Classic pearls of the future - Mercedes Benz SL R129
07/18/2013
The first Mercedes Benz SL of the R129 series will reach classic car age in six years' time, but today the last of the convertibles produced between 1989 and 2001 are still almost used cars and are certainly attractively priced.
Bruno Sacco designed the clear and straight lines back in the mid-1980s. You can see the traces of time on the bodywork; some people find the SL of the nineties too smooth and too unattractive, just a little sober. Similar to the Alfa Romeo 164 (by Pininfarina), the R129 also divides observers into groups of supporters and opponents. And the rather extensive use of plastic around the car does not necessarily help the SL280-600 and its other model variants.
In technical terms, the R129 played all its trump cards when it was launched in 1989 as the 300 SL and 500 SL. A roll bar that automatically extended at a critical moment won over the safety apostles, while the fully automatic opening and closing roof without a manual locking mechanism paved the way for many other manufacturers.
However, the "L" in the type designation of the R129 clearly had to be understood as luxury and not as lightweight construction, as even the lightest versions weighed 1700 kg or more. Accordingly, the three-liter engine provided a solid engine, but it was only with the five-liter that things really took off, which accounted for the lion's share (approx. 94,000) of the approximately 205,000 vehicles produced.
Like its predecessor, the R129 was also available with the rear bench seat at extra cost, but only small children were happy in the rear, and even then with the roof closed rather than open.
All in all, the already extensive electronic and electrical equipment is the only thing that speaks for an orderly entry into the world of classic cars, but any problems in this direction will certainly be brought under control by the specialists in the future. Inflationary price increases, however, will be prevented by the high inventory. But in this respect too, the R129 is reminiscent of its predecessor, the R107.
Pictures of the R129 can of course also be found in the Zwischengas archive.
