Late. I hate being late. My brother waited for me upstairs in the bar. I’m most comfortable in cozy, local places, especially those with far smaller prices than this chain steakhouse offered. But a gift had been given us: here’s enough to more than sate you, and please sober up before you drive home. The joint had just opened in this new, upper-end development. Many of the parked cars spoke of higher aspirations, if not higher realities – five-year-old Lexuses, new BMW 3s, and the high-trim trucks ubiquitous in the Midwest. Such is the look of those on the way up or wanting to appear on the way up. Fat car payments filled this lot. There I was in my paid-for, squeaky old Ford Focus, feeling out of place – and hustling to reach my brother. But still, I made a moment to take in this Mercedes.
I don’t know much about Mercedes-Benzes. In my childhood working-class reality, Buick was as high as anyone aspired, and always five years used. New cars were Chevys and sometimes Pontiacs. Thanks to engineering school and hard work, my adult reality far exceeded working class a long time ago – but orientations die hard, as my old Ford attests. Still, it’s easy for a low, lithe, red convertible, top down, to pause a man.
No pretense: I needed Wikipedia to learn a little about what I’m looking at. So these were sold in the US from 1973 to 1980. They packed a (probably thirsty) 4.5-liter V8 – and were prone to rust. A quick jag through eBay Motors, however, showed any number of rust-free examples just sold. There I learned the sly wisdom of modern 450 SL convertible ownership: most of them sold for around $15,000. This is how you look good at a trendy nightspot without enormous debt.
Classic low, long looks never lose luster, even though the burst headrest seams speak of a not-perfect car. I’m sure a few more minutes’ inspection would have found other signs of wear. Instead, I hurried upstairs to start pounding Manhattans and cutting choice beef with my brother.
I have always loved these cars. Thank you! And oh, did I mention the 429/460 Ford engine swaps into these like it was made for it?
Wow! That would be something. I would have thought a 302 Ford or a Buick 215 would have been easier.
I wasn’t even alive in the 1980s, but I still know this was one of those “it cars”. Every movie set in California during this time has some beautiful woman driving one of these, top-down of course. This generation SL was immensely popular, even in its final years. A large number of them still populate driveways of a neighboring town I drive through nearly every day. They’re obviously collector cars.
It’s the “mistress’ car”. Absolutely essential if you’re wealthy and have a twenty something trophy that the wife doesn’t know about.
Looking to sell my 1974 450 sl hardtop mint condition
I just saw this car’s doppelganger on the first episode of Rockford Files. A massively successful design, and as desirable now as ever.
I must add that I have had the pleasure of riding in one of these with a mildly built 429 Ford engine and C6 trans. And wow. Just wow. My snap impression was this was a (somewhat) modern version of the ’55 T-Bird. That large and clunky 4.5L OHC V8 these have weigh about the same, so handling is not affected at all. And by doing said swap, you get rid of 99% of the problems of owning one of these. And before all the purists start screaming at me, that big block V8 burble combined with this sexy, sexy body will turn the hotties heads at the local country club…much like the Cobra did in 1963. I want my own.
Such a car will always be a bastard frankencar. At least keep it all Mercedes. Think modern 6.3 liter AMG swap.
Has anyone ever swapped a 6.3/6.9 engine into one of these? I heard it was really tough.
Not that I’ve seen. There have been 6.3s fitted in the earlier W113 Pagoda SL. One was a factory effort and it doesn’t survive.
There is a crowd in the US doing very nice conversions to 113s by fitting 350 / 450 engines. They look extremely well done, but with the rising values of 113 this will need to cease …
There is a M120 V12 107 SL out there too,maybe more, search MBWORLD.ORG for links.
KJ
Someone probably makes a kit for Chevy LSX motors.
The CC effect in full force: my good buddy has a mutual friend’s ’83 380SL sitting in his backyard right now- right next to my Biscayne.
The 3.8 was not one of M-B’s finest efforts- underpowered and less durable than earlier V8 offerings. From my understanding, the 380s are the least valuable and desirable of the R107 platform- mainly because of the engine issue.
