Chassis No. WDB1704652F186698

“Luckily we are all equal in the eyes of the law. However, we can all be different if we have designo. If you wish to make your SLK more personal, designo should be your first port of call. We can adapt your roadster to your tastes, using a wide range of metallic paints, high-quality wood and fine leather.” —Mercedes-Benz SLK marketing material.

When the R170 SLK arrived for 1997, it reinvented the affordable Mercedes-Benz roadster by pairing classic long-hood roadster proportions with the marque's innovative electrohydraulic Vario roof—the first of its kind on a Mercedes-Benz—offering open-air motoring and coupe-like sophistication at the touch of a button. Introduced for the 2001 model year, the SLK 320 further elevated the formula with a 215-horsepower 3.2-liter “M112” V6, bringing smoother, stronger performance to Mercedes-Benz's smallest roadster. For buyers who wanted more, Mercedes-Benz offered the designo personalization program, through which the factory would finish a car in distinctive colors and trim well outside the standard catalog.

This right-hand drive, British-market 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLK 320, chassis number 186698, is especially notable for its rare and highly individual designo specification. It was finished from new in Yellowstone paintwork (685U), over a Yellowstone designo leather interior (X23), with trim parts (Y97) and the roll-over bar (Y98) likewise finished in Yellowstone leather, creating a vivid and highly coordinated specification seldom seen on an R170-generation SLK. Delivered new in May 2000 with the five-speed automatic transmission, it also carries optional heated front seats.

Previously registered in the United Kingdom on number plate W523 RBK, this SLK 320 reportedly remained with its first owner for some 23 years from new, accumulating only around 26,000 miles, its history traceable through DVLA records and numerous MOT inspections from 2006 through 2023. Subsequently imported to the United States, its clean CARFAX Vehicle History Report records a Florida title issued in October 2025 upon its joining The Patina Collective. Presenting in fine overall condition with only minor rust issues and 32,965 miles at the time of cataloging, this designo SLK 320 is a bright, unusual, and unmistakably period example of the designo program at its most expressive.