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Single-family Owned with 34k-miles: 1989 560SL

We love receiving submissions from our subscribers and this black over palomino r107 is no exception. To begin with, this 560SL has only 34k original miles giving it some collectibility points. This is also the last year of production for the r107 and the later models received the updated KE Jetronic, electric fuel injection technology. The r107 first hit the market in 1971 so the technology alone made huge strides to 1989.

This 560SL is currently owned by Patrick, @themisunderstoodtycoon on Instagram, and located in South Florida. He acquired the car through his family back in 2007. The car was purchased new by his grandparents as a 50th birthday gift and delivery was taken on May 29th, 1989. Even today, the car remains largely original with the only update being a conversion of the A/C system to r134. The car still has it's original Becker radio, hard top, and soft top. Service records accompany the car since 2010. Unfortunately, the specialty mechanic that serviced the car prior to that closed down and older records are unattainable.

The black paint appears to still be very well kept with no signs of clear coat failure, a common issue with all classic Benzes. Plenty of shine and no noticeable dents are seen. All of the chrome and rubber bits around the car also support the fact that this car has only 34k well-cared for miles. As a USDM spec car, the bumpers are larger than the Euro models to comply with the US market safety standards at the time. Generally speaking, the Euro specs tend to be preferred with the skinny bumpers and full glass lens headlights, however, it's very hard to beat an all original example in this condition.

The interior seems to be equally as nice. The dash has remained free from cracks, another one of the most common defects of r107s and other classic Mercedes on the market today. The contrasting palomino interior is a perfect combination to the black exterior. From the parts of the woodgrain we can see, there appears to be no cracking or sun-fading. We'd recommend getting a shot of the wood trim around the gear selector as that's the most common place for the infamous hairline cracking commonly seen.

Values have come back down for the r107 since last year's bubble where we saw some incredible numbers for other low-mileage examples. While we acknowledge this isn't a comparison, it's worth noting that on August 14th, 2019, this 800-mile example sold at auction for $134,000 plus a $5,000 auction premium. Today, values remain strong but seem scattered based on color, condition, and mileage. This example seems to check all of the boxes. The seller is asking $49,995 which is on the high retail side of the spectrum but on par with a few other examples that can be found on the market. Most importantly, he wants this car to find a good home as it's been family since mile one. Luckily, Patrick is an understanding guy and willing to listen to offers from serious parties; his contact number is (651) 568-4688. So if you're in the market for one of these classic SL's, this one is worth a closer look as examples like this are becoming more uncommon.

 



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