My friend has the fix for that 🙂 . He and the car’s older female owner have drawn up plans to swap in a 5.3 or 6.0 liter LS-series engine and 4L80E transmission. Should be interesting.
As a teen in the 70s, this car represented “the good life” to me – still does. The person who drove a big Cadillac convertible in the 50s or a Jag XK-E ragtop in the 60s drove one of these in the 70s and 80s. Instant social acceptance.
Excellent approach on this car. It can be difficult to find something relevant to say about a car that you know is cool, but is not a part of your background. You nailed it.
I did notice, however, that you slyly did not mention where in the Indy area you found this car. I had been looking for a red one to go with the yellow one I found, to ask the question does automotive bratwurst taste better with mustard or ketchup. Oh well, I guess we can all wait awhile for that analysis. 🙂
The new Ironworks development at 86th & Keystone. My brother and I dined at the new Ruth’s Chris.
I’ve always like these, red wouldn’t be my first choice in color though. Its a Bobby Ewing mobile 🙂
A beautiful car that looks as good today as the day it was introduced. In my very limited experience, though, the beauty was only skin deep.
My uncle bought one second hand in the mid 80s. It was probably 7-8 years old. It was cramped and noisy and about as rigid as a willow tree. A Corvette of the same vintage had fewer squeaks and rattles — and had a better ride.
Maybe his SL had been abused, but my lust for these beauties died the day he first let me drive it around the block.
Comfort and a solid convertible body were the strengths of the Mercedes rather than the weakness…
From a 1974 Road & Track comparison of a 450sl with a Corvette convertible along with a Jag, Porsche and Ferrari:
We rated the Dino and 450SL about equal in ride. Both have plenty of wheel travel and felt very much at home on the bumpy Lime Rock track and any of the other rough road surfaces we subjected them to. The Dino is an exceptionally solid car—even better than the Mercedes in this respect. Washboard roads brought out a few squeaks in the 450SL (only with the hardtop off), but none in the Dino’s body. Over gentle undulations the Dino’s front end bobs up and down, a characteristic typical of mid-engine cars with the largest portion of their mass centered between the wheels, but much less than most. The explanation may lie with its unusual 43/57 weight distribution: more like a rear-engine car than a mid-engine.
Down two notches in ride is the 911. It was a pitchier car than the three Koni-equipped cars and considerably more bouncy over bumpy pavement…
Trailing the leaders by a wide margin is the E-Type V-12; it’s followed by the Corvette… The Corvette’s heavy frame and unstressed plastic body creak, rattle and groan at the slightest hint of a bump. The open body is again partially to blame; the coupe is a far more rigid and acceptable car. We don’t recommend the gymkhana suspension either; it’s oversprung and underdamped and the Corvette practically hops from one bump to the next.
I have that Road & Track, its probably my oldest car magazine, I remember the cover boasted “We test $64,000 worth of roadsters!” I find it funny that $64,000 would barely buy the modern equivalent of ONE of those cars. The Corvette was the fastest and least expensive car in the test if I recall, though the E-type wasn’t that much more than the Corvette, the Dino and 450 were the most expensive.
I’ll take 1st person accounts over any auto rag’s take, thanks.
This 450 SL is indeed still a beautiful car! One of a number of European cars whose looks were improved by the required American headlights. Sometimes people don’t realize the innovations mercedes introduces to the market, so it’s worth mentioning that I’ve been told this model, the R107, was the first convertible on which the windshield frame was also a structural roll bar. I would imagine that would explain why it was able to continue on the market through the 70s when other manufacturers pulled their convertibles for fear of anti-rollover regulations. That would also explain why it was more than 450 lbs heavier than its predecessor and more than 500 lbs heavier than the car with which it shared a chassis, the w114 sedan. The v8 would account for some of the difference but that would be offset by the reduced glass, it would seem to me.
Apparently the roll-over protection saved actor Richard Dreyfuss’ life in 1982 when he rolled his 450sl over in a canyon in Los Angeles.
