2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350

“ One of the very best examples - great colours, 1 owner and FMBSH ”
Depreciation can be a cruel master: The SL cost its first owners a little over £40,000, which, when you allow for inflation, would be around £72,000 today.

Background
The Mercedes SLK, or Sportlich (sporty), Leicht (light), Kurz (compact) was produced between 2004 and 2010. Given the model designation R171, it features a retractable hardtop roof, a sophisticated piece of engineering that brings the convenience of wind-in-the-hair motoring alongside the security of a hardtop coupe.

Never the most sporting of coupes, the SLK is, and was always designed to be, a laid-back cruiser and long-distance tourer, a role that it performs with uncommon civility – and uncanny reliability.

The refinement is partly a function of the structure, which is super-rigid and 46% stiffer than its predecessor, even with the roof down. This impressive torsional rigidity allows the suspension to get on with its job untroubled by a wilting bodyshell. It, along with twin airbags, also gives its occupants excellent secondary protection in the event of a crash.

The Mercedes SLK was offered with a range of engines from a 1.8-litre all the way through to a mighty 5.4-litre V8 that was hand-built by a single AMG engineer. A seven-speed automatic gearbox was on offer too, along with a six-speed manual.

As a result, the SLK offered something for every owner, starting with the base model’s top speed of 142mph and a 0-62mph time of around eight seconds and rising all the way to the AMG’s limited top speed of 155mph and acceleration time of under four-and-a-half seconds.

Overview
Still in the hands of its original owners, who bought it as a retirement present to themselves, the sales invoice shows they ticked the boxes for:

Marine Blue metallic paint (£600),
Alpaca Grey leather upholstery (a bit of a bargain at £900),
Ten-spoke alloy wheels (£180),
Parameter steering (£200), Parktronic (£590), and Rainsensor (a curiously specific £90.01),
Seven-speed Tronic automatic gearbox (£1,770),
Phone pre-wiring that includes Bluetooth connectivity (£420) and a phone cradle (£131),
The clever Airscarf (£340), plus fire extinguisher (£105), heated seats (£310), and velour mats (£48).
Tot that little lot up, add the base price of £34,185, and you arrive at an on-the-road price of £40,609.

A prudent pair with an eye on the long-term, they also treated ‘RV05 MRU’ to a Superguard treatment to preserve that gorgeous blue paintwork. They used the same Mercedes-Benz main agent throughout for servicing too; if you’re looking for an original example with an impeccable provenance, look no further.

Only ever used as a second car (day-to-day duties were the responsibility of their family workhorse), they’re starting to find it a bit hard to get in and out of, so if you’ve ever lusted after an SLK350, this is the one to buy.

Estimate: £7,000 - £12,000

View current price bid HERE