Mercedes 500SL Owned by Sir Stirling Moss Is Auction Bound

The time to find an R129-generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class may have passed about a decade and a half ago, when they were merely "used sports cars."

Now, Mercedes' premier roadster of the 1990s is in a slightly different category—the category where you have to spend some money to secure a minty example, with the top SLs having been largely picked over.

But could racing legend ownership history push an SL's value substantially higher?

Later this week a 1992 example originally owned by Sir Stirling Moss will test this theory, as it goes up for auction at H&H's Duxford sale in the UK.

This 500SL was ordered new by Moss, who collected it from Bremen, Germany, following its pre-delivery inspection on 24 July, 1992, and registered it in the UK the following month.

Finished in Brilliant Silver Metallic over a grey leather right-hand-drive interior, the SL500 remained in Moss' ownership for four years, after which it was sold by Graypaul Ferrari with 25,602 miles on the odometer.

The car has since traded hands a couple more times, with the current seller acquiring it in February 2006.

The SL now shows 89,900 miles and will be offered with a letter confirming Moss' ownership during the first four years, along with other documentation and manuals. The car itself is described as having been one of Moss' personal cars, and wore the plate "7 SM" while in his ownership in the UK in the 1990s.

"Sir Stirling Moss has often been described as the greatest Formula One driver never to have won a world championship, so we’re honored to offer one of his personal cars," said James McWilliam, senior specialist at H&H Classics.

How much does H&H expect this SL to bring on auction day?

The estimate may surprise some R129 watchers, as the auction house estimates it to bring just £10,000 to £12,000, or about $12,660 to $15,200.

The 500SL's mileage can perhaps be categorized as moderate, as quite a few of these have been babied or underused since new. The relatively modest estimate perhaps reflects the RHD layout, making it a more natural purchase for a collector in the UK or Ireland, though it's certainly importable into the US thanks to the 25-year rule.

But still, this estimate is not much higher than a garden variety example with this mileage would normally bring.

The auction house notes that the cylinder heads received an overhaul while in the ownership of the current seller, in addition to other maintenance work that has been performed.

"As well as being a fantastic motor car in its own right, the car’s provenance is indisputable thanks to an ownership confirmation letter and a good history file which confirms careful ownership over the years," McWilliam added.

Visit the auction website to view the full list of lots from the upcoming sale.