In 1982, a gentleman from Staffordshire Mr Hough bought a brand-new Mercedes-Benz 500SL. Instead of driving it, he stored it away, cared for it obsessively, and preserved it in a heated garage. Four decades later, the car has just 42 miles on the clock. Not a scratch, not a blemish, it’s as if the showroom doors closed in 1982 and never opened again. This isn’t a restoration project. It’s not even a barn find. It’s something rarer: a time capsule, preserved perfectly from new. And now, it’s found a permanent home at SLSHOP.
42 Miles – Never Registered Before, Never Seen Before – A Time Capsule 1982 Mercedes-Benz 500SL
In 1982, a man from Staffordshire, Mr. Hough, bought a brand-new Mercedes-Benz 500SL. Rather than driving it, he decided to store it. He placed it in a heated, dehumidified garage, maintained it meticulously, and never once put it on the road.
More than forty years later, that decision has resulted in something extraordinary. The car shows just 42 miles on the odometer. The paint is flawless, the interior untouched, and every component remains as it was when it left the factory.
This is not a restored vehicle or a forgotten barn discovery. It is a perfectly preserved time capsule, a 1982 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL (R107) that has essentially never lived outside its delivery day. Now, this car has found a permanent home at SLSHOP.
Every classic car carries a story, often shaped by decades of use, restoration, and changing ownership. But this story is different. It is about restraint, precision, and a lifelong commitment to preservation.
Over fifteen years ago, during one of SLSHOP’s regular appearances at the NEC Classic Motor Show, when the company was gaining recognition as a leading specialist for Mercedes-Benz R107 models, a quiet, polite gentleman approached the team.
That man was Mr. Hough. During a brief conversation, he mentioned owning a 500 SL that had never been driven. It was a car he kept covered in a private, climate-controlled garage since the day it was delivered.
He explained that he had purchased it new from the Carols of Wolverhampton dealership in 1982. He had chosen every available factory option, sparing no expense. Yet instead of registering the car or taking it for its first drive, he trailered it straight home and placed it into storage.
The vehicle was never registered, something that would be nearly impossible today, given how manufacturers now track sales for performance reporting and shareholder records. Naturally, SLSHOP expressed interest at the time, asking whether he might one day consider selling it.
His answer was a polite but definitive no. The car was more than an object of value; it was something he had chosen to preserve as an example of engineering excellence.
Fast forward to August 2025. After more than four decades, SLSHOP received an unexpected phone call from Mr. Hough. The time had come, he said, to find a new custodian for the car. He wanted to ensure it would continue to be cared for properly and remain in the condition he had maintained so carefully.
Stories of rare vehicles discovered after decades of neglect often make headlines, such as the 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy Gullwing found in a Californian junkyard after 47 years, later sold for $9.35 million.
Those stories are exciting because they involve rediscovery and restoration challenges. But this case is different. It celebrates the foresight and dedication of one individual who decided to protect a machine from the elements for more than forty years, sacrificing the joy of driving it to preserve its originality.
The car in question – VIN 10704622002134 – does not need to be rescued. It is entirely original and in factory-new condition. To confirm its authenticity and mechanical state, SLSHOP carried out a full vehicle health check at its headquarters. The results were remarkable.
Inside the engine bay and along the exhaust system, the original factory-applied Waxoyl remains intact. This protective coating, usually long gone after years of driving, has survived because the car never saw the road.
With only delivery mileage, the 303.5-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) naturally aspirated M117 V8 engine has never roared, it has never idled. The V8 produced 242 horsepower (245 metric horsepower) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton meters) of torque, managed by a four-speed automatic transmission, which put them to the ground through the rear wheels.
There is no corrosion anywhere. The Metallic Blue-Green paintwork (code 877) retains a richness of tone that differs noticeably from other cars painted in the same color, likely because it has never been exposed to sunlight or weather.
Inside, the leather looks and smells brand new, carrying the unmistakable scent of a freshly finished hide. Every detail reinforces the fact that this 500 SL has effectively been frozen in time.
Among all of Mr. Hough’s careful touches, one detail stands out: the Mercedes-Benz badge on the bonnet is a hallmarked sterling silver version, handcrafted by Mr. Hough himself. It is the only modification on the entire vehicle.
Assigning a value to such a car is not straightforward. Later models from the R107 generation (1986–1989) tend to fetch higher prices. For comparison, SLSHOP achieved a record sale in 2023 for a pristine late-model example, and the closest known unrestored car to this one, a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL, finished in Signal Red and sporting only 122 miles, sold at auction last year for $260,400.
But value is not the point. Cars like this represent something larger: the duty of care that enthusiasts, collectors, and specialists share in keeping automotive heritage alive. They connect generations, not only those who drive and collect these vehicles, but also the engineers, restorers, upholsterers, and craftspeople whose expertise sustains the classic car world.
At SLSHOP, the decision was made not to sell Mr. Hough’s car. Instead, it will become part of a permanent, climate-controlled display at the company’s facility in Stratford-upon-Avon. There, it will stand as a tribute to Mr. Hough’s commitment and as a reference point for what true originality looks like.
While barn finds and record-breaking auction results will continue to draw attention, this 500 SL reminds us why preservation is just as important as restoration. Once originality is lost, it can never be replaced.
Mr. Hough’s Mercedes-Benz 500 SL is not merely a classic car. It is a benchmark for preservation, a physical record of Mercedes-Benz craftsmanship at its peak, and a testament to one man’s extraordinary patience.
For SLSHOP, it also serves as a reminder of why the passion for these cars endures, not just for what they can do on the road, but for what they represent when they are kept exactly as they were meant to be.