My late father was a fan and buyer of mercedes starting in 1976 when he was able to start driving mercedes sedans as company cars (1975 300d, 1979 230, 1982 300d-turbo, 1986 260e) and in 1986 he bought his first SL, a 1983 380sl very similar to this car but with a smaller v8 and 4-speed automatic that replaced the 3-speed unit in the 450sl. He went on to own to others of this model, both 1989 (the last year for this model) 560sl’s with the larger, more powerful engine. He would by them for roughly 50% of the original sticker price and I believe he was able to get nearly or all he paid for them back out of the car after 2-3 years and 10,000 – 15,000 miles.
I’ve never driven a 450sl, but both the 380 and the 560 were very fun cars to drive despite their power differential. I always considered them kind of like a german muscle car as the handling was not predictable at the limit, and the steering was vague on center, but the power of the engine and the v8 sound and rear-wheel drive more than made up for any weaknesses.
Final point, I believe the vague steering was designed in and was called “sneeze-guard” at the time. It was a luxury feature that ensured when driving at autobahn speeds, a sneeze would not cause you disturb the car’s straight line progress.
If you compare the six cylinder R107 280SL to a 280 series W114, the difference is less than 200 lbs. But yes, these were extremely solid and rather porky as a result.
Mercedes was very late to adopt rack and pinion steering. I don’t think they purposely made their steering vaguer, but justified it somewhat by the “sneeze-guard” aspect. Their cars did feel very stable at high speeds, without any nervousness. That was a priority for them.
And it made them feel rather dull at low speed.
That’s right about the steering, my brother had a 1998 e430, and it still had recirculating ball steering, as did my 1993 300e as well. That said neither one of those cars had the on center play of the r107. Maybe they were faster ratio steering and so less vague on center.
3 speed ATs and recirc ball steering. Avant-garde alright…
Jer nailed it. Bobby Ewing is the first thing I think of when I see one of these…
It’s funny that the Bobby Ewing was mentioned above, these were the universal car you used if you were filming a movie or tv show in the 70’s or 80’s and you wanted to show that the character had money.
I cant see these and not think of the opening credits of Hart to Hart, with the 450SL running along side the Dino.
“When they met…….it was muydahhh………”
Jonathan Hart did have a pretty pimped out lifestyle….
Ah but do you remember the original version of that line? It was something like…
“Because their hobby is muydahhh….”
The original made it sound like they killed people for kicks. I guess the network or producers had a change of heart and softened it.
On these 107s the 1986-89 560SL is the only way to go. Quicker than a Mustang 5.0 of the era and sounded better too. Tons available on CL, many with low miles and one owner. I used to think Cadillac Broughams were the most plentiful, well-kept 80s luxury car but it’s the SL.
You will pay a bit more than a 350/450/380 but get it all back and more when you sell it on.
I think I remember that, it does sound better in the revised version. Was it always a 450 and Dino in the credits or were they ever changed at one point?
I remember they also had a brown(70’s of course) Corniche too, and maybe some sort of Cadillac limo in the Hart motor pool.
I was a teen and all I remember is Jennifer Hart and the 450.
And that Robert Wagner had Stefanie Powers as a TV wife and Natalie Wood as a real wife. Not fair!
And then Christopher Walken said:
Hey…………………………………………………………………………………………………………lets go out………………………..on the boat……
Gentlemen, we have boat drinks !
Owning one is a decidedly mixed bag. Just when you think you have all the kinks worked out, something foolish, like a $1000 heater element blasts your mellow. Now it looks much nicer in our neighbors driveway. He is single, It will be appreciated more by his cohort.
For me, the second greatest car ever made, and would be in my dream five car garage. A post-1986 facelift Euro-spec model. Not fussed about the engine. the R107 just looks so cool.
And Jim, nothing wrong with a squeaky old Ford Focus. Mine is coming up to 10 years old, and still puts a smile on my face when I drive it.
Nick, if my Focus hadn’t been in the shop every 2-3 months like clockwork since I bought it used 2 years ago, I’d feel better about it. It’s the most fun to drive small car I’ve ever owned, but I am weary of its constant need for repair.
After a couple of really crazy months, I am still trying to find time to get a certain Grand Marquis onto Craigslist. JPC is ready to deal. Just sayin . . . .
