Heroshot

1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL

RM Sotheby's Arizona 2022
Thursday, 27 January 2022
$145,600
Sale Price
80000 - 100000
Est. Range
No
Reserve
27 January 2022
Sold Date
170
Lot Number
#2
Unrestored original
RM Sotheby's
Auction House
Chassis no. WDBBA48D0KA103225 5549-cc, 227-hp V-8. Automatic, Becker Mexico Grand Prix radio, climate control, folding armrest, rear spoiler delete. Comes with hardtop, tools and spare.

Evaluation: Final year R107 showing just 9247 miles, which doesn’t seem believable—because it presents like a car with even fewer. The engine bay and underbody look like they’ve barely seen any time on the road, and the interior looks nearly showroom fresh. 560SLs are often well cared for, but this is a time-warp survivor.

Bottom Line: For years in popular culture the R107 (1971-89) Mercedes SL was a status symbol, a rich and successful guy’s car. That has made them desirable for years since people, well, want to look rich and successful. As they’ve gotten properly collectible, though, the gap between the nicest SLs and the rougher ones has gotten wider and wider. This SL, fortunately, qualifies as probably one of the nicest ones in the country.

We’ve come to think of Bring a Trailer as the place to find impossibly low-mile modern cars selling for impossibly high prices, but consider this: the same 9k-mile 560SL sold on BaT only last July for $86,625. The market is moving fast but not THAT fast, so why the $59,000 leap in six months? Unclear, but the carnival atmosphere of the Arizona Auction Week likely didn’t hurt. No matter the reason, this exceptional 560SL now carries a world record price.

by Andrew Newton
2 February 2022

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