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For most of the 1970s and 1980s, the car symbol of the good life was a Mercedes-Benz SL.
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Sold in the United States from 1972 to 1989, the R107-generation SL dates back to a time when Mercedes-Benz products were famously over-engineered.
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With ultra-low miles and a great color, the 560SL is a great example of the breed.
The R107 generation Mercedes-Benz SL of the 1970s and 1980s is second only to the older G-Wagen as the longest-running model Mercedes-Benz has ever built. That helped cement the company’s image as a totem of success. The cars benefit significantly from being over-engineered, but many have ended up in a sad state because the second, third or fourth owner did not have the resources necessary for their significantly expensive maintenance. This 1986 560SL for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos) appears to have avoided that fate. It is a fantastically low mileage example of the breed, with just 15,000 miles on the odometer.
This generation of SL was so incredibly cool that Mercedes once managed to turn the coupe version into an unlikely but ultimately successful rally car, achieving victories in South America and Ivory Coast. It was a V-8 powered thunder panzer that raced over rough terrain with brute force.
This wonderful convertible is far removed from that brutality. Sold new in New York, probably a little used weekend car. It’s now in Pennsylvania, but everything about it evokes the atmosphere of ocean touring along California’s coastal roads, yacht rock on the Becker stereo, and the wind in your hair.
Finished in luscious Cabernet Red, it definitely looks the part. Better yet, 1986 is the first year for the 560SL variant, which features the model’s favorite engine, a torquey 5.5-liter V-8. That doesn’t make it a sports car, but a grand tourer par excellence, but it’s exactly what you’re looking for at this time of year to enjoy autumn colors on a drive through the countryside.
This particular SL appears to be a wonderful example of the brand and will undoubtedly fetch top dollar. But with these cars, it’s better to buy the best example possible rather than undertake expensive restoration work.
There is no reserve for this auction, which ends on September 30.
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