Sooooo tempting. I really need a reliable DD that I can take anywhere, anytime. Is your MGM that car?
I was hesitating, then I saw the list of stuff on your Focus in the last two years. MGM has been a lot better than that. The son drove it all over the eastern half of the US in the time he had it. We have done things to it, but really pretty much normal wear items on an old car like U joints, water pump, and such. If you want to look at it and drive it, I can tell you all about it.
I am surprised your Focus is giving you so much trouble. My 2005 only needed to go into the shop for oil changes and transmission services(every 30,000 miles) for the few years I kept it(I bought it used)
Purchased 2006 Focus in Nov. 2012.
Motor mounts replaced early 2013.
Power-steering pump replaced summer 2013.
CEL led to replacement of thermostat and housing, autumn 2013.
Alternator failed at 65mph on the Interstate at 9:30 one night, autumn 2013.
Power steering fluid leak, April 2014. (Faulty connection from earlier repair.)
Exhaust component failure replaced last month.
Now the heater has a burning smell.
And there’s that ever-present body squeak.
JPC, I’m starting to think Fords are allergic to me………
The alternator dying is something i can see. Ford decided to place the exhaust manifold up against the firewall and then placed the alternator right near said exhaust manifold so it got all the heat and would take a dump.
2006 Scion xB.
Bought new.
135,000 mi
-Four Tires (x3)
-Windshield (stone crack)
…hmmm
That’s it.
I’m thinking about shocks, though.
Sounds like my ’05 xB. Nothing except tires and a throw-out bearing early on under warranty. A toaster in more ways than one. 🙂
yeah. Never owned a car quite THAT trouble free. Probably my Matrix XRS is the closest — only non-wear-item to go was the starter, just a couple months ago. Otherwise, it just keeps on rolling with little drama. But I’ve already promised it to the son who gets his license on Saturday.
What strikes most about these cars is how much non-car-people appreciate them. This is probably MB’s last glamorous car.
When I give friends car-buying advice, I like to start by asking them, “forgetting about your budget today, what cars do you love? New, old, whatever…” And when they (women, specifically) start thinking about old cars, the R107 almost always comes up. Usually referred to as “the little Mercedes convertible, the one that looks like Hollywood.”
Its probably one of the most recognized Mercedes-Benz automobiles of all time, it had been in enough movie and TV shows to earn a SAG card and best supporting actor(actress?) nomination.
If you do own one you can forget about your budget when trying to keep it running. In the 3 years my brother had his 560SL it needed something else every other week (and this was a kept in the garage for nice days type of car) He finally got rid of it when I told him I was tired of fixing it.
I disliked these cars when they were new, and deplored Mercedes replacement of the beautiful W113. That said, the idea of an R107 running a 429/C6 combo really appeals to my inner philistine!
Living in West LA just blocks away from Beverly Hills ruined this fine automobile totally for me. The place was just crawling with them, and if I describe the typical drivers of them, I will be violating my own admonition against stereotyping the drivers of cars. Let’s just say they were folks that I did not relate to, nor aspire to be like them.
Come say it!
It not stereotyping if you actually saw it. Many times too. To me these were always rich “pain in the ass wife” cars.
Start with…The people I saw typically driving these in large numbers were________________.
I know, how is it stereotyping if you saw it lol.
The fact is everyone with the funds to afford drove one in LA. It was a “hot car” the definition of which is everyone buys them. There were no demographic “borders” except I have money. Old money, new money didn’t really matter.
Of course some of the buyers were more colorful than others but truthfully the demos were hard to pin down. Tesla Model S is probably the closest car today. In the 70s the Seville was close too.
These cars are still all over the place — I’m sure less than was the case back then, but I’ve gone out for walks and passed three or four in a 2–3-mile radius. Most are 560SLs, being newer, but there are some 450SLs and the occasional 380SL.
The C107 is a much rarer sight, though.
Same over here, and still not too expensive. C107s are bargain-basement cheap at the moment, and you’re right about the relative rarity. They’re starting to grow on me but still look a bit midriff-awkward.
