1991 Mercedes-benz 500sl - 57k Miles - Excellent Condition - All Original on 2040-cars
Santa Monica, California, United States
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Overview The R129 500SL is one of the last, best Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Its designer, the legendary Bruno Sacco, called it “the most perfect car of my career,” and its lines still look great today. Furthermore, the quality of materials and engineering throughout is unmatched by pretty much anything sold since these cars were new. Its ground-breaking M119 dual overhead cam, 32-valve, all-aluminum V8 engine, matched with a surprisingly lively 4-speed automatic, delivers tons of smooth power from anywhere in the rev range -- and sounds magnificent doing it. And the well-tuned chassis handles just about everything you can throw at it with grace, comfort and agility. Ownership History I am the car’s second owner, having purchased it in January of this year from an elderly couple, who used the car only a few months each year when visiting from their primary residence in Japan. They originally acquired the car new from Jim Slemons Imports, a now-defunct Orange County dealership, in April of 1991. The MSRP of the car at that time was $95,180, according to the original window sticker (which is included with the sale). Condition
The car has lived its entire life garaged in California, with regular but sparing use, and has always been maintained by Mercedes-Benz dealers or specialists with no expense spared. It is easily one of the best examples available. Exterior: 8.5 out of 10 The car is completely original and has never been in an accident nor had any paint or bodywork of any kind. The arctic white paint (code 147) shines with a depth that only older Mercedes-Benz vehicles seem able to achieve. Any flaws I’ve found are well-documented in the photos -- mostly minor parking-related scrapes. Also, at some point a vandal attempted to remove the 500SL badge from the rear trunk lid, causing some damage. (I have fully removed the badge, and it is included with the sale.) I’ve chosen to leave everything as-is rather than to disturb the original paint. The car still wears its original black soft top. While fully functional, the top is showing its age with slightly yellowed plastic windows and one small tear (see photos). If you plan on using the soft top frequently, I would recommend having the entire rear panel replaced, which would run approximately $800 at a high-quality convertible top specialist. The original white hard top is in outstanding shape and sports a recent new headliner. Included with the car is an aftermarket hard top storage cart and cover. Interior: 9.5 out of 10 The black leather interior (code 271) is like new. The only notable sign of wear is some scuffing on the left bolster of the driver’s seat (see photos). Additionally, the plastic cover of the vanity mirror on the driver’s sun visor has broken off (I still have it), and the small cover that slides over the lower third of the center console has fallen within the console and needs to be retrieved. Otherwise, all switches, gauges, lights, windows, climate control functions, cruise control, etc. are working perfectly, as does the convertible top mechanism. Mechanical: 9 out of 10 The car runs and drives like the low-mileage, well-maintained Mercedes-Benz that it is. The 322-horsepower V8 motor idles almost silently yet pulls authoritatively when willed, and the transmission shifts through all gears quickly and smoothly, including the proper (and thrilling) kick-down at full throttle. The car tracks straight, soaks up bumps with no funny suspension noises, and the steering and brakes are both tight. It rides on brand-new Continental ExtremeContact DW tires. The only reason I am not giving the car a 10 out of 10 mechanically is that it occasionally runs rough for a few seconds when first started, usually after it’s been sitting for at least a day or two. I have not yet attempted to diagnose this issue, partly because it is easily avoided by giving the car just a tiny bit of throttle when firing it up. The engine runs perfectly at all other times and just passed the CA smog test with exemplary numbers, including no measurable CO emissions. Being a lifelong Southern California car, this 500SL is entirely rust-free. Also, there are no oil or fluid leaks of any kind. Service History The car has received all of its scheduled maintenance and repairs at Mercedes-Benz dealerships or specialists, and it comes with service records dating back to its first inspection at 1700 miles at Jim Slemons Imports (noted in the stamped maintenance booklet, which comes with the car). Recent repairs and maintenance include… @ 56k miles: new distributors & rotors, new engine air filters & cabin air filter, new transmission fluid & filter, new engine oil & filter, new fuel filter, new differential oil, new steering damper @ 54k miles: new brake rotors and pads @ 53k miles: new alternator I welcome and encourage private party inspections (at the buyer’s expense, of course). Pricing Classic car specialist Hagerty Insurance reports an average value of $9,444 for this model and year, ranging from $19,800 for a concours-ready example (#1 on their scale) to $6200 for one in fair condition and many notable flaws (#4 on their scale). My car is between a 2 and a 3 on the Hagerty scale, which equates to a value of $11,250. Reason for Sale I’m selling the car now because it’s currently just a weekend car for me, and I would like to use the funds to offset the costs of some upcoming home improvement work. Additional Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/ua28dbj2wbclh76/AADMlsOym5zAMP_cwW2N7tWma |
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Auto blog
Man makes record-setting drive across the US in 28 hours, 50 minutes
Fri, 01 Nov 2013Records, as the say, are made to be broken. Whether that's cramming the most hot dogs down your gullet, running a faster mile, or yes, driving across the United States, odds are that there's someone out there wants to eat more, run faster or drive harder. Speaking of that last example, the record for driving from a set location on the east coast, in particular the Red Ball Garage in Manhattan to the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, CA, has been one that has fascinated gearheads since a guy named Cannonball Baker made the trek from New York to LA in 53 hours, 30 minutes, in 1933.
