There is no other car like a Mercedes-Benz SL, he legendary two-seat roadster series that has led the brand's image for more than 60 years. A Mercedes named the 300SL started the magic in the 1950s, nd that uniquely distinguished name returned in 1990 for the premiere year of Mercedes-Benz’s long-in-development R129 body style. The 1990 SL was the state-of-the-art representative of its class when it debuted and it would have a remarkable run through 2002, nd set the course for all SLs that have followed. 213,000 were built in this generation. Princess Diana famously drove one of these SLs; hers is now in the Mercedes museum. The 1990 300SL featured a six-cylinder inline engine producing 228 horsepower. This was the first SL in decades to be offered with a manual transmission in the U.S. market. The five-speed was an extremely rare choice and the car you see here is one of very few U.S. manual transmission Mercedes from this era you will find.
If you have a spare million lying around, ou can find a first-generation 1954-1963 300SL "Gullwing" or roadster. When new the 1990 300SL cost a smaller but still quite notable fortune -- about $75,000 (which would be $136,000 in today's money taking inflation into account). This auction may not approach any of those amounts but I'm going to let you the bidders decide what my car is worth by offering it to you in this no-reserve auction.

I am a long-time Mercedes-Benz Club of American member who has owned three other manual transmission Mercedes – once you get hooked on these cars in that configuration it’s hard to go back! I was intrigued with this particular unicorn Mercedes for quite a while before finding this excellent example locally and I have enjoyed owning it for four years. The family from whom I bought the car got it from the original owner about 15 years prior. They kept the car garaged and well-maintained. When I bought it with 100,360 on the clock, he car’s main need was repair of the hydraulic elements of the soft top, ll of which were leaking, o I spent several thousand dollars to have those professionally replaced so the amazing, ophisticated power top can be enjoyed. Note in the photos how a piece of the body rises to swallow that soft top and leave a clean line when it's completely hidden away.

The factory hardtop is in excellent shape and is currently mounted on the car for the cooler months. I have the factory stand for the hardtop, hown, nd I also have the wind deflector that fits behind the rear seats. In addition I will include a Mercedes-Benz cover to protect the car.

This car is in good driving order. It passed Virginia’s tough safety inspection in September. There are a few issues to note, elatively few and minor for a 25 year-old car:

· The “fasten seat belts” light stays on on the dash when the car is running. The clock works most of the time, ut sometimes malfunctions, pinning quickly. The key does not work manually in the doors (power locks work fine with remote key).

· The body is very straight except for a bend in the underside of the metal over the front passenger side tire, nd a couple of dings as shown in one of the photos. The cloth top is in presentable shape as shown and does not leak; it has a split in its small driver side plastic that is taped. The interior is in excellent shape for its age. I've included a photo of the driver’s seat outside bolster, here the soft leather split, contrast to the otherwise outstanding condition of the seats and an easy patch.

If you follow Mercedes prices, ou’ve seen how the 300SL lifted the 190SL, hen the Pagoda-roofed cars, nd then the R107s of the 1970s and 1980s that now are regularly passing $20,000. Now that these R129 bodied cars are a quarter-century old, ook for them to start increasing in value. The rarity of the five-speed cars makes them especially collectible. Originality is always a bonus. My car is equipped as it left the factory, own to the original alloy wheels, ubtly two-toned silver paint, nd the stereo. It is a time capsule classic from its first year of manufacture. It is also a still reasonable car to use as a regular driver and is fun to own.

My upcoming wedding has me reconfiguring my collector cars and finances. My friends will be surprised that I'm looking for a new home for this lovely car but my life change can be your silver opportunity.

Thank you for checking out this auction. I welcome any questions that you may have, nd I am available to show the car during this auction. I am located in Alexandria, A, ust 10 miles south of Washington, .C. We are convenient to three airports (DCA, AD and BWI) if you want to fly in and drive home. Delivery may be possible to some locations for a low cost. I am glad to meet a shipper if the buyer sends one and ensure the car is safely loaded. I will request a $500 deposit within 48 hours of the auction’s end by PayPal. Best of luck in your Mercedes hunt!