This one-family owned 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL, with just 60,000 miles and incredible original condition, has never been listed for sale. Until now.
Out of love for the ailing father who special ordered this 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL, took delivery at the factory doors and then drove with his wife across the Iberian peninsula, the son and current caretaker of the car has refused all offers for its purchase. After five years, however, the son now wants to see the car go to a loving home and is listing the highly optioned roadster for $49,500 in Dallas, Texas. Contact the seller here.
Working as a venture capital investor during what was the infancy of California’s Tech boom, the father carefully researched automotive technology when deciding which sports car to buy for himself. His research led him to German car companies and, in particular, the offerings of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. After careful consideration—and discussions with a son who begged for a Porsche—the dad ordered a brand new Mercedes-Benz 250SL through Autohaus Brugger in Redwood, California. White over black leatherette was the chosen color combination, and the father also specified European delivery.
Picked up in Germany, the car was driven for an extended vacation through Europe and across the Iberian Peninsula before being shipped back to San Francisco. There, the 250SL would be used briefly as a daily driver before the growing responsibilities of a growing family necessitated the daily use of a 428-powered Ford station wagon. Thereafter, the 250SL only left the garage for casual drives or service at the Mercedes-Benz dealership.
The result of this careful consideration and focus on technology can be seen in the fine options present and their incredible original condition. Black leatherette was chosen for it’s unique ability to wear like leather but with better breathability and comfort, and less required care. Both hard and soft tops were ordered to allow comfortable driving in any conditions and the 4-speed automatic transmission was chosen for ease of use. Interior conveniences include a Becker Europa radio and an accessory reading light. All of these features remain and stand in excellent original condition.
The car has never been crashed and boasts all original paint in excellent condition over completely rust free panels. Some patina can be seen in the paint but is amazingly light considering the age of the car. Seats, upholstery and floor mats are original as well and show only slight wear and fading as the car has enjoyed a west coast climate and indoor storage for the duration of its history. The seller indicates that the driver’s seat would benefit from a re-stuffing though the leatherette is in fine condition. The only unoriginal items on the 250SL are, in fact, the OEM replacement soft top, an aftermarket ignition capacitor, replacement heater controls, the tires, and the battery.
Finally, the seller wanted to make sure that we knew the car wasn’t perfect. To that end he provided the following details:
1) The original keys and tumbler are worn and do not engage with the same precision as if they were new.
2) Where the gearshift meets the console there is a plastic liner inside the console trim. While the trim is present and in good condition, the liner is chipped.
3) Driver’s seat needs restuffing
4) Two bottles of wine fell from a shelf and landed on the hood. The bottles did not break. The paint did not crack. There are no stains in the paint though there are two small indentations where the bottles landed. The seller thinks these could be fixed easily but wanted to leave that decision to the next owner.
When the list of concerns with a 55-year old car contains just these four minor items, the car is very good, indeed.
We have always thought the Mercedes-Benz 250SL to be the darling of the 230/250/280 family as it combined the fine handling, aesthetics, and emission-equipment-free simplicity of the 230 with some of the increased power and technical improvements of the later 280. But as the 250SL is a one-year-only model, however, we rarely see them in person and we’ve never seen an original car as nice as this. This, then, is a rare opportunity to purchase an all original, impeccably maintained, well documented roadster from the family who purchased it new.
Contact the seller here.
