Shocking price for a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL 'SportLine Zero' Electric Convertible

[MikeInWimbledon]

Too late for you to buy, but I was "shocked" by this electric 350 SL. Shocked or "gobstruck." What say you?







Yours for £40k all in. Conversion done by the SL Shop. This appears to be their first electric conversion.

Bonhams Auction at Goodwood: 1971 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL 'SportLine Zero' Electric Convertible


Background reading from 2020 when they were floating this "concept car" The first ZERO emission Mercedes-Benz SL R107 - SLSHOP

And from their first sale in 2021: SLSHOP SportLine Zero Electric Car

 

[Darrell]

So that’s £40000 for a finished vehicle??

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Too late for you to buy, but I was "shocked" by this electric 350 SL. Shocked or "gobstruck." What say you?

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Yours for £40k all in. Conversion done by the SL Shop. This appears to be their first electric conversion.

Bonhams Auction at Goodwood: 1971 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL 'SportLine Zero' Electric Convertible


Background reading from 2020 when they were floating this "concept car" The first ZERO emission Mercedes-Benz SL R107 - SLSHOP

And from their first sale in 2021: SLSHOP SportLine Zero Electric Car

Seems jolly reasonable for £40k to me.

 

[John757]

On Vintage Voltage the TV series....a conversion specialist in Wales, £40k was the conversion cost of most of the classics they did.. plus the cost of the car
It would be safe to guess... this is a similar cost?

 

[Darrell]

Seems jolly reasonable for £40k to me.

What I was thinking.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

So that’s £40000 for a finished vehicle??

Yup, that's £40k for the whole shebang at Bonhams auction today, down at Goodwood.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

On Vintage Voltage the TV series....a conversion specialist in Wales, £40k was the conversion cost of most of the classics they did.. plus the cost of the car
It would be safe to guess... this is a similar cost?

Nope, this is £40k for that donor vehicle AFTER the SL shop has done the conversion.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

This gave me The Vapours. Don't know what the going rate for an excellent R107 is these days, but I would have thought £30k should be close for this level of quality - it's very crisp. And then you add the cost of the conversion.

One way of thinking about it is that it's a crazy bargain.

Another way of thinking about it is that it destroys a classic and puts in an EV 1.01 driveline

"Very interesting...."

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Sheesh. Just had a look at the SL Shop prices for their own and for customer's R107's

R107's are offered at anywhere between £25k and £140k, "depending on condition" and warranty etc.

Very interesting, but more the enthusiast's choice. Bobby Ewing would be in an AMG these days.

 

[John757]

Perhaps the SL shop keeps all the removed parts and refurbishes them for others restoration projects .. to offset the cost of conversion to EV ... parts are expensive.

 

[John757]

1971 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL 'SportLine Zero' Electric Convertible
Registration no. SCC 107K
Chassis no. 107043 22 011980
• Unique creation by marque specialists SLSHOP
• Fully restored and developed with no expense spared
• 150hp 213lb/ft electric motor
• 53kWh of Tesla batteries
• Registered as an Electric Vehicle for city-centre driving
Footnotes
Known as 'SportLine Zero', this 1971 Mercedes-Benz 350 SL has been converted to fully electric propulsion by marque specialists SLSHOP. The car has been fully rebuilt from the ground upwards and cost nearly £200,000 to develop. SLSHOP and Electric Classic Cars are able to offer ongoing maintenance support for the new owner of this unique creation.

The SL arrived at SLSHOP ready for retirement, minus its engine and with a faulty gearbox. The car was then completely stripped and rebuilt with the utmost attention to detail, while every aspect carefully planned to retain the handling characteristics of the standard version. To this end the SL is balanced by an even front/rear split of batteries, which are contained in the boot and engine bay. It also weighs approximately the same as a standard Type R107 SL. The electrics and running gear are discretely hidden, and there are no clues to the car's transformation other than the dials, non-standard gear selector, and charging plug beneath the fuel flap.

