This is a very rare and interesting car, a 1985 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Manual, finished in the rare and beautiful Midnight Blue with Grey Leather Interior. What is interesting is that it was specified from new with the 5-Speed Manual Gearbox instead of the normal Automatic option, in addition to factory Aitr Conditioning! This changes the whole character of the car, making it far more nimble than you would think. The gearbox is a pleasure to use also and makes you wonder why they are so rare! Our car has been totally restored and its condition belies the 149k Miles it has covered. She is beautiful in all aspects!

In 1971 Mercedes-Benz launched a new range of convertible sports cars to replace the much loved Pagoda. Longer and wider than its predecessor the new W107 chassis featured front and rear crumple zones to meet the latest crash protection standards and was, inevitably, heavier. Like its forebears the newcomer was more sports-tourer than outright sports car and came equipped with all-independent suspension. At first fitted with 3. 5 and 4. 5 litre V8 engines Mercedes nimbly responded to the 1973 oil crisis by introducing a 2.8 litre model in October 1974. Its straight six twin-cam engine with Bosch electronic fuel injection produced 185 DIN horsepower at 5800 rpm, providing a very respectable top speed of 118 mph. When fitted with a manual five speed gearbox 0–60 mph was reached in around 9. 5 seconds, with the car being restrained by four wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Badged as the 280SL the model offered a delightful combination of styling, comfort, economy, and relative ease of maintenance when compared to its more complicated V8 siblings, and some 25,500 units were produced until it was replaced in 1985, although the Manual Option was rarely taken up.

Our car has some desirable options such as the Rear Seats, Air Con, Electric Windows, Black Soft Top, Later Alloys, and Colour Coded Hard top. We have the original service book and a full history from new, literally hundreds of invoices and nearly every MOT. The paintwork is beautiful and the interior like new, she presents like a 20k Mile car and drives like one also. She has a current MOT until Feb 2026 with no rust advisories at all so is as solid underneath as on top and is ready for the summer. The Manual gearbox is incredibly rare and desirable, and the colour and condition of this car make it stand out from the crowd, oh, and also the price.