The competition saw its glory days when Car and Driver's Brock Yates came up with the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (more affectionately known as the Cannonball Run), although the record was most recently set by Alex Roy and his 32-hour, seven-minute trek behind the wheel of a BMW M5 in 2006. Now, there's a new champion, who made the trip from east to west in a scarcely imaginable 28 hours and 50 minutes, behind the wheel of a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG. That's works out to an average speed of 98 miles per hour over the course of 2,813.7 miles.
His name is Ed Bolian, and Jalopnik has a writeup of the epic voyage that details everything from the history of the Cannonball Run to Bolian's preparation and trouble finding co-drivers, to the trip itself. It is well worth a read.
Mercedes-Benz engines with 48-volt systems coming in 2017
Tue, Jun 14 2016As part of a big green push announced yesterday, Mercedes-Benz is jumping into the world of 48-volt power. The company will launch a new family of efficient gasoline engines next year and will begin rolling out 48-volt systems with it, likely in its more expensive cars first. Mercedes will use the 48-volt systems to power mild-hybrid functions like energy recuperation (commonly called brake regeneration), engine stop-start, electric boost, and even moving a car from a stop on electric power alone. These features will be enabled through either an integrated starter-generator (Mercedes abbreviates it ISG) or a belt-driven generator (RSG). (RSG is from the German word for belt-driven generator, Riemenstartergeneratoren. That's your language lesson for the day.) Mercedes didn't offer many other details on the new family of engines. There are 48-volt systems already in production; Audi's three-compressor SQ7 engine uses an electric supercharger run by a 48-volt system, and there's a new SQ5 diesel on the horizon that will use a similar setup with the medium-voltage system. Electric superchargers require a lot of juice, which can be fed by either a supercapacitor or batteries in a 48-volt system. Why 48-volt Matters: Current hybrid and battery-electric vehicles make use of very high voltages in their batteries, motors, and the wiring that connects them, usually around 200 to 600 volts. The high voltage gives them enough power to move a big vehicle, but it also creates safety issues. The way to mitigate those safety issues is with added equipment, and that increases both cost and weight. You can see where this is going. By switching to a 48-volt system, the high-voltage issues go away and the electrical architecture benefits from four times the voltage of a normal vehicle system and uses the same current, providing four times the power. The electrical architecture will cost more than a 12-volt system but less than the complex and more dangerous systems in current electrified vehicles. The added cost makes sense now because automakers are running out of ways to wisely spend money for efficiency gains. Cars can retain a cheaper 12-volt battery for lower-power accessories and run the high-draw systems on the 48-volt circuit. The industry is moving toward 48-volt power, with the SAE working on a standard for the systems and Delphi claiming a 10-percent increase in fuel economy for cars that make the switch.
Driving the Kia K5 and Mini Cooper JCW GP, plus an interview with Jimmy Chin | Autoblog Podcast #637
Fri, Jul 24 2020In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and News Editor Joel Stocksdale. They veer off right away into talking about their dream project garages. Next up is news, including some info on the next Nissan Z car, the Honda Fit being discontinued in the U.S., new Mercedes-Benz EQS details, and some talk about the new, electric GMC Hummer being adapted for the military. Then they talk about driving the new Kia K5 sedan and the Mini Cooper JCW GP, before they opine about the 1966 Pontiac GTO. Autoblog Senior Producer Chris McGraw interviews Oscar-winning filmmaker Jimmy Chin about his collaboration with Ford for the Bronco reveal, and more. Finally, our editors help a listener in the U.K. pick a used vehicle in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #637 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Some thoughts on project cars News Nissan suggests the next-generation Z won't be electrified at launch Fit Is Gone! Honda drops subcompact hatch in U.S. Mercedes-Benz announces the electric EQS will offer over 435 miles of range GMC's electric Hummer could someday serve alongside the Humvee in the U.S. Army Driving the 2021 Kia K5 Driving the 2020 Mini Cooper JCW GP 1966 Pontiac GTO: Love it or hate it? We talk Ford Bronco and other adventures with Oscar-winning filmmaker Jimmy Chin Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: