2003 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG

Highlights

• Hand-built supercharged 5.4-litre AMG V8

• 493bhp and 0-62 mph in 4.7 seconds

• Genuinely low mileage at circa 45,600 miles

• Obsidian black over two-tone designo leather

• Panoramic glass roof and folding metal hardtop

• Freshly refurbished AMG alloys on premium tyres

• Lots spent on recent maintenance

Overview

This is a genuinely low-mileage R230 SL55 AMG, showing circa 45,600 miles and finished in Obsidian black over two-tone designo leather. It presents as one of the cleaner, more original examples of its generation, with straight panels, a deep and even gloss to the paint, and a freshly refurbished set of AMG monoblock alloys sitting on staggered Continental tyres.

The SL55 was Mercedes at its most gloriously contradictory: a folding-hardtop luxury roadster with a hand-built, supercharged 5.4-litre AMG V8 lurking under the bonnet. It'll waft you across a continent in near silence, then pin you into the seat with 493bhp whenever the mood takes you. Two decades on, that split personality still feels special.

This car has also had meaningful money spent in recent years, so it drives and presents like a car that's been well looked after. The result is a handsome, well-sorted grand touring roadster that's ready to be used and enjoyed exactly as AMG intended.

History And Documentation

• First registered on 24 March 2003

• Documented servicing at May 2004 @ 1,093 miles (Mercedes-Benz of Gatwick), May 2005 @ 2,682 miles and Mar 2006 @ 3,859 miles (Mercedes-Benz of Southend), Apr 2010 @ 7,879 miles and May 2011 @ 9,060 miles (Southend), May 2012 @ 10,021 miles (WH Whittingham), Apr 2013 @ 13,725 miles and Mar 2014 @ 20,870 miles (Canvey Autos), May 2016 @ 27,380 miles (Arun Ltd), Sep 2021 (details below), Mar 2023 (Eden Prestige Autocare) and Aug 2024 @ 42,681 miles (J & P Repairs)

• September 2013 at 16,350 miles: suspension and electrical diagnostics with a replaced offside-rear suspension unit and alarm siren (£1,721)

• March 2021 at 40,638 miles: central locking repair with a new PSE pump (£1,194)

• September 2021 at 40,639 miles: major service including new drive belts and guide pulleys, new front and rear brake discs and pads, a brake fluid change, a gearbox service and two new front suspension struts (£5,397)

• August 2024 at 42,681 miles: 16 new spark plugs plus new oil, air, fuel and cabin filters (£609)

• AMG alloy wheels refurbished in July 2025

• Current MOT valid until 01 December 2026

• HPI check clear

• Presented with its V5C, service booklet and a collection of invoices, with two key fobs and a valet key seen in the photographs

• Current mileage of 45,609 miles

Interior

• Two-tone light grey and stone perforated leather with designo gold badging

• AMG instrument dials with suede-trimmed binnacle, showing no warning lights

• COMAND head unit with working satellite navigation, a six-disc CD changer, telephone and Bluetooth, and a TV tuner

• AMG start/stop button, Touch Shift selector, dual-zone climate control

• Illuminated AMG sill plates, memory and heated seats, roll-over bars and a mesh wind deflector

• Panoramic glass roof with an interior blind; suede-look headlining intact

• Light bolster creasing and minor scuffs to the pale leather that would likely respond to a valet

• Boot clean and usable, with the factory tool kit, first-aid kit and warning triangle present

Exterior

• Finished in Obsidian black with a deep, even gloss over straight panels and even shut lines

• Light swirl marks visible in the paint under strong light

• Some age-related hazing to the headlamp lenses, an easy candidate for restoration

• AMG twin-five-spoke silver monoblock alloys refurbished in July 2025, with one minor rim-lip scuff

• Staggered Continental ContiSportContact tyres, 255/40 ZR18 front and 285/35 ZR18 rear, with healthy tread

• Silver AMG brake calipers over cross-drilled discs, with light surface scoring to the front discs consistent with use

• Quad exhaust outlets with a black honeycomb rear diffuser and rear parking sensors

• Bi-xenon headlamps

• Folding metal Vario hardtop photographed operating through its full cycle

Mechanical

• Supercharged 5.4-litre M113 V8 producing 493bhp and circa 516 lb ft

• Five-speed AMG SpeedShift automatic gearbox driving the rear wheels

• 0-62 mph in 4.7 seconds and an electronically limited 155 mph top speed

• Major service in September 2021 covering new drive belts and guide pulleys, front and rear brake discs and pads, a brake fluid change, a gearbox service and two front suspension struts

• Central locking repaired with a new PSE pump in March 2021

• 16 new spark plugs and fresh oil, air, fuel and cabin filters fitted in June 2024

• Hand-built AMG engine carrying its Affalterbach one man, one engine signature plaque

Summary

This SL55 AMG makes a strong case as one of the cleaner, lower-mileage R230s around, and it looks every inch the flagship in Obsidian black over designo leather. You get hand-built, supercharged V8 pace, a folding hardtop for year-round use and genuine long-distance comfort, all in a car that's clearly been looked after and used sparingly. It's ready to drive away and enjoy from day one.

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