The coupe is perfectly OK as long as it is in a completely unmolested and original condition, like the one below. Change or add anything then suddenly any navi system leads you to obscure places only. (Photo: Alphons Ruyl Classic Cars)
That shade on the rear side window used to bug me, then I saw one in black when I was driving my W116. It looked mean and it looked good.
I always thought the SLC looked a little “dachshund” like with its wheelbase stretch, but I did like the hardtop roof.
Die Panzerwagen. That the R107 earned that nickname responds to the poster who found the Corvette more satisfactory. The car was, to say the least, overbuilt.
I know these cars. I sold them and own one. To this writer, the best and best looking ones are the originals – small bumpers and painted wheel covers as introduced in Europe for the 1971 model year and in the USA for 1972.
When appearing in the USA in 1972 the car was known as the 350SL – through the engine was the 4.5. This name changed to the more appropriate 450SL the following year and I believe that “450SL” badges were installed by dealers as a complimentary upgrade for those owners who had bought 350SLs the previous year. 1974 begat ugly, long bumpers. At the same time the car was being sold as a coupe on a longer wheelbase – the SLC. In Europe the car could be had with an inline six and a manual transmission and many were imported during the strength of the US dollar versus the D Mark in the 1980s as “grey market” cars. These manuals (280SLs and five speeds, I think) were satisfying cars.
I may be wrong, but I believe that the R107 is the Mercedes with the very longest production run, 1971 through 1989 model years (but perhaps “G wagen” is longer?) .
I admire greatly the R107 Panzerwagen.
The G-wagen was introduced in 1979, so 35 years ago. What stands out is its ultra-low depreciation.
I preferred the pagoda roof Benz.In the 1990s I changed jobs again and became a gardener/friend to a few very wealthy and civilised people.A couple,multi millionaire Sydney restaurateurs,owned a modern cliff top,mountains holiday home and his car was never driven,always parked in the mountains home garage.The Benz is a 1973 450SL,white with tan interior and a hardtop roof and only 36,000 miles from new.Every day I worked there I had to walk past it in the garage,slowly and admire its style.We were talking about it one day and I suggested the Benz needed to be driven occasionally and he told me that as much as he liked that car,he really would prefer a Morgan! I saw his wife drive the 450 once,what a waste.She really liked my Peugeot 404 ute,a daily driver and work vehicle,because her very wealthy father always owned Peugeots.
Hey maybe that is the exact same car as Eddie Murphy is sitting on in Beverly Hills Cop?
Ah, this is another that brings back memories. My father had lots of different company cars over the years. There was the 1970 Olds 98, followed by a 1972 Torino 429, followed by the 1974 911E Targa and then the 1976 450SL.
Loved the 455 Olds what power that thing had. Hated the anemic Torino with poor visibility. Porsche cool but my 34″ legs didn’t like long drives. Long being more than 30 miles.
The 450SL was a nice driving car and at the time made me more nervous to drive than the stick Porsche. The one thing I didn’t like about the 450 was the leather seat bottom. Fairly flat and firm so consequently it was easy to slide forward. For three years trouble free and then onto 1979 and another car. I think that was a Cordoba and then a Caddy 🙁 🙁 !
I took this photo in Jan. 1978 in Dallas Texas on Swiss Avenue. In front of this classic Swiss Avenue house were two of the “it” cars of the day. A first generation Cadillac Seville, and a Mercedes 450SL. What I would have given for those cars! I was poor then and only dreamed of owning one. Funny thing is, now that I can afford a relatively expensive car – there are none that captivate me! No class, no style – just sameness. So, I have a little collection of upscale1960s/1970s cars, that I still view as luxury cars albeit I do not have a Seville or SL, but would like to have one.
Wow, that pic is very 70’s. There is a 77 Cadillac further up the driveway in front of the Seville.
We had a 1970 Dodge Challenger with a 225 slant 6 at the time, which I bought used for $800! I actually found the house on the internet. This photo taken in 2009. I sent the current home owner, who bought the house in 1988 (10 years after the photo was taken), the photo for his interest. Yes, I did notice the 1977 Cadillac. Neat to see those cars in their natural habitat.
