Lot Ended
Description
Four owners, the third for 37 years; fabulous colour scheme; recently
recommissioned following a dozen years in storage; use-and-improve condition;
lots to like about this one
Launched in
1971, the SLC Coupe was a big bruiser of a car in the finest Mercedes tradition.
It was in its element charging down the fast lane of the autobahn scaring the
wits out of English tourists by shooting past their weedy Allegros at almost
double their maximum speed.
About the only car
ever to be adapted from a roadster into a tin-top, it was based on the SL
convertible but was stretched a few inches and had better handling thanks to its
much stiffer structure. Indeed it proved just how tough it was by its impressive
performance in gruelling long-distance rallies, including a win on the South
America Rally of 1978 and second place on the East Africa Safari. Fantastically
strong and stable at speed, it also made a great endurance racer, as anyone who
saw the brutishly handsome AMG ‘Mampe’ 450SLC winning the 1980 Nurburgring Six
Hours will testify.
The 380SLC came out in
1980 to replace both the 350SLC and the 450SLC and had a 4-speed automatic
gearbox in place of the older 3-speed unit. With 215bhp on tap, it could cruise
at three-figure speeds all day with uncanny stability and a top whack of 135mph.
It was only made for one year before SLC production came to an end in November
1981.
First registered in London in January
1981, this 380SLC has had just four owners from new, the third keeping it for 37
years (December 1987 – June 2025). Sadly there is no history with the car so we
can’t tell you much more about it. A check of the MOT history online shows that
it was last tested in May 2012 when it failed on a few minor points, being
tested again two months later when it passed with no advisories, the mileage at
this point being 94,474.
It now shows 94,489
miles so it has presumably been in storage for the last dozen years. A
couple of invoices show that it had a new Dayco V drive belt and a new
thermostat fitted late last year and we are told that it has more recently had a
few other minor jobs done to get it running properly.
As you can see in the photos, the bodywork looks to be generally
pretty good for the year/mileage, the only real issue we noted being some
bubbling under the paint at the top of the o/s rear wing and beneath the corner
of the o/s rear windscreen. We also noted that the electric windows and sunroof
were not working. It has the optional cruise control which is a nice feature for
a 45-year-old car.
Starting promptly and running
well as have driven it around on site, this SLC looks particularly nice in
Petrol Blue Green Metallic (877H) and is on offer here as a ‘use-and-improve’
project in need of some straightforward TLC. Intriguingly, there is a
'Stuntmen's Association' sticker in the rear windscreen which perhaps hints at
the profession of the previous long-term owner.
We are huge fans of
the SLC here at Brightwells: the build quality is superb and they are perfectly
capable of reliable daily use with a wonderful 'magic carpet' ride quality that
copes admirably with our rapidly disintegrating roads. The styling is wonderful
too and with top examples now fetching £25k+, this run-out 380 model has loads
of potential at the modest guide price suggested.
If that doesn't sway
you, check out the last photo to see what these cars can look like with
some gangsta stance. Booyakasha!
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – [email protected]