1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL

4.5-Liter SOHC V8 Engine
Mechanical Bosch Fuel Injection
190bhp at 4,750rpm
4-Speed Automatic Transmission
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

*Beautiful color combination English Red with Black interior and Black Soft top
*Showing less than 25,000 Kilometers at the time of cataloging
*Well-preserved example inside and out
*Offer with 2 tops Hard-top and Soft-top

THE MERCEDES-BENZ R107 MODEL

When Mercedes-Benz redesigned its famed 'Pagoda top' SL in 1971, there was a lot of equity behind it – after all, when the incomparable 300SL Coupe and Roadster were built fewer than 20 years before, they set the world on fire. The next-generation 230/250/280SL in 1963 brought Mercedes' sports car down to Earth, replacing both the incredible 300SL and four-cylinder 190SL.

For the next SL, Mercedes-Benz started with the chassis of the mid-size "W114/115" model and added the motors from the large "W116" S-Class. The result was a luxurious V8 Convertible that ended up being the longest-running passenger car series ever produced by Mercedes-Benz to date, with production through 1989.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Resplendent in rare English Red paired with a black hard top, soft top, and leather interior, this beautiful and excellently preserved R107 is a particularly desirable example. Though fitted with U.S. specification bumpers and headlights, the car features metric gauges and currently displays fewer than 25,000 kilometers.

Like its Pagoda predecessor, the R107 cuts quite a striking, yet highly refined line, especially when paired with factory "bundt" style alloy wheels and a darker, contrasting hardtop as happens to be the case with our auction example.

The car wears U.S. spec bumpers and headlights, a fairly common retrofit to European market examples in-period, and distinct, ribbed taillights (once a Mercedes-Benz signature) are designed to allow light penetration even through heavy accumulated snow. Tucked up high on the left side resides what appears to be a factory muffler with correct, modest-diameter dual outlets.

Both tops–that is the folding soft one, as well as the fixed hard one–are finished in black. The two-tone look complements the car nicely, and it looks particularly handsome with top down or hardtop in place.

Inside, thick, black leather retains a factory original appearance and shows minimal wear. The center console is especially interesting, with its excellently preserved wood, ventilation controls inspired by industrial heavy machinery, and gorgeous period-correct Becker Mexico cassette deck. The trio of deeply hooded gauge pods is home to a central, metric speedometer, flanked on the left by a combination fuel level, coolant temp, and oil pressure gauge, and on the right by a tachometer and analog clock.

The tach's modest 5,300 rpm redline reflects the SOHC-per bank 4.5-liter V8's state of tune, which straight from the factory places an emphasis on smoothness, quietness, and a torque-rich delivery. Paired with a robust 4-speed automatic transmission and an able, smooth-riding chassis, this R107 should make for an exquisite fair-weather GT.