Description
Offered for sale is an absolutely stunning, extremely well preserved, two owner 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SL with only 35k original miles and finished in ever-popular Signal Red over Palomino leather. The 560SL is an icon of its era – if you were famous, successful or just enjoyed a thoroughly engineered car with timeless styling, the 560SL was the car to have. Very few cars from the late 1980s will ever attain classic or collector car status – the Porsche 911, or the Ferrari 328 perhaps – but the 560SL is one the few. It really represents the end of an era – no expense spared, arguably over-engineered construction, a big torquey V8 engine, smooth ride quality, high quality materials throughout – all of the characteristics that garnered and maintained Mercedes’ glowing reputation for the better part of a century. While the marque is still at the forefront of the luxury car industry, anyone who has experienced 1980s models compared to their modern-day iterations will attest to the fact that they just don’t build them like they used to.
This beautiful example was ordered new by Arthur Tuccio, a successful real estate developer originally based in Port Chester, New York and Ridgefield, Connecticut. Mr. Tuccio always provided the car a well-cared-for existence, always keeping it maintained, never exposing it to winter weather and using it sparingly, accruing a mere 14k miles over the first decade of his ownership until he retired to Florida in 1996. The car came with him and while the weather in Florida allowed for year-round drivability, only 13k additional miles were added in the ensuing eight years. Mr. Tuccio eventually sold the car in 2004 (with just over 27k miles on the clock) to another retiree from Hilton Head, South Carolina. The second owner mimicked Mr. Tuccio’s exacting level of care, putting barely more than 8k additional miles on the car in over a decade of ownership before we were able to acquire the car earlier this month.
Commensurate with the previous owners’ careful use, the car looks and runs more like it’s a year or two old instead of twenty-nine. The paint, chrome, rubber, glass, interior – it’s all exactly the way it left the factory, with the exception of some extremely negligible wear. The paint is entirely original, retaining stunning depth and luster and marred only by the most minor of imperfections, none of which are significant enough to appear in any of the pictures. All of the chrome, rubber and glass is exceptional, as is the hard top, and the soft top was rarely used, showing only minimal wear and maintaining a clear rear window. The original wheels are wrapped in Continental tires with plenty of remaining tread and the car’s undercarriage is entirely original and rust free. All of the panel fits and gaps are perfect and there’s absolutely no evidence of accidents. The car’s interior is equally as clean, the leather seats showing virtually no wear, the carpets, interior panels and dash in excellent original condition and the hard-top’s headliner entirely perfect. It’s not just the pictures; this car shows like a car with 5k or 10k miles, not 35k. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Always professionally maintained and cared for, the car is just as sound mechanically as it is cosmetically. The 5.5L engine starts easily, idles consistently and pulls strongly and smoothly through each of the gears. Everything works as it should, including the A/C, gauges, original Becker radio and all electrical components. Running and braking straight and true, the car has a perpetually stable and comfortable ride quality, whether tooling through town, winding through the canyons or bombing down the highway at Autobahn speeds. Lastly, its original books and manuals, original Protect-o-Plate, original spare, original toolkit and clean Carfax report all accompany the sale.
This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a gorgeous, turnkey, low mileage, exceptionally well looked-after 560SL finished in the right trim and color combination. Whether you’re a Mercedes collector or enthusiast or just in the market for an appreciating modern classic, this striking original example deserves your serious consideration.
