1980 Mercedes-Benz R107 280SL

About this Mercedes-Benz R107

We are well known as experts in the servicing and restoration of Mercedes cars, especially the SL.

This car represents a potted history of the company in that the car was first serviced by company founder, Colin Ferns, way back in 1992 when there was only 22971 miles on the odometer.

At that time the car was owned by a Gentleman by the name of Charles Phillips in Chelsea who had been only the second owner having purchased the car in 1986. He kept it in a heated garage and hardly every drove it. Once per year he would ask Colin to come and take it away, put a few miles on it and do whatever was necessary with no expense spared. Mr Phillips owned an advertising agency and it was he who advised Colin to make his name the company name.

After four years and still only 40000 miles on the odometer the owner asked Colin to find a new custodian due to the arrival of a new addition to the family so the car was sold to the father of one of Colin’s friends, Ted Luckins. Mr Luckins also kept it in a heated garage and hardly ever drove it, rather repeating the exercise of asking Colin to take it away once per year and do whatever is required. Mr Luckins enjoyed sparing use of the car, mainly for trips to France in summer until his death in 2007 by which time the car had still only covered 72000 miles.

Colin was keen to ensure that the right new owner be found and so bought the car from Mr Luckin’s estate so as to take time finding the right next custodian. That custodian was a Mr Hedges. He bought the car and almost immediately put it into secure storage and declared the vehicle SORN.

Mr Hedges added a modern DAB radio but covered less than two thousand miles in his 12 years of ownership and when he decided to part with the car he made sure that Colin was tasked once again with finding a new custodian.

All of the MOT certificates, the service book and the owners manual are present and able to demonstrate this history.

We have given the car a full service (including new transmission fluid & filter, new fuel filter and new brake fluid) and we have detailed the engine bay which was the only part of the car that was starting to show its age.

Mercedes rubber overmats have been fitted since new and so the carpets are like new.

As you can see from the photographs the car presents beautifully with an almost complete absence of signs of age.

She drives as well as she looks and is looking forward to giving her new custodian many years of pleasure going forward.

She has the added advantage of being capable of being ULEZ free once registered as a historic vehicle (not currently the case but easily done and thereafter no road tax or MOT required although it is recommended that if the car is to be driven then an MOT should always be procured).

With a provenance like this we believe this car to be unique and are confident the new custodian will be as enraptured as Colin and all her previous custodians have been.