Unlike a petrol or diesel engine, the electric motor is quick to come to life, requiring no warming up; once the key is in the 'ignition', the SL is ready to be enjoyed. Mounted front and rear are 53kWh of Tesla batteries, powering a 150hp 213lb/ft electric motor. This is more than enough power for an SL and offers a range of 150 miles. Acceleration is dialled down at low speeds to closely match that of the petrol-engined version. The 0-60 sprint time is on a par with that of the original, and performance can be adjusted to suit the owner. Make no mistake, this is a quick and capable car, boasting superior SportLine suspension and brakes.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph in April 2020, Quentin Wilson was one of the first motoring journalists to drive the SportLine Zero: "This electric SL can really shift... the sheer ingenuity of engineering this old Merc to drive so well on battery power eclipsed my nostalgia for its traditional powerplant... I was repeatedly struck at how captivating it felt. "What's also quickly apparent is how natural it all feels, like the SL should have always been powered like this."

A modern take on a classic look, this electric SL is both a showstopper and concours winner: a fascinating combination of modern technology and old-fashioned craftsmanship. It is registered as an Electric Vehicle for city-centre driving and can be charged from an EV point or three-pin plug from a domestic supply

 

[oldguy57]

Sheesh. Just had a look at the SL Shop prices for their own and for customer's R107's

R107's are offered at anywhere between £25k and £140k, "depending on condition" and warranty etc.

Very interesting, but more the enthusiast's choice. Bobby Ewing would be in an AMG these days.

SL Shop were always expensive, even more so now that people seem to pay nonsense prices for "classic" cars.. Recent auction prices - £70k for a Capri, $200k for a VW bus? Got beyond even being ridiculous. It was only a handful of years ago that my mate bought a really nice R107 for £6k - those were the days.

 

[John757]

I see the SL shop now look after R230s... too far away from me to even consider them... They are in business to make money.. something they didn't do for the EV SL (£200k development cost.. sold for £40k including buyers premium) I wonder if they were testing the market for a production run... or just looking towards the trend in the future when SL owners want EVs but want to keep their classic car... either way it wasn't a roaring success.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I see the SL shop now look after R230s... too far away from me to even consider them... They are in business to make money.. something they didn't do for the EV SL (£200k development cost.. sold for £40k including buyers premium) I wonder if they were testing the market for a production run... or just looking towards the trend in the future when SL owners want EVs but want to keep their classic car... either way it wasn't a roaring success.

Almost certainly to make more

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Almost certainly to make more

For sure, the challenge is whether they can sell them at the right profit.

Going back to the earlier conversion point, would expect that when they pull out the engine, gearbox, brakes etc etc. from an R107 that they would choose something that has a limited life left. Can't imagine them taking a strong engine out of a 40+ year old car.

I lost interest in R107's more than two decades ago when they were knackered old things that had ALL been clocked, but folks that do have them tell me that they have "challenges" with things like 40 year old wiring looms breaking up with age. That's a useful reminder of some of the issues you'll get with this kind of conversion

Respect to the SL shop. They've kept a good specialist reputation for a long time. For sure they're expensive, but maintaining 40 year old motors is a tough gig.

Overpriced classics? Not so sure, really. Yes, there's insane demand for fantastic Minis, and fast Fords, but when you see a superb 1973 RHD DS23 Pallas going for £25k, it doesn't seem overpriced to me.

Bonhams : 1973 Citroën DS23 IE Pallas Saloon Chassis no. 00FG7053 Engine no. 0633001709

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Ps Is Quentin Wilson the motoring journalist most likely to take a few bob to write a glowing review of anyone's used motor
and a case of Bolly every Christmas ?

 

[Phil1968]

Do they pipe the sound of the original V8 through the speakers?

 

[Darrell]

Do they pipe the sound of the original V8 through the speakers?

Yes.

 

[E55BOF]

Oh dear...