1 minute read
INSIDESTORY
A TIME and a place That’s the appeal of classic cars Whether it’s a family holiday rolling around in the back seat of a Ford Cortina or the MGB a father or grandfather loved and cherished in their garage, classic cars really do make time travel possible – in the metaphorical sense, of course
Within minutes of meeting SLShop’s founder, Sam Bailey, you get a sense that he’s reliving his childhood passions, spending hours out on the driveway with his father, a Mercedes technician, poring over countless now-classic cars But corporate life beckoned: “I worked in insurance and bought a BMW 635 as a daily-driver on my company car allowance,” Sam explains It wasn’t long before he sold it to buy his first Mercedes SL; then, with his dad’s help, Sam began buying and selling them as a hobby.
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Of course, Sam isn’t the first person who’s quit a high-flying job to pursue their love of classics, but a visit to SLShop suggests that his has been one of the most successful: in little more than 12 years, Sam has created what he describes as the world’s leading classic Mercedes SL specialist Building a passion for Mercedes’ iconic drop-top, and an encyclopedic knowledge, he spotted an opportunity for a specialist business. “There was both foresight and a lot of luck,” Sam tells us “I picked the R107 (built between 1971 and 1989), and the market has been with me It’s definitely the sweet spot in the SL range – they’re great value, and there’s more to go ”
It proved to be a shrewd move Despite being “sucked into” the stunning Pagoda and later R129 from the nineties, Sam says R107s are still the core of his business And a tour around SLShop’s premises reveals a tantalising array of the angular drop-tops, from basket cases undergoing complete restoration, to immaculate better-than-new cars, some of which are fitted with a range of modern engine and chassis components from SLShop’s Sportline range As we’ll discover on page 20, they transform the car From those days on his dad’s driveway, the business now employs almost 60 people at its facility near Stratford-upon-Avon Pleasingly, Sam and his colleagues talk as enthusiastically
