UK-based classic Mercedes-Benz specialist SLSHOP has uncovered a time-capsule 1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL in factory-new condition that has never been registered or driven on UK roads. The car shows only 67km since leaving the factory more than four decades ago.
Originally built to compete with the Jaguar XJS Convertible, Porsche 911 Cabriolet and Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet, this pristine right-hand drive example is finished in Blue-Green Metallic and fitted with every available factory option.
SLSHOP believes it to be the only original, unregistered 500SL (R107) in existence outside the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
Purchased new on November 30 1982 by a Mr Hough, a watchmaker, for £24,400 (more than R2m today), the car was transported by trailer to his home in Gnosall, Staffordshire, where it was meticulously preserved in a heated, dehumidified garage for 42 years.
With the same attention to detail that defined his profession, Hough crafted a hallmarked sterling-silver Mercedes-Benz badge that still accompanies the vehicle.
Details that would have been seen in a Mercedes-Benz showroom in 1982 remain intact, including factory stickers, Waxoyl coating on the engine and exhaust, original sales documentation from Carols of Wolverhampton and incomplete V55/5 registration forms. Optional extras fitted include air conditioning, heated seats, leather upholstery, rear seats, ABS brakes and metallic paint.
Power comes from a 5.0l V8 producing 177kW and 402Nm of torque, enough to propel the car from 0–100km/h in under eight seconds.
“This 500SL is the closest reflection of the original R107 SL blueprints — a reference point for our technicians and a benchmark for the wider Mercedes-Benz community who continue to preserve these wonderful machines,” said SLSHOP founder and MD Sam Bailey.
“We learnt of it 15 years ago when Mr Hough approached me at the NEC Classic Car Show, and we agreed that one day SLSHOP would become its custodian. This car will never be offered for sale and instead we are creating a dedicated climate-controlled space where this remarkable time capsule will remain on display as a lasting tribute to Mr Hough’s passion.”
The 500SL will be displayed at SLSHOP’s Warwickshire headquarters, ensuring this untouched piece of automotive history can be admired by future generations. It will also appear at Mercedes-Benz World for a limited public showing in partnership with Mercedes-Benz UK.
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