An automotive icon that spanned two distinct decades; the 1970s and the 1980s, the W107 SL-Class Mercedes-Benz was the longest running chassis the marque had ever sold (18 years).
The G-Wagen beat the record.
From its debut in 1971 to its finale in 1989, the SL sold over 200,000 cars globally, of which over 65% were sold in the United States.
To put that into some perspective, the last SL Class (W129) lasted only 11 years, by which time critics were grousing over the need to replace the model whose design dated back to the 1980s.
If we considered the Mercedes-Benz SL customer of the late 1980s, they were purchasing a modern classic - the design of the W107 560SL was conceived in the 1960s.
Still, if ever Mercedes-Benz produced a classic postwar car, the SL of the 70s and 80s was it.
The 1985-1989 SL – specifically the 560SL in the United States (and the 500SL in Europe) was the best and most technologically advanced of the line.
The body was dated, but it sported some of the latest mechanics. These included the winning 560 engine – a 5547 cc, 5.6 Liter V-8 that produced 300 horsepower and demonstrated success in the grand 560SEL and 560SEC, and was tweaked even further to drive the 500E AMG.
ABS, SRS (Driver’s Side Airbag), dual-stage heated seats, and an updated Becker radio were fitted to the 560SL to keep it au courant.
Mercedes-Benz justified the SL by claiming that it was a roadster on the company’s own terms and by their own definitions. The seats were full size as was the steering wheel – both were in fact oversized for the diminutive cockpit.
The 560SL came with a detachable hardtop roof that really was a two-man operation.
Underneath was also a cloth top. Mercedes-Benz was indeed accommodating.
The SL, like all previous W107 SLs, was not particularly well fitted. There were gaps; a gap between where the grille ended and the bumper began; gaps where the hardtop connected to the rest of the body, and wide gaps between body panels.
I quite understand that it was an old design, but ever for its younger hey day (i.e. the 70s) the W107 could have been made tighter.
Still, the car sported some classic lines that despite being dated are still to this day a sight to behold.
In all, the 560SL was one classic boulevardier.
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