1984 Mercedes-Benz 380 SL Zender | Global Icons: The Patina Collective
Chassis No. WDBBA45A9EA001064
Founded in 1969 by 23-year-old Hans-Albert Zender in Bassenheim, near Koblenz, Zender GmbH began modestly, producing bespoke bucket seats and glass-fiber fender extensions for the NSU TT. From 1974, Zender pioneered body components in ABS plastic and polyurethane foam, materials that would define a generation of German aftermarket coachwork. Through the late 1970s and 1980s, the company became one of the most recognizable names in continental tuning, supplying integrated body kits, alloy wheels, and aerodynamic elements for Ford, Volkswagen, Fiat, Opel, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Zender's aesthetic-aggressive yet restrained, never veering toward the excesses of Koenig-Specials-found particular favor on the R107 SL, where its sculpted bumpers, rocker panels, and decklid spoilers transformed Stuttgart's elegant roadster into something altogether more assertive.
The 380 SL offered here, chassis 001064, carries a comprehensive Zender treatment featuring front and rear bumpers, molded rocker panels, a decklid wing, and custom modular wheels. Finished in Lapis Blue Metallic over a Palomino interior, the car retains its original service booklet which records its delivery on 3 October 1983 through Prestige Motors Inc. of Paramus, New Jersey, to first owner R.P.S. Inc. of Fairfield. Subsequent stamps document attentive care by the selling dealer through the late 1980s and, on two later occasions, by Globe Motorcar Co. in Fairfield, indicating just over 40,000 miles by 1990.
The accompanying CARFAX Vehicle History Report opens in June 1993, recording the car in New Jersey with 96,800 miles. It remained registered in the state for three further decades before passing to a Virginia owner in 2024, by which point the odometer read 141,945 miles, and joining The Patina Collective later that same year. Complete with its original owner's manuals, this 380 SL is among the few fully optioned Zender examples to surface in recent memory-an authentic example of 1980s German tuning culture, ready for continued enjoyment and preservation.
Please note that while the seller has confirmed this car was started and able to idle, it has been in static storage for an extended period and should receive additional mechanical servicing prior to road use.