2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

SL500 DESIGNO LAUNCH EDITION Convertible

5.0L V8

Automatic

WDBSK75F23F009243

Clear

Gasoline

2003 SL 500 “Launch edition” This is a very early build R230. To commiserate the new R230 the first vehicles were “launch editions” with the Designo package and were well optioned. The original sticker was almost $100,000.  This is a two-owner vehicle. The 2nd owner (my mother) purchased this vehicle in October 2013 and has added roughly 9,000 miles in the past 3 or so years. This vehicle has been serviced and repaired exclusively at the dealer since new. This vehicle has been garage kept since day 1 as well.  Tires are Michelin Super Sports and have 6/32 of tread front and rear, they were installed in February 2014 at 17,774 miles Vehicle has a clean Carfax. Aside from the bumper replacement (mentioned below) paint is believed to be original and accident free. Mechanical condition: The vehicle is in excellent mechanical condition. There is no deferred maintenance. The only item on the vehicle that is not functional is the in-dash CD drive. It should be noted that this is the drive used for the navigation. The radio, aux-input and CD changer all function as expected. This vehicle uses the older CD based navigation system. Refurbished units can be found reasonably priced (about $350) and the existing unit can be repaired if so desired. I personally would not bother. Cosmetic condition (exterior) : The vehicle is in cosmetic condition that you would expect for a garage kept vehicle with 26,000 miles on it. The paint shines well with a deep finish. There are no dings or dents. There are no scratches of note. The front bumper was replaced by my mother (the 2nd owner) when it developed a crack from a parking curb. The clear bra was replaced at this time. There are two minor imperfections in the front bra on the bumper illustrated in the picture. There is some pitting to the finish of the wheels but they are free of curb rash. There is a small flap missing from the convertible tonneau cover. This is an extremely common occurrence on these vehicles. A larger panel of the tonneau cover is required in order to replace the smaller flap. The panel is roughly $300 for the part. This does not adversely affect operation of the convertible top. Cosmetic condition (interior). The interior condition is very solid as well. There is some minor crinkling on the driver’s side bolster. The leather-covered dash and suede headliner are in excellent condition. There is some peeling on the plastic cover on the base of the driver’s seat, this is illustrated in a picture. The rubberized coating on the HVAC vents is gummy, not uncommon for rubberized plastics of this age. Repairs and maintenance: All service records since new are included. The often problematic ABC suspension system and the folding hardtop have been attended to with repairs as needed, at significant cost. Included with the sale are two sets of keys, a navigation CD, full books, and service/repair records since new. A custom sunshade is included as well. There is an adage in classic cars that "there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes." You can likely find a cheaper SL500 out there but finding one with low miles and full history will be a challenge.Please contact me with any questions. Please keep in mind that I am not a car dealer and it may take a few hours for me to respond to your questions. Payment: A $250 deposit is due within 48 hours of auction closing. The balance is due upon picking up the vehicle Shipping: Buyer is responsible for all shipping costs and arrangement should he/she choose to have the car shipped to them On Sep-21-16 at 11:09:33 PDT, seller added the following information: On Sep-25-16 at 17:46:55 PDT, seller added the following information: Two photos of the headliner have been uploaded below. I also forgot to mention in the initial description that this vehice has a K40 radar/laser detector built in! A photo of the controls can be found below as well: