This 1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500 received over $13k in service during previous ownership, and the selling dealer purchased the vehicle from that owner on BaT in September 2024. Work included overhauling the suspension, reupholstering the seats in gray leather, refinishing the 18″ Monoblock wheels, installing a blue soft top, rebuilding the power steering pump, and replacing the serpentine belt, fuel pump, drivetrain mounts, and more as detailed below. The Brilliant Silver Metallic car is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, and it is equipped with the Sport Package, a removable hardtop with a panoramic roof, a Bose sound system, a modified factory radio with Bluetooth, and Bilstein dampers with Eibach lowering springs. The car remained registered in Texas until 2021 and has since spent time in Minnesota and Iowa. Indicating 77k miles, this R129 is now offered by the selling dealer at no reserve with the owner’s manual, a service list and records, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Iowa title.

The car is finished in Brilliant Silver Metallic (744) and features a removable hardtop with a panoramic roof said to have been sourced from a red car and repainted. The Sport Package added revised bumper covers and aerodynamic side skirts. A replacement blue soft top was installed in February 2023 after the hydraulic cylinders were replaced in February 2018. The previous owner told us that the front bumper cover was replaced after being damaged in transit in 2021, and records indicate that the right mirror was replaced in 2022 before dents in the hood, left-front fender, and left door were repaired in May 2024.

The 18″ AMG Monoblock wheels were straightened and refinished in August 2021 and mounted with 245/40 front and 275/35 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires in April 2022. The suspension was overhauled under previous ownership with Eibach lowering springs and Bilstein shocks as well as replacement control arms, shock mounts, sway bar links, and various bushings. Additional work during the previous owner’s stewardship included rebuilding the power steering pump and replacing the steering damper and front wheel bearing seals.

The power-adjustable seats were reupholstered in gray leather in February 2023, and burl wood trim accents the center stack and door panels. Amenities include a Bose sound system, seat-position memory settings, cruise control, automatic climate control, and Coco floor mats. The factory AM/FM/cassette radio has been modified with Bluetooth connectivity, and further work since 2021 has included recharging the air-conditioning system, repairing the radio volume, and replacing the headlight switch, sun visors, headrest gears, door-mounted speakers, and various interior trim pieces. The car does not come with a working remote key fob.

The four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel frames factory instrumentation. The digital odometer indicates 77k miles.

The 5.0-liter M119 V8 was factory rated at 315 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque. The timing chain guides are said to have been replaced under previous ownership, and the previous owner told us the following parts were replaced between 2021 and 2023:

• Camshaft adjusters
• Fuel sending unit
• Serpentine belt
• Spark plugs
• Fuel pump
• Idler pulleys
• Oil pan gasket
• Oil sender O-rings
• Coolant level sensor
• Hood insulation pad

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. The driveshaft support bearing, flex discs, and shifter bushings as well as the engine and transmission mounts were replaced between 2021 and 2024.

A list of work performed during previous ownership is included in the sale along with manufacturer’s literature and service records.

The Carfax report is free of accidents or other reported damage.