What's is the year, make and model of the car?
1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SL
Why did you buy this particular car?
I always dug the R107's classic lines. There's something inherently appealing about a design so timeless that it's remained essentially unchanged for nearly two decades.
Where did you find the car?
Through a neighbor and friend.
Tell us about your classic.
I spent the better part of four years bugging my neighbor about her Mercedes-Benz 450SL, which sat woefully neglected in her garage. I finally told her, "If you won't drive it, at least sell it to me!"
Nearly a year after she moved out of our apartment building and had her first kid, she dropped me a line and said she wanted the car to go to a good home. Needless to say, I was thrilled to put the little Benz back on the road.
What do you love most about the car?
"Ludwig," as my wife and I have nicknamed our 450SL, has great looking Euro headlights and the classic black & tan color combo.
The V8 power is addictive, and handling is surprisingly nimble despite its heft. But my favorite thing about the SL is top-down driving; I've removed the hardtop, and started enjoying open air driving through LA.
Lessons Learned
- If you're buying a '71-'79 SL, note that these models came out of the factory with 3-speed automatics in the U.S. market. My SL has plenty of torque when it winds up, but the relatively tall first gear can make it feel sluggish off the line, and the lack of overdrive isn't optimal for high-speed cruising.
- I purchased a dry California car, but look out for rust on models that have lived in humid weather.
- Mercedes-Benz issued a front subframe retrofit for many of these models; make sure it's been taken advantage of; I believe they still offer it to this day.
