2003 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG

Highlights

• Early 52-plate SL55 AMG from the model's launch era

• Just 51,226 miles on the clock

• Supercharged 469bhp 5.4-litre V8

• Panoramic glass Vario roof and period flagship tech

• Stamped service booklet and a folder of invoices

Overview

When the R230 SL55 AMG arrived in 2002, it was the most powerful road car Mercedes had built up to that point. Its 5.4-litre supercharged V8 made 476hp (469bhp) and 516lb ft, good for 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds and a limited 155mph. Lift the limiter and things get properly silly; one German magazine took a derestricted car all the way to 202mph.

It cost £89,040 new, and buyers didn't exactly flinch, with AMG versions accounting for up to one in four SL sales between 2002 and 2008. Part grand tourer, part sledgehammer, it wraps all that muscle in a folding hardtop body with a Vario roof that stows itself in the boot. One minute it's a snug coupe for a winter motorway slog, the next it's an open roadster for a summer B-road blast.

This one's an early 52-plate car, registered on 21 January 2003 and showing just 51,226 miles. It's finished in silver, a colour that suits the R230's muscular haunches, over charcoal grey leather. Its documented servicing runs through Mercedes-Benz main dealers up to 2010, with independent Mercedes specialists taking over since.

Over two decades on, the flagship tech of the day remains on board, right down to a period Mercedes car phone tucked in the armrest. Glass panel overhead in winter, roof stowed in summer and V8 Kompressor badges on the wings, what's not to like? It's a low-mileage, well-specified early SL55 that wears its 469bhp with lovely understatement, and it's ready for its next chapter.

History and documentation

• Registered 21 Jan 2003

• Services recorded at Mar 2026 @ 50,978 miles, Jul 2024 @ 49,248 miles, Jan 2022 @ 46,891 miles, Aug 2018 @ 44,965 miles, Aug 2015 @ 36,247 miles, Aug 2014 @ 35,644 miles, Jul 2012 @ 31,111 miles, Feb 2010 @ 24,758 miles, Sep 2007 @ 16,058 miles, Oct 2005 @ 9,663 miles and Apr 2004 @ 4,517 miles

• Notable additional work includes a gear selector modification to prevent locking in Park, both bootlid struts, transmission filter, seal and multiplug with fresh fluid and a new main starter battery (Jul 2024), a battery control module repair (May 2024), new front brake discs and pads plus an automatic transmission service (Oct 2022), a replacement alternator (Feb 2022), an ABC suspension valve block repair, oil level sensor and gearbox service (Jan 2022), front and rear discs and pads (Sep 2015), front suspension arms (Aug 2015) and spark plugs (Feb 2010)

• Original book pack in a Mercedes-Benz leather wallet, including the SL owner's manual, COMAND manual, Linguatronic manual and stamped service booklet

• Folder of invoices and old MOT certificates

• Previous registrations carried over the years, now back on its original LR52 OLB plate

• MOT expires 30 Jun 2027

Interior

• Charcoal grey perforated leather AMG sports seats with fluted centre panels, electric memory adjustment and AMG headrest badges

• Grey leather door cards with SL emblem and silver trim

• AMG instrument cluster with V8 Kompressor rev counter, showing 51,226 miles

• COMAND head unit with sat nav, its screen shown working, plus dual-zone climate control

• Keyless-Go start/stop button on the gear selector, with ABC Sport, ESP and Vario roof switches

• Period Mercedes-branded Nokia car phone handset in the centre armrest

• Panoramic glass panel in the Vario hardtop with mesh sunblind; no visible headlining sag around it in our photos

• Mesh wind deflector, AMG sill plates, Mercedes-Benz floor mats and drilled aluminium pedals

• Driver's seat outer cushion bolster shows creasing and light surface wear

• The vendor informs us that the driver's seat massage function works intermittently

• Scuffing and some colour loss on the outer backrest bolster of one front seat

• Light creasing to the seat centre panels and armrest, with light marks on the armrest lid and light speckling on the silver console paint

• Steering wheel rim leather shows light shine from use

• Boot carpeted and tidy with roof stowage divider; underfloor well holds a tyre inflation compressor, jack and wheel brace

Exterior

• Even gaps across the majority of the car, finished in silver

• Vario folding hardtop pictured both raised and stowed

• Corrosion breaking through the paint along the leading edge of the offside rear wheel arch lip

• Light corrosion spotting at the edge of a further wheel arch lip where it meets the adjacent panel join

• Scratches and scuffing across the front bumper's lower lip, plus light surface marks above the offside rub strip

• Small patches of lifting lacquer either side of the grille, larger on the nearside

• Scuff at the offside end of the silver lower rear trim strip

• Plastic trim missing, visible when roof is closed (see image 43)

• 18-inch AMG five-spoke alloys with all centre caps present

• Lacquer lifting and peeling on the wheel faces, most pronounced around the rear wheel centres, which a wheel refurbishment could address

• Pirelli P Zero tyres all round (255/40 R18 front, 285/35 R18 rear), in a mix of P Zero and P Zero Rosso patterns

• Cross-drilled discs with AMG-branded brake calipers

Mechanical

• Supercharged 5.4-litre V8 (M113 Kompressor) producing 476hp and 516lb ft

• 5-speed automatic gearbox with rear-wheel drive

• 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds and 155mph (limited)

• AMG engine covers and builder's plaque in place

• MOT valid until 30 Jun 2027

Summary

An early 52-plate SL55 AMG with 51,226 miles, its 469bhp supercharged V8 and the flagship tech of 2002 still on board is a tempting thing. Add a stamped service booklet, a folder of invoices and a fresh MOT, and it makes a strong case for itself. Fancy a supercharged V8 grand tourer with a glass roof that disappears into the boot? Here's your chance.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located near Eastbourne.