.   Really, I believe these car will go down in history as the face of Mercedes Benz.  They are a quality car, last of the real non plastic Mercedes and its pretty much a unanimously liked car, even if you cant stand Mercedes.

CLICK ANY PHOTO FOR AN EXTREME BLOW UP!

That is reading as of 5/2013... I say 300 miles in text just to give about a decade of wiggle room... but that is what it is now.

Note the orangish tie rod ends above and below the build tag on the suspension.  Never have I seen one in place.

Below, part # on exhaust system and you can see the reflection in the transmission pan.  

Ok.. What is this for???  Well as long as I have looked at and messed with the 107, every car seems to have its own "unique" positioning of the rear emblem after they have been pieced back together from repaints, wrecks, or plain old car wash rip offs.........  Looking at several no mile cars in the 107, and true originals... this is the correct positioning.  I am glad that no one has made this public knowledge before now as this is one of the key things I look at on any car is emblem placement.  Now that does not mean you have a bad car if your emblem is wrong, and it certainly does not mean your car is original either, as I can put one of these back on perfect and you would never know the better and I am sure many others can too... But judging from many sub 1000 mile 107s, this is where they come in from the factory and this is a good reference to use.  1 7/8" X from l side deck and 1" Y from lower deck... I am sure they used metric.... but I am not.

Below.... No 560 came with chrome wheels.  These are factory chromed wheels done by 3rd party after the fact.  Oem silver ones and tires were kept and are as new and with car.  Just a nice addition that is almost mandatory today and always believed by the naysayer as an "option".....  These are probably what made them an option in later years...

Simply unused from every angle and as new.

One to collect and one to drive.

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