Just a few posts ago, we talked about how the R107-chassis Mercedes-Benz roadster suffered from being seen as commonplace, or at the very least, the sort of car you didn’t need to rush out to buy. There are exceptions to every rule, however, and one of them is when you find a European-market example that wasn’t sold in the U.S. due to being unable to meet emissions requirements. This 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SL is one of the more desirable gray market Benzes you can buy, as it’s equipped with a powerful 5.0L M117 V8. Find it here on eBay where bidding is at $6,200 with no reserve.

To be honest, I’m surprised we haven’t seen more aggressive bids at this point. Over the years, I’ve seen project-grade 500SLs sell for close to $20,000 if not rusty, and this is clearly far better than a project. The Lapis Blue paint is in beautiful condition, and it is obviously accompanied by the matching painted hard top. The rear spoiler is a dead giveaway that this is the more powerful option we never got stateside, as these cars almost always have that black rubberized adornment on the trunk lid. Of course, the other significant enhancement are the beautiful Chrome bumpers, which suited the R107 far better than the safety bumpers found on U.S. cars.

On the interior, you won’t find too many differences between the two versions of the R107, aside from a European-market Becker radio. The interior is in fantastic condition with leather seating surfaces and light gray carpeting showing no significant flaws. The dash does have some cracks, which is to be expected on an unrestored example. The other clue as to this Mercedes’ overseas-only configuration is the photo that shows the rust-free trunk floor, where you’ll spot a plastic case with the warning triangle inside – we didn’t get those in the U.S. cars. The seller reports the wood trim should be replaced if you want perfection, and that the A/C has been converted to R134A.

The engine bay is stock in appearance with no signs of modifications. The seller reports that the 500SL is just out of long-term ownership and will need some mild tuning-up to run sweetly once more, but it does fire up and run. The mileage of 113,000 is believed to be original. With clean paint inside the door jams and engine compartment, it’s hard to find any significant faults with this rare Euro-spec 500SL, considering it hasn’t been previously restored. The undersides appear to be rust-free, and given how well these powerful M117 (237 b.h.p. and 296 lb-ft of torque) cars seem to do at auction, I’m guessing we’re not even close to seeing a final hammer price on this one.