Euro Style R107: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
The R107 generation Mercedes-Benz two-seat drop-top mated the mechanical components
of the W114 sedan with the engines from the W108. This paradigm of reliability (yes K2, 80s Germans cars are reliable…ish) was packaged from 1971 through 1989 under one of the best looking bodies ever to come from Stuttgart any auto manufacturer. Even the post 1974 US market editions with cow-catcher bumpers
looked good, but a Euro market slim bumper version with a manual gearbox for a few grand — be still my beating heart!! Find this 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300SL offered for $3,900 somewhere in Southern California via cars.com. Tip from Steven.
The seller lists the car as a Mercedes-Benz 560SL which conjures up images of some kind of firebreathing AMG variant, but alas, not only was the R107 never available in 560 trim in Europe, but this car is an simple 300SL…not that there is anything wrong with that!
Power comes from a 3.0 liter SOHC inline-6 fed via a KE-Jetronic fuel injection system and good for 188 horsepower and 185 ft-lbs of torque. Performance of the 3,370 lb convertible is decent but not earth shattering as it makes its way up to a 130 mph top speed.
See a cooler way to cruise a German classic? tips@dailyturismo.com
Wow. Manual r107s have to be unicorns over here.
When I was 16 my grandfather had a 560SL that he had just purchased and he let me take it down Route 40 outside Ellicott Ciry, MD at triple digit speeds, telling me to go faster, faster. I lifted at somewhere around 130, IIRC. I still remember how solid that car felt at speed.
I wish I loved this body style as much as I love the pagoda. Because they sure are cheap right now…
Agreed, but I think these look quite a bit more fetching with Euro composite headlights vs. US sealed beams:
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Easy conversion too if you can find the parts.
That looks so much better! The US ones look like they are wearing nerdy glasses. And no nerd drives a german 'vert.
New Money in Calabasas take a page from Old Money's book form San Marino.
Buy this instead of that garish new sl65. You will look cooler, be able to afford to be a philanthropists, send you kid to a good college (so they won't have to make a sex tape to get rich), and will not have to buy a new car every year to keep up with the kardasshians.
Doesn't that BAR sticker mean this was a gray-market import? What could possibly go wrong?