Mercedes-Benz · 1989
500SL (R129)
Automatic · RWD · Germany
AutoIndex value · good UK car
£18,000
Researched from UK sold prices and auction results. How we value cars
Estimated price by condition
Project
£10,800
Restoration candidate
Driver
£18,000
Good usable example
Concours
£27,000
Show standard
Indicative condition bands · not a valuation of a particular car
Price check
Looking at a 500SL (R129) for sale? Is it a good price?
Buyer’s notes
About the Mercedes-Benz 500SL (R129)
The R129 SL was unveiled at Geneva in March 1989 as the most advanced roadster of its day, with a roll-over bar that deployed automatically, seats with integrated belts and a hood that stowed itself, all under Bruno Sacco’s clean styling. The 500 SL had a 32-valve 5.0-litre V8 of 326 PS, replaced by a three-valve V8 in 1998.
What moves the price
- Condition and history, which vary enormously because the car depreciated heavily and many were run cheaply.
- Era: the later three-valve SL 500 sits a little above the 32-valve car.
- Low mileage and full documentation, which are becoming hard to find.
Before you buy, check
- The hydraulic hood system — pumps, rams and pipes — the most common source of expense.
- On early 32-valve V8s, the wiring loom, whose insulation degrades: ask for the replacement invoice.
- Suspension bushes, adaptive damping where fitted, and rust at the wheel arches, boot lid and front wings.
From our research for Mercedes-Benz SL · Pagoda to R129, which covers it in full.
Vehicle data
Specifications
From 1989
Performance
Production
Own one?
Follow what your 500SL (R129) is worth
Pick its condition, then join free. Every car in your AutoIndex garage gets:
AutoIndex Editions · Volume XI
Read the full Mercedes-Benz dossier
Mercedes-Benz SL · Pagoda to R129 — 47 pages of history, production data, ownership economics and the market view, car by car.
Mercedes-Benz 500SL (R129): value questions answered
- How much is a Mercedes-Benz 500SL (R129) worth?
- A good, usable UK example of the Mercedes-Benz 500SL (R129) is worth around £18,000 on the AutoIndex index. A project car that needs restoration is nearer £10,800, and a concours-quality example around £27,000. Condition moves the price more than anything else.
- What makes one 500SL (R129) worth more than another?
- Service history and paperwork — complete, stamped, explained
- Mileage against the norm for the model
- Originality — matching numbers, original paint and trim
- Specification — gearbox, colour, factory options
- UK-supplied versus imported
- Is the 500SL (R129) I'm looking at fairly priced?
- Enter its asking price and condition in the price check above. It compares the price with the index for that condition and tells you what to ask the seller about.
- How many 500SL (R129) cars were built?
- Around 204,940 were built, by our production records.
- Is there a buyer's guide to the 500SL (R129)?
- Yes: Mercedes-Benz SL · Pagoda to R129, a 47-page collector’s guide. You can read a complete dossier free before you buy it.
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