1998 Mercedes-Benz R129 SL500

Sold in 1997 via Mercedes-Benz’s Diplomatic and Tourist Sales department in Piccadilly, London, this Azurite Blue Metallic SL500 has only covered 27,375 miles since. Having been looked after this really is a time-warp car that drives as well as it looks. A car that’s begging to be bought and used, daily, these cars modern and fast enough to be easy to live with, but engaging and interesting in a way that so few modern cars are. Ready to be driven out of here and enjoyed just as its original owner did back in 1997.

Having covered so few miles in its 27 years and been well looked after it’s not really a surprise to find that this SL500 is about as clean an example as you could discover, and use. The bodywork presents in excellent condition and is set off nicely by the recently refurbished alloy wheels wearing Michelin Primacy tyres all round. Elsewhere, it’s all supremely tidy, the interior showing minimal signs of wear and the boot is so immaculate we’re not sure it’s ever seen any luggage. It’s also pleasing to see that the original cassette player hasn’t gone the way of some awful aftermarket item, making the interior look period correct.

There’s a service book stamped through its early life – with a voucher for its first free service among the paperwork – the rest of the accompanying documentation attesting to care and money spent to keep everything as it should be. The MOTs underline the mileage is in order, too. This car has been known to us for the last couple of years and has been maintained accordingly.

Low mileage, great condition cars like this present a couple of opportunities; squirrel away, keep it in the same order and enjoy the idea of driving it, or just get out and use it. We’d always recommend the latter, because there’s arguably more value in the enjoying the car for the purpose it was designed for rather than something just to look at – however elegantly the R129 shape has aged. You could buy and run this cool, 5.0-litre V8 drop top over a few years for less than the depreciation on something ordinary and new would cost you.