Thank you for helping to dispel the myth that the Seville and Mercedes SL appealed to different people. The 76-79 car is the only Cadillac in my lifetime that was thought to be just as cool and hip as a facing Mercedes, to a broad range of demographics. Cadillac hasn’t had anything as hot since, except maybe the Escalade.
I didn’t care for these as a younger man–I think that, as has been mentioned, these were the “it” car for rich housewives/mistresses and Hollywood types. I’ve never aspired to be one of those. However, with the passage of time and the passage from the height of fashion, I’m finding a new appreciation for them. A tidy, timeless and solid design that still looked classic (if also a little purposefully dated) when it was retired after a 20 year production run with *no* major stylistic changes. Now that’s impressive. I also like the painted hubcaps on the featured car–very rare to see an SL with those rather than alloys (or aftermarket wheels).
A 560SL of this generation lives down the block from me, and it draws my eye every time I pass.
Heh heh! When I was a summer engineering intern back in 1989 living near and working in downtown Bellevue, WA (affluent suburb east of Seattle across Lake Washington), these things were all over the place (remember this was pre-Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, etc).
I used to call them ‘BGGs’ for Bellevue Grocery Getters, as they would typically carry one suburban housewife (with the obligatory oversized dark sunglasses and perfectly-coiffed hairdo) and a few bags of groceries, with the golf clubs in the trunk for the husband to use on the weekends.
I really, really wanted one of these to blow a stop sign so I could T-bone it (not enough to hurt anybody) with my 1971 LTD, taking out a $35K car with my $650 beater (and yes, I’ve grown up a bit since then 😉 Class envy, perhaps?
My late neighbor had one sitting in front of his house for years – the same red color as pictured above (which fades badly if left out in the sun, like most reds). It constantly leaked fluids and I would go over every month or two and refill his tires for him with my portable air tank (the alloy rims were badly corroded so they leaked on the beads). He liked the thought that he owned one, and kept it out in front of the house so he (and passers-by) could see it. It got driven around every few months, and was donated to charity after he passed away.
It never occurred to me to swap a 429 into one, and my LTD had that engine too!
what’s the performance potential of these cars? I heard the 280sl had the best weight balance, a 6 cylinder + 5 speed being the most sporting? Did the 560 engine weight a lot more than the 450 engine? therefore ruined the weight balance? How did the semi trailing arm IRS worked at the limit? How were the brakes?
Were they true sports cars or more cruisers?
I can’t speak for this model, but my W116 280SE with slushbox produces performance best described as ‘adequate’. It’s really only an issue up country hills. These R107s were cruisers, although Waxenberger did kit out some C107s for rally.
Not that long ago, ie like 15 years or so, one can grab pagoda tops for $10-15k. Now they are $50k and up. May be in 15years we will be talking about the good ole days when one can grab good condition 560sl for $8k or less.
Here’s a similar one I found a couple of years ago… it’s very unusual to see US-spec headlights here. I definitely prefer the EU-spec lights and bumpers.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robotriot/3826611371/in/set-72157622054866820
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robotriot/3826605751/in/set-72157622054866820/
I have always thought that these would always be treasured as collector cars, in the manner of the original two seat Thunderbirds. These are nice sized, being fairly compact with an adequate trunk and even a handy cargo area behind the seats. Over the years there is a variety of engines available, even some manual trannys. These are sure to be safer cars then the old Birds. Over the years I have been looking at these, I have read that it is best to get a non automatic a/c equipped car as those auto units were troublesome and expensive to fix. Also have been warned of the single cam chain 380 models. I have thought about the SLC coupe also, but the SL is probably a better choice as an investment. Convertibles are always more appealing and easier to resell. These are about as cheap as they are ever going to get around here. Decent looking, running models are anywhere from .2-3K up towards 10 k for really good ones.Those T-Birds are much more expensive now. and are unobtainable for most hobbyists. I still see these SLs as desirable, impressive cars and to top it off my wife would love to look at and ride in one, probably the only of my auto obsessions she would ever approve of.